Registrar vs registration specialist

The differences between registrars and registration specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a registrar, becoming a registration specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a registrar has an average salary of $40,632, which is higher than the $30,422 average annual salary of a registration specialist.

The top three skills for a registrar include patients, customer service and medical terminology. The most important skills for a registration specialist are patients, customer service, and medical terminology.

Registrar vs registration specialist overview

	Registrar	Registration Specialist
Yearly salary	$40,632	$30,422
Hourly rate	$19.53	$14.63
Growth rate	7%	-4%
Number of jobs	12,723	79,118
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	47	40
Years of experience	6	4

What does a registrar do?

A registrar's role is to process and maintain accurate records within an institution or establishment. They are the main point of communication to obtain various kinds of information. In schools, a registrar is in charge of keeping a student or educator's academic, personal, and financial records. They also have the task of arranging a student's course and class schedules. Furthermore, a registrar may also have other administrative tasks such as responding to calls and other forms of correspondence, producing reports, and process requirements.

What does a registration specialist do?

A registration specialist is responsible for managing patient information, including the verification of their insurance details and medical treatment schedules. Registration specialists assign admission rooms and processing payments for discharge. They also assist patients with the completion of medical forms by helping them fill-out papers with the most accurate information. A registration specialist performs administrative and clerical duties as needed, requiring them to have excellent data management skills to process information and provide the highest quality care services for the patients.

Registrar vs registration specialist salary

Registrars and registration specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Registrar	Registration Specialist
Average salary	$40,632	$30,422
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $56,000	Between $23,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	New York	Massachusetts
Best paying company	The American Musical and Dramatic Academy	Deloitte
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between registrar and registration specialist education

There are a few differences between a registrar and a registration specialist in terms of educational background:

	Registrar	Registration Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Registrar vs registration specialist demographics

Here are the differences between registrars' and registration specialists' demographics:

	Registrar	Registration Specialist
Average age	47	40
Gender ratio	Male, 17.1% Female, 82.9%	Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 6.0% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	7%

Differences between registrar and registration specialist duties and responsibilities

Registrar example responsibilities.

Manage and prioritize a high volume of traumas and ambulances entering the ER.
Provide superior customer-orient support and manage non-cooperative patients such as those with addictions problems with tact and ease.
Code all inpatient, outpatient, emergency room, laboratory and radiology visits with appropriate ICD-9 and CPT codes.
Transport patients to and from rehabilitation unit.
Coordinate all radiology authorizations from physicians and insurance companies, adhering to appropriate CPT codes.
Admit patients to various outpatient departments of the hospital; including emergency, laboratory and radiology.

Registration specialist example responsibilities.

Attain and authenticate patient insurance information, counsel patients on changes in insurance policies, verify patient demographics.
Help patients through the registration and admitting processes and also contribute to the PBX department.
Input data entries for insurance billing; adding CPT codes and diagnosis from face sheets as patients arrive.
Act as hospital PBX operator.
Complete all charge entry, enter all CPT and ICD-9 codes for billing for multiple doctors each day.
Enter patient information and verify information according to HIPAA regulations.

Registrar vs registration specialist skills

Common registrar skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 16%
Medical Terminology, 7%
Patient Registration, 4%
Data Entry, 3%
Patient Care, 3%

Common registration specialist skills

Patients, 25%
Customer Service, 14%
Medical Terminology, 8%
Patient Registration, 5%
Insurance Verification, 4%
Data Entry, 4%

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Registrar vs Registration Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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