What Do These Careers Involve?
These healthcare professions entail:
Medical Billing
As a medical biller, you focus on the administrative and financial side of healthcare. This position can typically be office-based or remote with minimal to no patient contact. Through online training at MedCerts, you learn to:
- Translate patient visits and procedures into standardized codes
- Prepare and submit insurance claims and billing data
- Follow up on denied claims
- Ensure accurate reimbursement for healthcare service providers
Medical Assistant
Medical assistants aid physicians with clinical and administrative roles in their offices, clinics and outpatient centers. The position is patient-centered and fast-paced, with working hours including weekends and evenings depending on your facility. Your duties include:
- Recording vital signs and patient histories
- Assisting providers during exams
- Scheduling appointments and managing records
- Performing basic clinical tasks like taking EKGs, blood samples and vital signs
- Taking inventory of office and medical supplies
What Are the Pay Expectations in 2026?
The pay differences between a medical biller and a medical assistant reflect their varying skills and responsibilities. Medical billers generally have a slightly higher median salary than medical assistants. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical billing specialists average about $50,250, while medical assistants receive around $44,200.
Additionally, location, experience and certification contribute to determining your salary. For instance, pay in an urban healthcare market is higher to reflect the cost of living. Also, compensation increases in both professions with an increase in experience and specialization. Do a quick search of available medical assistant and medical billing jobs in your area to get a good idea of the salary ranges you can expect and the volume of job postings.
What Training Time and Educational Pathways Do You Need to Take?
To gain an entry-level medical billing role, you need a post-high-school certificate, which you can acquire through MedCerts 14-week online training program. The training focuses on understanding the revenue cycle and becoming skilled in front-end duties, like interacting with patients to ensure proper payment processing and information retrieval. With accreditation, you can become a:
- Medical Billing Assistant
- Medical Insurance Billing Representative
- Medical Insurance Specialist
Training to become a Medical Assistant takes about 28 weeks through the MedCerts online program. By gaining the requisite skills and administrative training, you will be prepared to test for and earn the following certifications:
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) issued by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
- Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) issued by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
What Skills Are Employers Looking For?
While each profession demands keen attention to detail, its core competencies vary. This gives rise to different essential skills that potential employers are in search of.
For instance, key medical billing skills include
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
- Familiarity with billing software and electronic health records
- Understanding of insurance, compliance and reimbursement rules
The skills you require as a medical assistant include
- Interpersonal communication and empathy for patient interaction
- Multitasking abilities
- Clinical proficiency and basic medical knowledge
- Fundamental technical skills for medical equipment and office systems
With MedCerts short-term online career training, you can start charting your healthcare career in less than a year.
