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What is a medical clerk and how to become one
A medical clerk works in a medical facility or hospital to provide various clerical and administrative services. Medical clerks are usually responsible for managing patient records, collecting patient information, processing patient paperwork during admission and discharge, and distributing medical charts to different hospital departments.
In addition, medical clerks are also in charge of ensuring that all medical records are kept confidential and records are completed according to hospital regulations. They may also perform other duties such as answering phones, responding to emails, and managing digital patient files.
A medical clerk must have a good understanding of HIPAA rules and other laws regarding patient information protection. Moreover, they must be proficient in MS office and information management programs, as well as basic telephone systems.
To be successful in this role, a medical clerk must have outstanding skills in communication, organization, and customer service. A keen eye for detail and the ability to multi-task can also be advantageous since this role involves multiple job roles and no room for error.
The average salary of a medical clerk is $15 an hour or around $31,000 a year. Medical clerks with prior experience and additional education may earn more than this figure, especially with certifications in the healthcare field.
Avg. Salary $32,439
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate -8%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%
Asian 3.77%
Black or African American 9.57%
Hispanic or Latino 11.96%
Unknown 3.77%
White 70.56%
Genderfemale 84.46%
male 15.54%
Age - 51American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 51Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is intermediate
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is excellent
6.4 - fair
Medical Clerk career paths
Key steps to become a medical clerk
Explore medical clerk education requirements
Start to develop specific medical clerk skills
Skills 
Percentages Patients 31.85% Medical Terminology 6.28% Data Entry 5.51% Phone Calls 4.71% Patient Care 3.50% Complete relevant medical clerk training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New medical clerks learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a medical clerk based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real medical clerk resumes.Gain additional medical clerk certifications
More About CertificationsMedical clerk certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific medical clerk certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for medical clerks include Medical Assistant and Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA).
Research medical clerk duties and responsibilities
- Evaluate all EOB's to insure accurate payment is received and when necessary will file appeals to achieve optimal payments.
- Follow HIPPA patient confidentiality guidelines making patients or facility have filled proper forms to release records.
- File results of laboratory tests, x-rays, EKG's, etc., in patients records.
- Respond and resolve patient inquiries with compassion and patience.
Prepare your medical clerk resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your medical clerk resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a medical clerk resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Medical Clerk Resume templates
Build a professional Medical Clerk resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Medical Clerk resume.
Apply for medical clerk jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a medical clerk job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Medical Clerk Job
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Average medical clerk salary
The average Medical Clerk salary in the United States is $32,439 per year or $16 per hour. Medical clerk salaries range between $26,000 and $40,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do medical clerks rate their job?
Medical Clerk reviews
I like making sure other patients information was not in another patient records filing the records and also triaging the records as well.
Not have work to do.
There's nothing to dislike.
Always something new to do, and learn, always changing.
Being taken over by computers, job is going away office staff is becoming smaller and smaller or out sourced to 3rd party companies.
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Updated January 8, 2025
