Veterinary receptionist vs patient coordinator

The differences between veterinary receptionists 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 veterinary receptionist, becoming a patient coordinator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a patient coordinator has an average salary of $32,954, which is higher than the $30,620 average annual salary of a veterinary receptionist.

The top three skills for a veterinary receptionist include PET, customer service and client service. The most important skills for a patient coordinator are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Veterinary receptionist vs patient coordinator overview

	Veterinary Receptionist	Patient Coordinator
Yearly salary	$30,620	$32,954
Hourly rate	$14.72	$15.84
Growth rate	-	-4%
Number of jobs	43,033	97,878
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	42	40
Years of experience	2	4

What does a veterinary receptionist do?

The veterinary receptionist caters to clients and their pets in a veterinary clinic. The veterinary receptionist's job is to communicate with clients, answer inquiries, and schedule appointments with a veterinarian. The veterinary receptionist also handles all the records of the clinic, information about all pets and clients. This person also needs to have good communication skills, be highly organized, and has a pleasing disposition and personality. Additional tasks of a veterinary receptionist are maintenance of the reception area, and if needed, process payments and other financial transactions such as insurance.

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.

Veterinary receptionist vs patient coordinator salary

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

	Veterinary Receptionist	Patient Coordinator
Average salary	$30,620	$32,954
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $37,000	Between $25,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	-	Brockton, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between veterinary receptionist and patient coordinator education

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

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

Veterinary receptionist vs patient coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between veterinary receptionists' and patient coordinators' demographics:

	Veterinary Receptionist	Patient Coordinator
Average age	42	40
Gender ratio	Male, 5.8% Female, 94.2%	Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 6.6% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	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	6%	7%

Differences between veterinary receptionist and patient coordinator duties and responsibilities

Veterinary receptionist example responsibilities.

Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Interact with other veterinary offices regarding mutual clients in regard pet medical history.
Coordinate room rentals and reservations.
Certify CPR instructor-provide in-house training for all staff and physicians.
Schedule tee times, take reservations, answer calls and assist customers
Organize files and keep them up to date while closely following HIPAA regulations.

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.

Veterinary receptionist vs patient coordinator skills

Common veterinary receptionist skills

PET, 29%
Customer Service, 14%
Client Service, 8%
Patients, 7%
Processing Payments, 5%
Exam Rooms, 4%

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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Office and Administrative Industry
Veterinary Receptionist
Veterinary Receptionist vs Patient Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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