| Medical Secretaries | |||||||||||
| Summary Occupational Forecast Data for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | |||||||||||
| Employment | Employment Change | Average Annual Job Openings | Wage & Training Levels | ||||||||
| 2020 | 2025 | Numerical | Percent | New Jobs | Replacement Jobs | Total | Median Hourly | Median Annual | Training Levels | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7,519 | 8,205 | 686 | 9.12% | 137 | 986 | 1,123 | $22.58 | $46,957 | High school diploma or equivalent | ||
| Description: | Perform secretarial duties utilizing specific knowledge of medical terminology and hospital, clinic, or laboratory procedures. Duties include scheduling appointments, billing patients, and compiling and recording medical charts, reports, and correspondence. | ||||||||||
| Forecast Data Source: EMSI (4th Quarter 2023) | |||||||||||
Occupation Details
The information in this section represents occupational characteristics included in O*NET which defines key features of an occupation as a standardized, measurable set of variables called "descriptors". These distinguishing characteristics of an occupation are described in greater detail in the O*NET Content Model. All items are listed in descending order of importance.
- Schedule and confirm patient diagnostic appointments, surgeries and medical consultations.
- Compile and record medical charts, reports, and correspondence, using typewriter or personal computer.
- Answer telephones, and direct calls to appropriate staff.
- Receive and route messages and documents such as laboratory results to appropriate staff.
- Greet visitors, ascertain purpose of visit, and direct them to appropriate staff.
- Interview patients to complete documents, case histories, and forms such as intake and insurance forms.
- Maintain medical records, technical library and correspondence files.
- Operate office equipment such as voice mail messaging systems, and use word processing, spreadsheet, and other software applications to prepare reports, invoices, financial statements, letters, case histories and medical records.
- Transmit correspondence and medical records by mail, e-mail, or fax.
- Perform various clerical and administrative functions, such as ordering and maintaining an inventory of supplies.
- Complete insurance and other claim forms.
Knowledge
| 92% | 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. |
| 86% | Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology. |
| 64% | English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
| 58% | Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming. |
| 53% | Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures. |
| 69% | 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. |
| 65% | Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| 65% | Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people. |
| 60% | Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. |
| 56% | Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. |
| 56% | Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
| 50% | Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. |
| 50% | Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
| 50% | Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others. |
| 72% | Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. |
| 69% | Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. |
| 69% | Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. |
| 69% | Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. |
| 62% | Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. |
| 60% | Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. |
| 60% | Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
| 53% | Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted. |
| 50% | 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). |
| 50% | Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects. |
| 84% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| 82% | Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. |
| 80% | Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients. |
| 79% | Interacting With Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. |
| 77% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| 75% | Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork. |
| 70% | Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| 68% | Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| 64% | Communicating with Persons Outside Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. |
| 59% | Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| 55% | Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others. |
| 54% | Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| 52% | Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Title | Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed |
| Overall Experience | Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public. |
| Job Training | Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations. |
| Job Zone Examples | These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include sheet metal workers, forest fire fighters, customer service representatives, physical therapist aides, salespersons (retail), and tellers. |
| Education | These occupations usually require a high school diploma. |
Interests
| Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow. |
| Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others. |
| Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally. |
| Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business. |
| Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outsi |
| Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. |
| Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. |
| Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. |
| Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. |
| Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. |
| Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations. |
| Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. |
| Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. |
| Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job. |
| Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service. |