Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
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.
Also called: Clinic Office Assistant · Front Desk Receptionist · Medical Office Specialist · Medical Receptionist · Medical Secretary · Physician Office Specialist
Median pay (national)
$44,640
$35,050–$60,050 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
830,760
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+4.2%
~85,900 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for medical secretaries and administrative assistants shows a relatively narrow range: the top 10% earn $60,050 versus $35,050 at the bottom 10% — 1.7x. The median of $44,640 leaves roughly 35% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +4.2% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 85,900 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 54 states with released data, Washington pays the most for this role (median $56,920, +28% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $21,820 — a 161% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Speaking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Henry Schein Dentrix, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Answer telephones and direct calls to appropriate staff.
- 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.
- Perform bookkeeping duties, such as credits or collections, preparing and sending financial statements or bills, and keeping financial records.
- Perform various clerical or administrative functions, such as ordering and maintaining an inventory of supplies.
- Schedule and confirm patient diagnostic appointments, surgeries, or medical consultations.
- Complete insurance or other claim forms.
Tools & technology
- Henry Schein Dentrix
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Epic Systems
- Intuit QuickBooks
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Windows
- Accounts payable software
- Accounts receivable software
- Addressing software
- Allscripts Payerpath
- Allscripts Professional PM
- Amazing Charts
- Billing software
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Administrative
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Economics and Accounting