Registration clerk vs patient service representative

The differences between registration clerks and patient service representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a registration clerk, becoming a patient service representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a patient service representative has an average salary of $32,476, which is higher than the $30,061 average annual salary of a registration clerk.

The top three skills for a registration clerk include patients, medical terminology and customer service. The most important skills for a patient service representative are patients, customer service, and excellent interpersonal.

Registration clerk vs patient service representative overview

	Registration Clerk	Patient Service Representative
Yearly salary	$30,061	$32,476
Hourly rate	$14.45	$15.61
Growth rate	-	-4%
Number of jobs	123,390	165,920
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	42	40
Years of experience	2	4

What does a registration clerk do?

A registration clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical tasks for patients' admission in a health care setting. Registration clerks assist patients with filling out hospital forms, verifying their medical histories, and confirming their insurance details. They also respond to the patients' inquiries and concerns, as well as directing them to the appropriate facility for their medical needs. A registration clerk must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on managing appointments and ensuring that the patients receive the highest quality of health care.

What does a patient service representative do?

A Patient Service Representative is responsible for coordinating with patients, ensuring accuracy and satisfaction at all times. The duties of a Patient Service Representative revolves around greeting and responding to patients, offering assistance in documentation, gathering and maintaining their personal information, and even communicating with the family or guardian. They also have to collect payments and process insurance details, obtain medical history, and even keep the patients updated in various aspects. Aside from this, it is crucial for a Representative coordinate with supervisors or personnel in-charge at all times.

Registration clerk vs patient service representative salary

Registration clerks and patient service representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Registration Clerk	Patient Service Representative
Average salary	$30,061	$32,476
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $39,000	Between $27,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	California	Vermont
Best paying company	Hancock Wellness	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between registration clerk and patient service representative education

There are a few differences between a registration clerk and a patient service representative in terms of educational background:

	Registration Clerk	Patient Service Representative
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Registration clerk vs patient service representative demographics

Here are the differences between registration clerks' and patient service representatives' demographics:

	Registration Clerk	Patient Service Representative
Average age	42	40
Gender ratio	Male, 11.8% Female, 88.2%	Male, 11.9% Female, 88.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 4.4% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.5% Asian, 6.3% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between registration clerk and patient service representative duties and responsibilities

Registration clerk example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files, reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Perform EKG for cardiac patients.
Verify eligibility for Medicaid patients register through insurance websites.
Conduct initial intake interview and register patients for hospital procedures and day surgery.
Register patients, including radiology inpatient and outpatient for medical services accordance of insurance guidelines.
Procure past EKG and additional information as per physicians request from ALTHA.

Patient service representative example responsibilities.

Manage the daily release of charges to A/R.
Adhere with all state and federal regulations such as EMTALA and HIPPA requirements and appropriately collect co-payments and deductibles from patients.
Provide caring and compassion to elderly and developmentally disable patients.
Demonstrate respect, compassion and confidentiality for patients and family members.
Provide professional and accurate service to schedule patient appointments, check-in and verify insurance eligibility.
Provide quality customer service to patients and observe all protocols regarding HIPPA regulations to ensure patient confidentiality.

Registration clerk vs patient service representative skills

Common registration clerk skills

Patients, 40%
Medical Terminology, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Patient Registration, 3%
Computer System, 3%
Insurance Verification, 3%

Common patient service representative skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 12%
Excellent Interpersonal, 7%
Check-In, 7%
Patient Service, 6%
Excellent Organizational, 6%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Registration Clerk
Registration Clerk vs Patient Service Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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