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The differences between reimbursement specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a reimbursement specialist, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a specialist has an average salary of $58,013, which is higher than the $38,273 average annual salary of a reimbursement specialist.
The top three skills for a reimbursement specialist include patients, customer service and appeals. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Reimbursement Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $38,273 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $18.40 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 32,292 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A reimbursement specialist is responsible for analyzing insurance documents, processing reimbursement claims, and releasing accurate billing statements for insurance claims. Reimbursement specialists must have excellent analytical skills, especially on performing clerical tasks to evaluate insurance cases, investigate cases, and update the account information of the clients on the database. They should also have impeccable communication skills and understanding of the insurance processes to be able to coordinate with the clients, explaining the procedures of their claims accurately, and coordinate with the insurance management to improve the claims processes.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Reimbursement specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Reimbursement Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $38,273 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $49,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lynchburg, VA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Novartis | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | - |
There are a few differences between a reimbursement specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Reimbursement Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between reimbursement specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Reimbursement Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.2% Female, 84.8% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.1% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |