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The differences between registered medical assistants and medical scribes can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a registered medical assistant and a medical scribe. Additionally, a registered medical assistant has an average salary of $36,580, which is higher than the $30,045 average annual salary of a medical scribe.
The top three skills for a registered medical assistant include patients, vital signs and office procedures. The most important skills for a medical scribe are patients, medical terminology, and excellent organizational.
| Registered Medical Assistant | Medical Scribe | |
| Yearly salary | $36,580 | $30,045 |
| Hourly rate | $17.59 | $14.44 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 183,988 | 80,035 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
The primary job of registered medical assistants is to perform clinical and administrative tasks in a healthcare setting. They offer support services to physicians, so the latter have plenty of time to care for patients. They carry out varied administrative, clerical, and clinical tasks that include taking vital signs, filing records, and scheduling patient appointments. Other responsibilities include discussing treatment procedures to patients, interacting with patients, and collecting laboratory specimens such as tissue and blood. Ideal characteristics to become a registered medical assistant include being compassionate, can work well with people, and adaptable.
As a medical scribe, their main responsibility is to follow a physician's daily work and do charting of patient encounters in real-time by accessing their medical electronic health record (EHR). It is their duty to make sure the patient schedules are followed, generate referral letters for physicians and manage and sort medical documents within the EHR. Medical scribes can be held as data custodians, medical assistants, and nurses to focus on patient in-take and care throughout clinic hours. In addition, they manage patient flow through the clinic and increase productivity to cater to more patients.
Registered medical assistants and medical scribes have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Registered Medical Assistant | Medical Scribe | |
| Average salary | $36,580 | $30,045 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $49,000 | Between $23,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Griffin Hospital | Boston Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a registered medical assistant and a medical scribe in terms of educational background:
| Registered Medical Assistant | Medical Scribe | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Biology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between registered medical assistants' and medical scribes' demographics:
| Registered Medical Assistant | Medical Scribe | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 8.2% Female, 91.8% | Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 8.7% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 9.7% White, 50.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |