Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in Pennsylvania
Thinking about a career as a Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in Pennsylvania? Here’s what you need to know. 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 do Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Make in Pennsylvania?
For a medical secretaries and administrative assistants working in Pennsylvania, the typical annual salary is $42,990 per year (or about $20.67/hour).Pay can range from $35,670 at the 10th percentile to $53,220 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,670 | $17.15 |
| 25th percentile | $38,070 | $18.30 |
| Median (50th) | $42,990 | $20.67 |
| 75th percentile | $47,470 | $22.82 |
| 90th percentile | $53,220 | $25.59 |
Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Pennsylvania nationwide is 0.81, meaning fewer medical secretaries and administrative assistants per worker than the national average.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, medical secretaries and administrative assistants earn a median of $61,212 per year ($29.43/hour), below the Pennsylvania median.
Employment Outlook
National employment for 1,240,329 medical secretaries and administrative assistants nationwide. In Pennsylvania alone, about 26,270 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 8,150 medical secretaries and administrative assistants.
Top Pennsylvania Metros for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
These are the Pennsylvania metros with the most medical secretaries and administrative assistants in Pennsylvania.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 16,500 | $45,530 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 5,390 | $41,990 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 1,890 | $44,010 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 1,480 | $42,850 |
| Lancaster, PA | 920 | $42,710 |
| Reading, PA | 810 | $43,560 |
| Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA | 800 | $39,030 |
| York-Hanover, PA | 790 | $40,460 |
| Erie, PA | 440 | $38,550 |
| Altoona, PA | 270 | $38,200 |
| Johnstown, PA | 270 | $37,530 |
| Chambersburg, PA | 250 | $39,600 |
| Lebanon, PA | 200 | $39,750 |
| State College, PA | 190 | $38,680 |
| Gettysburg, PA | 120 | $41,700 |
| Williamsport, PA | 120 | $40,450 |
Top States for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Employment
These states have the highest employment of medical secretaries and administrative assistants work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| California | 116,890 |
| Florida | 80,430 |
| Texas | 72,810 |
| North Carolina | 45,540 |
| New York | 34,170 |
| Tennessee | 31,780 |
| Ohio | 29,970 |
| Michigan | 27,440 |
| Pennsylvania | 26,270 |
| Illinois | 24,150 |
| Massachusetts | 22,110 |
| Virginia | 20,860 |
| Kentucky | 20,550 |
| Indiana | 19,460 |
| Georgia | 18,180 |
| New Jersey | 17,710 |
| Arizona | 16,650 |
| Minnesota | 16,240 |
| Oregon | 15,530 |
| Alabama | 14,900 |
Highest-Paying States for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
The highest-paying states for medical secretaries and administrative assistants.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $56,920 |
| California | $52,720 |
| Massachusetts | $50,190 |
| Oregon | $49,570 |
| Minnesota | $48,820 |
| Connecticut | $48,720 |
| Hawaii | $48,620 |
| Alaska | $48,160 |
| New York | $48,090 |
| Rhode Island | $47,540 |
Skills
Key medical secretaries and administrative assistants skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
The abilities that matter most for medical secretaries and administrative assistants, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants typically:
- 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.
- Perform various clerical or administrative functions, such as ordering and maintaining an inventory of supplies.
- Transcribe recorded messages or practitioners' diagnoses or recommendations into patients' medical records.
Work Activities
- Working with Computers
- Processing Information
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
- Getting Information
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Performing Administrative Activities
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Scheduling Work and Activities
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Tools & Technology
Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: eClinicalWorks EHR software, Epic Systems In-demand technologies: Henry Schein Dentrix
What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?
Several college majors map to this occupation:
- Health/Medical Admin Services
Featured schools near , edit
Related Careers
Related occupations to medical secretaries and administrative assistants include:
- Medical and Health Services Managers
- Emergency Medicine Physicians
- Pharmacy Technicians
- Medical Records Specialists
- Patient Representatives
- Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars
Also Known As
Administrative Support Specialist, Appointment Scheduler, Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMMA), Client Service Coordinator, Clinic Office Assistant, Clinic Receptionist, Dental Front Desk Receptionist, Dental Front Office Coordinator, Dental Office Receptionist, Dental Receptionist, Dental Secretary, Front Desk Agent, Front Desk Receptionist, Guest Service Representative, Hospital Admissions Clerk.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 43-6013.00