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The differences between unit secretaries and surgery schedulers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a unit secretary and a surgery scheduler. Additionally, a surgery scheduler has an average salary of $34,472, which is higher than the $32,153 average annual salary of a unit secretary.
The top three skills for a unit secretary include patients, patient care and medical terminology. The most important skills for a surgery scheduler are patients, medical terminology, and customer service.
| Unit Secretary | Surgery Scheduler | |
| Yearly salary | $32,153 | $34,472 |
| Hourly rate | $15.46 | $16.57 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 69,543 | 56,058 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 26% |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Unit secretaries are administrative workers in a medical facility, usually a hospital or a clinic. They are in charge of religious activities in the unit or department they are assigned to. They manage incoming and outgoing mail, phone calls, and even appointments. They handle filing and recording of the documents of the department. They also take minutes of meetings and ensure that action plans are followed through. Unit secretaries should be familiar with the individuals in the department. They should also be accustomed to the schedule of members of the unit. Unit secretaries should be organized, dedicated, and trustworthy.
A surgery scheduler is responsible for organizing medical information, coordinating with doctors and other health professionals, and reaching out to patients to inform them of scheduled medical procedures and appointments. Surgery schedulers perform clerical and administrative duties, such as processing patients' payments, verifying insurance details, and updating their account information on the database. They also monitor the adequacy of inventory for medical operations and create purchase requests as needed. A surgery scheduler must have excellent communication skills, especially in responding to patients' inquiries and concerns and resolving complaints.
Unit secretaries and surgery schedulers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Unit Secretary | Surgery Scheduler | |
| Average salary | $32,153 | $34,472 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $27,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, ME | Danbury, CT |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a unit secretary and a surgery scheduler in terms of educational background:
| Unit Secretary | Surgery Scheduler | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 26% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Health Care Administration |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between unit secretaries' and surgery schedulers' demographics:
| Unit Secretary | Surgery Scheduler | |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.6% Female, 89.4% | Male, 6.5% Female, 93.5% |
| 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, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |