Medical Secretaries
Overview
Introduction
Medical secretaries perform administrative and clerical work in medical offices, hospitals, or private physicians' offices. They answer phone calls, order supplies, handle correspondence, bill patients, complete insurance forms, and transcribe dictation. Medical secretaries also handle bookkeeping, greet patients, schedule appointments, arrange hospital admissions, and schedule surgeries. There are approximately 585,410 medical secretaries employed throughout the United States.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
In January 2020, Salary.com reported the median annual salary for medical secretaries was $40,857; salaries ranged from less than $32,371 to more than $50,959.
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that medical secretaries earned a median annual salary of $35,760 in May 2018. Salaries ranged from less than $25,390 to more than $51,890. The median salary for medical secretaries employed in...
Work Environment
Medical secretaries usually work 40 hours a week, Monday through Friday, during regular business hours. However, some may be required to work extended hours one or two days a week, depending on the physician's office hours. They do their work in well-lit, pleasant surroundings, but could encounter stressful emergency situations.
Outlook
Employment for medical secretaries is expected to grow by 16 percent through 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Labor—or much faster than the average for all careers. The growing U.S. population—especially the increasing number of people age 65 and older—will create excellent opportunities in the health care industry. Also, recent health care reform has enabled more people to have access...