Office & Administrative Support
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Also called: Clinic Office Assistant, Front Desk Receptionist, Medical Office Specialist, Medical Receptionist
US median pay
$45,930
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+4.8%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
89,200
979,000 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- 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.
- Perform bookkeeping duties, such as credits or collections, preparing and sending financial statements or bills, and keeping financial records.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Service Orientation3.6/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Coordination3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.1/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9/5
- Management of Personnel Resources2.6/5
- Persuasion2.1/5
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service4.4/5
- English Language4.3/5
- Administrative3.9/5
- Medicine and Dentistry3.6/5
- Personnel and Human Resources3.4/5
- Computers and Electronics3.4/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma48%
- Associate's degree26%
- Post-secondary certificate20%
Who this job suits
Mostly Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Enterprising
Leading, persuading and starting things
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.