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The differences between records specialists and medical record assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a records specialist and a medical record assistant. Additionally, a medical record assistant has an average salary of $34,870, which is higher than the $33,273 average annual salary of a records specialist.
The top three skills for a records specialist include customer service, data entry and office equipment. The most important skills for a medical record assistant are patients, data entry, and HIPAA.
| Records Specialist | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $33,273 | $34,870 |
| Hourly rate | $16.00 | $16.76 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 28,647 | 91,238 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Records Specialists are administrative professionals who help manage the records of the company. These records may be physical documents or digital copies that are stored in a database. Records Specialists may assist in creating filing systems and knowledge management systems to ensure that the records they keep are easily accessible. They also keep an organized list or database of all the documents that are with them. Records Specialists are in charge of pulling up records upon the request of different departments or individuals. If they are working with physical copies, they ensure that these documents are returned to them. If they are working with digital copies, they ensure that the files they share are kept confidential. Records Specialists may also be in charge of analyzing trends and creating records-related reports.
A medical record assistant is responsible for the proper documentation of the patients' information and medical records for reference to the attending physician or other medical professionals. Medical record assistants also track the patient's medical treatments and progress, as well as their health insurance details and coverage. They also respond to the patient's inquiries and concerns, including scheduling physician's appointments and updating the patients for any released medical results. A medical record assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills, categorizing documents, and retrieving files for medical needs.
Records specialists and medical record assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Records Specialist | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Average salary | $33,273 | $34,870 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $42,000 | Between $28,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | Napa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Mt. San Antonio College | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a records specialist and a medical record assistant in terms of educational background:
| Records Specialist | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between records specialists' and medical record assistants' demographics:
| Records Specialist | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2% | Male, 17.3% Female, 82.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.5% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.5% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |