Life As a Medical Secretary
Medical Secretary Example 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.
Daily Life Of a Medical Secretary
- Transmit correspondence or medical records by mail, e-mail, or fax.
- Maintain medical records, technical library, or correspondence files.
- Compile and record medical charts, reports, or correspondence, using typewriter or personal computer.
- Schedule and confirm patient diagnostic appointments, surgeries, or medical consultations.
- 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.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Medical Secretary?
These are the skills Medical Secretaries say are the most useful in their careers:
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Related Job Titles
- Front Office Coordinator
- Patient Account Representative
- Unit Clerk
- Administrative Support Specialist
- Hospital Unit Clerk
Is There Going to be Demand for Medical Secretaries?
In the United States, there were 574,200 jobs for Medical Secretary in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 22.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 129,000 new jobs for Medical Secretary by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 80,800 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Medical Secretary are Arizona, Utah, and Texas. Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, Mississippi, or Illinois. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Medical Secretary Salary
The typical yearly salary for Medical Secretaries is somewhere between $25,390 and $51,890.

Medical Secretaries who work in District of Columbia, Minnesota, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Medical Secretaries in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $34,050 |
Alaska | $40,820 |
Arizona | $36,110 |
Arkansas | $32,380 |
California | $42,900 |
Colorado | $38,890 |
Connecticut | $42,270 |
Delaware | $37,110 |
District of Columbia | $50,370 |
Florida | $33,520 |
Georgia | $35,060 |
Hawaii | $42,010 |
Idaho | $34,270 |
Illinois | $36,320 |
Indiana | $35,030 |
Iowa | $35,860 |
Kansas | $34,280 |
Kentucky | $32,220 |
Louisiana | $30,660 |
Maine | $34,390 |
Maryland | $39,200 |
Massachusetts | $43,450 |
Michigan | $35,370 |
Minnesota | $42,750 |
Mississippi | $30,760 |
Missouri | $34,270 |
Montana | $32,540 |
Nebraska | $34,160 |
Nevada | $37,440 |
New Hampshire | $40,200 |
New Jersey | $42,670 |
New Mexico | $32,680 |
New York | $40,850 |
North Carolina | $33,790 |
North Dakota | $37,790 |
Ohio | $34,450 |
Oklahoma | $32,080 |
Oregon | $40,000 |
Pennsylvania | $35,550 |
Rhode Island | $38,160 |
South Carolina | $35,250 |
South Dakota | $35,380 |
Tennessee | $32,720 |
Texas | $34,150 |
Utah | $33,090 |
Vermont | $39,440 |
Virginia | $37,940 |
Washington | $42,680 |
West Virginia | $30,270 |
Wisconsin | $35,830 |
Wyoming | $34,760 |
What Tools & Technology do Medical Secretaries Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Medical Secretaries:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Windows
- Spreadsheet software
- Database software
- Microsoft Publisher
- Google Docs
- Intuit QuickBooks
- MEDITECH software
- Scheduling software
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Graphics software
How to Become a Medical Secretary
What kind of Medical Secretary requirements are there?

What work experience do I need to become a Medical Secretary?

Where Medical Secretaries Work

The table below shows the approximate number of Medical Secretaries employed by various industries.

References:
Image Credit: Staff Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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