Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant

Types of Degrees Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many medical office computer specialist/assistant graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate	76
Basic Certificate	36
Associate Degree	5
Bachelor’s Degree	1

What Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to medical office computer specialist/assistant and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant Majors

Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Skills for Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant Majors

A major in medical office computer specialist/assistant prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• 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.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant Majors

As you progress with your medical office computer specialist/assistant degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant?

This major is dominated by women with about 60% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of medical office computer specialist/assistant majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	0
Black or African American	4
Hispanic or Latino	0
White	1
International Students	0
Other Races/Ethnicities	0

How Much Do Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $55,050 to $89,580 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant

Some degrees associated with medical office computer specialist/assistant may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for medical office computer specialist/assistant careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.2%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	15.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	8.1%
Some College Courses	13.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	12.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	51.0%
Master’s Degree	0.1%

Online Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	6	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	9	1
Bachelor’s Degree	1	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant Worth It?

The median salary for a medical office computer specialist/assistant grad is $55,050 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 38% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $303,000 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to medical office computer specialist/assistant.

Major	Number of Grads
Health Care Management	30,702
Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder	10,541
Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician	10,010
Medical Insurance Specialist/Medical Biller	9,004
Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant & Medical Secretary	7,581
Medical Office Assistant/Specialist	4,981
Hospital & Health Care Facilities Administration/Management	3,981
Medical Office Management/Administration	3,470
Health Information Management	2,942
Other Health & Medical Administrative Services	2,251
Medical/Health Management & Clinical Assistant/Specialist	1,257
Medical Reception/Receptionist	730
Clinical Research Coordinator	291
Long Term Care Administration/Management	221
Healthcare Innovation	193
Health Unit Coordinator/Ward Clerk	109
Medical Transcription/Transcriptionist	83
Regulatory Science/Affairs	73
Medical Staff Services Technology/Technician	25
Disease Registry Data Management	15
Health Unit Manager/Ward Supervisor	11
Healthcare Information Privacy Assurance and Security	7
Health/Medical Claims Examiner	4

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.