Scheduler vs patient coordinator

The differences between schedulers and patient coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a scheduler, becoming a patient coordinator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a scheduler has an average salary of $40,565, which is higher than the $32,954 average annual salary of a patient coordinator.

The top three skills for a scheduler include patients, customer service and medical terminology. The most important skills for a patient coordinator are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Scheduler vs patient coordinator overview

	Scheduler	Patient Coordinator
Yearly salary	$40,565	$32,954
Hourly rate	$19.50	$15.84
Growth rate	-8%	-4%
Number of jobs	56,890	97,878
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	49	40
Years of experience	2	4

What does a scheduler do?

A scheduler is responsible for arranging appointments and carrying out reminder calls and correspondence to anyone involved. In a company setting, it is also a scheduler's responsibility to coordinate with various departments and personnel to organize an accurate timetable that will consist of meetings, gatherings, deadlines, or other pressing matters. Furthermore, a scheduler must have attention to detail as one must perform bookkeeping tasks, fix scheduling issues or conflicts, and organize documentation. There are also instances where one must process orders or payments.

What does a patient coordinator do?

A patient coordinator functions as the primary point of contact between health care professionals and patients in a medical facility. They mostly perform administrative tasks such as greeting visitors, answering calls, responding to inquiries, managing schedules, arranging appointments, processing payments, gathering information, and keeping records. Moreover, they assist in filling out forms, escorting patients to different rooms or offices, and setting treatment plans. Most importantly, they discuss and share necessary information with patients and families regarding medications, procedures, and proceeding care according to a physician's assessment.

Scheduler vs patient coordinator salary

Schedulers and patient coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Scheduler	Patient Coordinator
Average salary	$40,565	$32,954
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $68,000	Between $25,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Brockton, MA
Highest paying state	New York	Massachusetts
Best paying company	BP America Inc	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Construction	Health Care

Differences between scheduler and patient coordinator education

There are a few differences between a scheduler and a patient coordinator in terms of educational background:

	Scheduler	Patient Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Scheduler vs patient coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between schedulers' and patient coordinators' demographics:

	Scheduler	Patient Coordinator
Average age	49	40
Gender ratio	Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1%	Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 25.4% Asian, 6.2% White, 51.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between scheduler and patient coordinator duties and responsibilities

Scheduler example responsibilities.

Manage clinic visit schedules, rehabilitation conferences, medical exams, trial appearances, depositions, etc.
Utilize knowledge of medical insurance including manage care, Medicare, Medicaid, liability and workman's compensation.
Manage patient pre-op responsibilities, and generate all necessary paperwork.
Schedule procedure, surgery f/u, register new patients, referrals, insurance, send nurse messages.
Schedule patients for test and surgery procedures with and without anesthesia using the Surgi-Server computerize scheduling system.
Schedule patients for radiology and nuclear medicine procedures, verify insurance benefits, and obtain prior authorizations for patient procedures.

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Patient coordinator example responsibilities.

Comply with HIPAA regulations by discreetly and professionally handling all patients private medical information.
Gather personal plus insurance information and perform thorough insurance breakdowns for patients.
Communicate directly with patients to obtain initial patient information and respond to inquiries.
Process and update HIPAA relate paperwork and other require institutional forms as necessary.
Obtain all necessary documentation prior to surgery such as proof of identification, copy of insurance and require insurance referrals.
Respond in writing to all grievances in accordance with CMS and DNV guidelines.

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Scheduler vs patient coordinator skills

Common scheduler skills

Patients, 21%
Customer Service, 13%
Medical Terminology, 7%
Patient Care, 5%
Data Entry, 3%
Home Health, 3%

Common patient coordinator skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 11%
Patient Care, 6%
Patient Flow, 5%
Excellent Organizational, 4%
Check-In, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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