Medical Secretaries
SOC: 43-6013.00

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.

National Salary Information:

Hourly Statistics:

Annual Statistics:

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015 wage data.

Employment Projections:

Employment (2014):
527,600 employed

Projected (2024):
635,800 employed

Projected growth (2014-2024)


Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015 2014-2024 employment projections external site. "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2014-2024). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Alternate Titles:

  • Administrative Assistant
  • Administrative Support Specialist
  • Admissions Coordinator
  • Appointment Scheduler
  • Billing Coordinator
  • Certified Professional Coder (CPC)
  • Client Service Coordinator
  • Data Transcriber
  • Dental Secretary
  • Front Office Coordinator
  • Health Information Coder
  • Health Unit Coordinator
  • Hospital Admissions Clerk
  • Hospital Receptionist
  • Hospital Secretary
  • Hospital Unit Clerk
  • Insurance Verifier
  • Medical Administrative Assistant
  • Medical Administrative Specialist
  • Medical Biller Coder
  • Medical Biller/Coder
  • Medical Billing Coder
  • Medical Billing Specialist
  • Medical Front Desk Specialist
  • Medical Office Clerk
  • Medical Office Coordinator
  • Medical Office Receptionist
  • Medical Office Secretary
  • Medical Office Specialist
  • Medical Office Worker
  • Medical Records Clerk
  • Medical Reimbursement Specialist
  • Medical Scheduler
  • Medical Secretary
  • Medical Terminologist
  • Patient Account Representative
  • Patient Coordinator
  • Physician Office Specialist
  • Psychiatric Secretary
  • Surgery Scheduler
  • Unit Clerk
  • Unit Secretary
  • Unit Support Representative
  • Verification Specialist
  • Ward Clerk
  • Ward Secretary

    • Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

    Experience:

    Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

    Education:

    Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

    Job Training:

    Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

    Required Skills:

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • Mathematics
  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Learning
  • Learning Strategies
  • Monitoring
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Coordination
  • Persuasion
  • Negotiation
  • Instructing
  • Service Orientation
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Operations Analysis
  • Operation Monitoring
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Systems Analysis
  • Systems Evaluation
  • Time Management
  • Management of Personnel Resources

    • Knowledge Used:

  • Administration and Management
  • Clerical
  • Economics and Accounting
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Personnel and Human Resources
  • Production and Processing
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Mathematics
  • Psychology
  • Sociology and Anthropology
  • Geography
  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Therapy and Counseling
  • Education and Training
  • English Language
  • Foreign Language
  • Philosophy and Theology
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Law and Government
  • Telecommunications
  • Communications and Media
  • Transportation

    • Tasks:

  • Schedule and confirm patient diagnostic appointments, surgeries, or medical consultations.
  • Compile and record medical charts, reports, or correspondence, using typewriter or personal computer.
  • Answer telephones and direct calls to appropriate staff.
  • Receive and route messages or documents, such as laboratory results, to appropriate staff.
  • Greet visitors, ascertain purpose of visit, and direct them to appropriate staff.
  • Interview patients to complete documents, case histories, or forms, such as intake or insurance forms.
  • Maintain medical records, technical library, or correspondence files.
  • Operate office equipment, such as voice mail messaging systems, and use word processing, spreadsheet, or other software applications to prepare reports, invoices, financial statements, letters, case histories, or medical records.
  • Transmit correspondence or medical records by mail, e-mail, or fax.
  • Perform various clerical or administrative functions, such as ordering and maintaining an inventory of supplies.
  • Arrange hospital admissions for patients.
  • Transcribe recorded messages or practitioners' diagnoses or recommendations into patients' medical records.
  • Perform bookkeeping duties, such as credits or collections, preparing and sending financial statements or bills, and keeping financial records.
  • Complete insurance or other claim forms.
  • Prepare correspondence or assist physicians or medical scientists with preparation of reports, speeches, articles, or conference proceedings.
  • Schedule tests or procedures for patients, such as lab work or x-rays, based on physician orders.

    • Tools & Technology:

  • Credit card processing machines
  • Desktop computers
  • Dictaphones
  • Hospital intercom equipment
  • Laptop computers
  • Laser facsimile machines
  • Laser printers
  • Multi-line telephone systems
  • Notebook computers
  • Personal computers
  • Photocopying equipment
  • Scanners
  • Switchboards
  • Accounts payable software
  • Accounts receivable software
  • Addressing software
  • Allscripts Payerpath
  • Allscripts Professional PM
  • Amazing Charts
  • Billing software
  • Corel WordPerfect software
  • CPSI CPSI System
  • Database software
  • dBASE Plus
  • Desktop publishing software
  • eHR software
  • Email software
  • Epic Systems software
  • Graphics software
  • Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS software
  • Henry Schein Dentrix software
  • HMS software
  • IDX Groupcast
  • Intuit QuickBooks Point of Sale
  • Intuit QuickBooks software
  • McKesson Lytec
  • McKesson Medisoft software
  • MEDENT
  • Medical condition coding software
  • Medical procedure coding software
  • MEDITECH Medical and Practice Management MPM Suite
  • MEDITECH software
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsys MicroMD
  • NaviMedix NaviNet
  • Patterson Dental Supply Patterson EagleSoft
  • PracticeWorks Systems Kodak WINOMS CS
  • Scheduling software
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Web browser software
  • Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance CMS Secure Net Access Portal C-SNAP
  • Word processing software

    • office and administrative support

    industry stats

    SOC: 43-0000

    Total Employed: 21,846,420

    Average Annual Salary: $36,330