Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants: Job Description
Perform secretarial duties using specific knowledge of medical terminology and hospital, clinic, or laboratory procedures. Duties may include scheduling appointments, billing patients, and compiling and recording medical charts, reports, and correspondence.
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The Daily Work of Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Perform?
Typical responsibilities of medical secretaries and administrative assistants cover:
- Answer telephones and direct calls to appropriate staff.
- Schedule and confirm patient diagnostic appointments, surgeries, or medical consultations.
- Complete insurance or other claim forms.
- Greet visitors, ascertain purpose of visit, and direct them to appropriate staff.
- Transmit correspondence or medical records by mail, e-mail, or fax.
- Maintain medical records, technical library, or correspondence files.
- Receive and route messages or documents, such as laboratory results, to appropriate staff.
- Interview patients to complete documents, case histories, or forms, such as intake or insurance forms.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful medical secretaries and administrative assistants rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Administrative Support Specialist
- Appointment Scheduler
- Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMMA)
- Client Service Coordinator
- Clinic Office Assistant
- Clinic Receptionist
- Dental Front Desk Receptionist
- Dental Front Office Coordinator
Job Outlook
There are roughly 1,240,329 medical secretaries and administrative assistants working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +6.9% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $61,212 |
| Hourly median | $29.43 |
| 10th percentile | $43,061 |
| 25th percentile | $52,136 |
| 75th percentile | $70,287 |
| 90th percentile | $79,363 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $56,920 |
| California | $52,720 |
| Massachusetts | $50,190 |
| Oregon | $49,570 |
| Minnesota | $48,820 |
| Connecticut | $48,720 |
| Hawaii | $48,620 |
| Alaska | $48,160 |
| New York | $48,090 |
| Rhode Island | $47,540 |
| District of Columbia | $47,240 |
| Wisconsin | $46,880 |
| Maryland | $46,690 |
| New Jersey | $46,610 |
| New Hampshire | $46,550 |
| Arizona | $46,510 |
| Vermont | $45,840 |
| Colorado | $45,390 |
| Illinois | $45,200 |
| Nebraska | $44,780 |
| Maine | $44,690 |
| South Dakota | $44,420 |
| Virginia | $44,260 |
| North Dakota | $44,040 |
| Nevada | $43,870 |
| Delaware | $43,190 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,990 |
| Missouri | $42,030 |
| Ohio | $41,980 |
| Idaho | $41,920 |
| New Mexico | $41,810 |
| Wyoming | $41,760 |
| Indiana | $41,640 |
| Georgia | $40,880 |
| Virgin Islands | $40,700 |
| Utah | $40,470 |
| Michigan | $40,050 |
| North Carolina | $39,930 |
| Montana | $39,870 |
| Texas | $39,560 |
| Kansas | $39,540 |
| Florida | $39,450 |
| Iowa | $39,240 |
| South Carolina | $38,760 |
| Tennessee | $38,630 |
| Kentucky | $38,010 |
| Oklahoma | $37,990 |
| West Virginia | $37,660 |
| Mississippi | $36,570 |
| Alabama | $36,310 |
| Louisiana | $35,930 |
| Arkansas | $35,910 |
| Guam | $29,590 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,820 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for medical secretaries and administrative assistants shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $52,184 | 18.6% | 1.16 |
| New England | $48,660 | 4.7% | 1.06 |
| Middle Atlantic | $46,006 | 11.9% | 0.83 |
| Plains States | $43,629 | 5.9% | 0.94 |
| Rocky Mountains | $42,982 | 3.0% | 0.82 |
| Great Lakes | $42,416 | 12.8% | 0.97 |
| Southwest | $40,658 | 12.1% | 0.96 |
| Southeast | $39,482 | 30.2% | 1.43 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $67,380 | 5,890 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $61,090 | 14,000 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $60,940 | 480 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $60,470 | 7,110 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $60,260 | 940 |
| Bellingham, WA | WA | $57,360 | 230 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $56,980 | 1,170 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $56,300 | 7,640 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of medical secretaries and administrative assistants are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 753,180 | $44,530 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 18,760 | $45,280 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 14,000 | $46,620 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 12,650 | $45,110 |
| Educational Services | 9,480 | $49,140 |
| Finance and Insurance | 7,110 | $46,150 |
| Retail Trade | 1,860 | $39,300 |
| Information | 1,150 | $43,230 |
Below are examples of industries where medical secretaries and administrative assistants work:
Tools and Technology
- Medical software: eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Medical software: Epic Systems (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Medical software: Henry Schein Dentrix (hot technology)
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of medical secretaries and administrative assistants tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
Education and Training
Entry-level medical secretaries and administrative assistants positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Medical and Health Services Managers (Supplemental)
- Emergency Medicine Physicians (Supplemental)
- Pharmacy Technicians (Supplemental)
- Medical Records Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Patient Representatives (Primary-Long)
- Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars (Supplemental)
- Medical Assistants (Primary-Short)
- Medical Transcriptionists (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring medical secretaries and administrative assistants often complete programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
5 programs across 1 majors
Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences
2 programs across 1 majors
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-6013.00 (Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants).
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