Are you looking for work in the Medical Field in RI? As a staffing agency in Rhode Island, we supply jobs for clients all over the Southern New England area. We fill positions in Administrative, Customer Service, Legal, Medical, Accounting & Finance, Sales & Marketing, Human Resources, Supply Chain, and Industrial & Warehouse Industries. Because we work in several industries, we wanted to do a blog post summarizing each. The first one we will be explaining is the Medical Field in RI.

Since COVID-19, the medical industry has seen a significant increase in job openings. With this increase in job openings, we have had several individuals interested in switching career paths to medical.

For those who need more information about the salary and responsibilities of Medical Assistants, Medical Secretaries, Medical Coders, and Medical Receptionists, this is the article for you. We will be going over the responsibilities of several positions in the Medical Field in RI and the salaries of each. We used salary.com and glassdoor.com to figure out the salaries of these positions in Rhode Island.

Medical Assistant

The first position we will go over is one of our most popular job titles in the medical field, Medical Assistant. As a Medical Assistant, your salary can range anywhere from $26k – $44k per year. However, on average, for our area, you will be making around $30k – $35k. 

According to glassdoor.com, the average base pay per year is around $30,000. The salary is based on 50 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor. According to salary.com, the average base pay is around $38,000. In this article, you will see a big difference between salary.com and glassdoor.com. The main reason for this is because Glassdoor uses salaries submitted to their website and averages it out. Salary.com grabs all the information they can online to make an estimation.

These estimations are not perfect. Some estimations are significantly higher than the actual numbers. However, it is still relatively accurate. If you are a Medical Assistant receiving less than the $32,000 estimate, this may be because you have fewer responsibilities than a Medical Assistant getting paid more than $40k.

What are a Medical Assistant’s responsibilities?

Medical Assistants work alongside physicians mainly in medical offices and clinics. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical Assistants are growing faster than average out of all other occupations in the United States.

Medical Assistants usually have two types of duties in their job position, Administrative and Clinical.

Administrative duties include: using computer applications, answering phones, welcoming patients, updating medical records, coding, filling out forms, scheduling, billing, bookkeeping, and more.

Clinical duties include: taking medical histories, drawing blood, explaining treatment, preparing patients for examination, assisting physicians during exams, performing basic tests, and more.

Are you looking to become a Medical Assistant? Medical Assistants usually require a minimum education of a high school diploma. Some states also require training or examinations for those who do clinical work, but Rhode Island does not. If you are interested, check out our Medical Assistant job openings.

Job Requirements: a good understanding of patient care and medical terminology, excellent interpersonal and organizational skills, and familiarity with electronic medical health record (EMHR) systems.

Medical Secretary

The second position we are going over is a Medical Secretary. As a Medical Secretary, your salary can range anywhere from 20k – 55k per year. On average, you will be making around $26k – $35k. According to glassdoor.com, the average base salary is around $26,000, while salary.com averages the salary around $40k. It depends on the size of the practice, experience, and duties for the job opening.

What are a Medical Secretary’s responsibilities?

Medical Secretaries perform clerical duties for either a doctors or other health professional’s office. Medical Secretaries interact with the public on a daily basis, take phone calls, schedule appointments & staff meetings, prepare invoices & reports, handle mail & faxes, perform database management, and process billing and medical insurance claims.

Job requirements: efficiency & time management skills, ability to multi-task, proficiency in Microsoft Office, high school or equivalent, and customer service skills.

As a Medical Secretary, you do not need to pass an exam or have a certification. However, it is important that you do have customer service skills as you are one of the primary contacts for patients and visitors.

Medical Coder

As a Medical Coder, your salary can range anywhere from $25k – $70k per year. On average, you will be making around $28k – $50k. According to glassdoor.com, the average base salary is around $32,000, while salary.com averages around $52,000.

The wide range of salaries for Medical Coders is based on the background of the employee. A certified employee will receive a significant pay increase compared to one that is not. Also, busier practices will pay more.

We highly suggest being CPC® certified if you do want to become a Medical Coder. Certified Professional Coders earn an average annual salary of $59,000 in Rhode Island, according to AAPC.

Also, the need for Medical Coders is growing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this field to grow by more than 20% through 2020.

What are a Medical Coder’s responsibilities?

Medical Coders have to be organized, professional, and a great communicator to be successful at the position. Responsibilities of a Medical Coder include: verifying insurance coverage, researching discrepancies and provides problem resolution, extracting codes from medical records, charge entry and posting payments, insurance company follow-up, and providing superior customer service in regards to any aspect of medical billing.

Job requirements: in-depth knowledge of insurance policies, medical terminology, and medical codes, familiarity with ICD-10 and/or CPT codes, CPC certified (preferred), ability to multi-task and operate under pressure, superior customer service skills, and excellent organizational skills with attention to detail.

Medical Receptionist

The last one on our list is a Medical Receptionist. As a Medical Receptionist, your salary can range anywhere from 22k – 45k per year. On average, you will be making around $25k – $40k in the Rhode Island area. According to glassdoor.com, the average base salary is around $29,000, while salary.com averages around $38k.

What are a Medical Secretary’s responsibilities?

Medical Receptionists have to be able to multi-task, be flexible, have customer service & phone skills, and be organized. Responsibilities of a Medical Receptionist include: checking in/out patients, scheduling appointments, collecting and posting copayments, distributing documentation to patients, office tasks (such as chart scanning and copying), and reviewing insurance and prepping patients’ charts before an office visit.

Job Requirements: candidates must be kind, reliable, and comfortable speaking with patients on the phone/ in-person. Must be detail-oriented, a team player, and work well under pressure.

Now that you know more about the Medical Field in RI, are you ready to start searching for medical jobs near you.

Are you interested in learning more about our Medical Assistant Trade School Program and how it can kickstart your career in the healthcare industry? Click here.