What is the Average Salary of a Medical Office Specialist?

<p>Your job title may vary, but similar titles include medical billing and coding specialist, medical office manager and medical secretary. </p> <h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutThisOccupation">Important Facts About This Occupation</h3> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td> Similar Occupations </td><td> Court Reporter, Medical and Health Services Manager, Medical Transcriptionist, Legal Assistant</td></tr> <tr><td> Key Skills </td><td> Interpersonal, technical, organizational, and analytical</td></tr> <tr><td> Professional Certification </td><td> Available as the Registered Health Information Technician, Certified Tumor Registrar, and Certified Administrative Professional certifications</td></tr> <tr><td> Work Environment </td><td> Full-time, sometimes during evening and/or overnight shifts</td></tr> </table><h3 id="section---AverageSalaryForMedicalOfficeManagers">Average Salary for Medical Office Managers</h3> <p>As a medical office manager, you are in charge of making sure that daily procedures in a hospital or medical office run efficiently. You may monitor insurance billing and claims, order medical supplies or ensure the medical facility is accurately following recordkeeping guidelines. </p> <p>According to <i>PayScale.com</i> in February 2023, most medical office managers earned between $39,000 and $73,000 per year. </p> <p><i>PayScale.com</i> reported that medical office managers possessing less than a year of experience made $16.82 per hour in October 2022. Salaries equaled $19.72 per hour with 5-9 years of experience and $20.40 per hour with 10-19 years of experience. </p> <h3 id="section---AverageSalaryForMedicalBillingAndCodingSpecialists">Average Salary for Medical Billing and Coding Specialists</h3> <p>Medical billing and coding specialists generally work in clinics, hospitals, outpatient centers and other healthcare environments. Your work in this specialist position can include gathering pricing information, reviewing medical documents and creating invoices for a medical facility. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), you will need an associate's degree for this position and some employers may also require professional coding credentials (<i>www.bls.gov</i>). </p> <p><i>PayScale.com</i> reported in February 2023 that most medical billing and coding specialists earned between $34,000 and $66,000. In May 2021, the BLS reported health information technologists and medical registrars, including billing and coding specialists, earned an average salary of $61,410. According to the BLS, these professionals made the highest average wages in New York ($92,200), Maryland ($87,750) and California ($86,830). Those working for general medical and surgical hospitals made an average wage of $59,640, while those working for the offices of physicians made an average wage of $49,710. </p> <p><i>PayScale.com</i> showed that medical billing and coding specialists made $17.67 per hour if they had less than a year of experience, as of February 2023. Annual pay was $17.13 per hour with 1-4 years of experience. The most experienced professionals had at least 20 years of experience and made $19.14 per hour. </p> <h3 id="section---AverageSalaryForMedicalSecretaries">Average Salary for Medical Secretaries</h3> <p>You can expect to perform various duties working as a medical secretary, such as answering phones, collecting medical chart and reports, scheduling appointments and receiving patient payments. According to <i>O*Net Online</i>, 48% of these professionals have a high school diploma. Earning an associate's degree can also familiarize you with medical terminology and hospital procedures used in the medical field. </p> <p>Medical secretaries earned an average salary of $39,740 in May 2021, according to the BLS. The type of office you work in may also influence your salary. For example, in the same year the BLS noted that secretaries who worked in dentists' offices earned an average salary of $43,170, while those at physicians' offices made $38,130. Your location can also have an effect on your wages. The District of Columbia and Washington had the highest mean wages of $47,880 and $47,170, respectively. </p> <p><i>PayScale.com</i> reported that as of February 2023, medical secretaries with 1-4 years of experience made $16.12 per hour. Salaries rose to $17.28 per year with 5-9 years of experience, and $18.16 per year with 10-19 years of experience.</p>