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Hospitals
Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, HCA Healthcare
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other
These workers sit between patients, clinicians, and office staff, making sure people get answers, referrals, and follow-up at the right time. The job is less about procedures and more about keeping information moving, which makes it good for people who are organized and calm under pressure. The tradeoff is that it is often emotionally demanding, with modest pay and limited room to move up unless you specialize.
Also known as Patient Care CoordinatorPatient Services RepresentativePatient Access SpecialistHealthcare CoordinatorClinical Support Specialist
Median Salary
$48,790
Mean $56,370
U.S. Workforce
~174K
13.6K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+5.2%
178.8K to 188.1K
Entry Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other sits in the Healthcare category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~174K workers, with a median annual pay of $48,790 and roughly 13.6K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 178.8 K in 2024 to 188.1K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Postsecondary certificate, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Entry-level Patient Access Representative and can progress toward Healthcare Operations Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Epic, Cerner & Electronic Health Records, HIPAA Privacy, Medical Records & Compliance, and Patient Scheduling, Referral & Case Management Systems, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Speaking, and Social Perceptiveness.
Core Responsibilities
- Talk with patients or family members to understand what problems they are having with care, scheduling, or follow-up.
- Explain office rules, treatment steps, and available services in plain language that people can actually use.
- Pass messages and updates between patients, caregivers, nurses, doctors, office staff, and outside agencies.
- Look into questions or complaints, send them to the right person, and follow up until they are handled.
Keep exploring: more Healthcare careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Talk with patients or family members to understand what problems they are having with care, scheduling, or follow-up.
02 Explain office rules, treatment steps, and available services in plain language that people can actually use.
03 Pass messages and updates between patients, caregivers, nurses, doctors, office staff, and outside agencies.
04 Look into questions or complaints, send them to the right person, and follow up until they are handled.
05 Direct patients to the right clinics, programs, or community resources for the help they need.
06 Write patient handouts or newsletters and keep up with new healthcare information through reading and professional learning.
Industries That Hire
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Outpatient clinics and physician groups
One Medical, CityMD, CVS MinuteClinic
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Health insurance and managed care
UnitedHealth Group, Cigna, Humana
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Long-term care and rehabilitation
Brookdale Senior Living, Encompass Health, Genesis HealthCare
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Government and public health
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Indian Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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You can get into the field without years of prior experience or on-the-job training, which makes it a realistic entry point into healthcare.
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There are about 13.6K annual openings, so employers need a steady flow of new workers.
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The work is varied: one hour you may be calming a frustrated patient, and the next you are routing a referral or updating records.
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It gives you experience with many parts of healthcare at once, which can help if you later move into administration, care coordination, or records work.
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The pay is decent for a support role, with a median of $48.79K and a mean of $56.37K.
Challenges
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The pay is not especially high for how much responsibility and emotional labor the job can carry, especially when patients are upset or confused.
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Growth is only 5.2% through 2034, so this is a steady field rather than a fast-rising one.
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A lot of the work is routing messages, documenting issues, and following procedures, which makes it easier for software and standardized workflows to absorb the simplest tasks over time.
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The role can have a career ceiling; many employers treat it as support work unless you move into a more specialized administrative or supervisory path.
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Remote work is limited because the job often depends on in-person patient contact, quick coordination with staff, and handling sensitive information securely.
Career Progression
Entry-level Patient Access Representative
0-2 years
$33K-$41K
Handles basic check-in, scheduling, and routing work while learning the flow of a clinic or hospital.
Health Technologist and Technician
2-5 years
$44K-$55K
Takes on the patient communication, referral, and documentation work that sits at the center of this occupation.
Senior Patient Care Coordinator THIS ROLE
5-9 years
$56K-$68K
Manages harder cases, handles more sensitive complaints, and helps keep patients moving through care steps smoothly.
Healthcare Operations Supervisor
9+ years
$70K-$85K
Oversees a support team, sets workflows, and makes sure service, records, and follow-up stay consistent.
Education Paths
Postsecondary certificate
This is the most common entry path, held by 24.22% of workers in the field.
Associate's degree
Another common route, held by 23.10% of workers in the field.
High school diploma with healthcare office experience
A noticeable share of workers enter this way too, at 18.88%, especially if they already have strong customer service and recordkeeping skills.
Short certificate in medical assisting, patient services, or healthcare administration
A focused non-degree certificate can also work well for people who want a faster way into the field and already have solid communication skills.
Key Skills
Technical
Epic, Cerner & Electronic Health Records 72%
HIPAA Privacy, Medical Records & Compliance 70%
Patient Scheduling, Referral & Case Management Systems 68%
Microsoft Excel, Word & Office 365 64%
Patient Portals, CRM & Ticketing Tools 62%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingService Orientation Job Outlook and Trends
+5.2%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
13.6K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 178.8K to 188.1 K over the next decade, representing 5.2% growth. Around 13.6 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.