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Surgical Scheduler Salary, Job Duties, Education Requirements

Surgical schedulers, also called surgical coordinators, assist healthcare professionals by scheduling appointments and performing other important clerical duties. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical secretaries (including surgical schedulers) earned an average salary of $33,530 per year, and a median hourly wage of $15.50 per hour.

Surgical Schedule Job Duties

The most common job duties for a surgical scheduler include scheduling surgeries and other important appointments. However, these individuals also perform many other tasks, depending on the healthcare facility.

Below are some common tasks that surgery schedulers perform.

  • Answer telephone calls and common questions about surgical times, appointments, and instructions
  • Assist customers with documentation and sign-in
  • File paperwork
  • Submit billing or insurance claims
  • Perform basic bookkeeping duties

Surgical Scheduler Education Requirements

In most cases, you only need a high school diploma or GED to become a surgical schedule or medical secretary. However, many employers prefer that job candidates possess clerical, administrative, or secretarial experience.

There are no licensing or certification requirements to become a surgical scheduler. However, you can always seek a certification if you want to increase your marketability. The International Association of Administrative Professionals offers the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) certification. Candidates must have a minimum of 2 to 4 years of administrative work experience, depending on their level of education, and pass an examination.

Some of the common skills you’ll need to work in surgery scheduling include the following:

  • Typing skills
  • Familiarity with technology such as computers, scheduling or billing software, and telephones with multiple lines (on-the-j0b training will be provided to help you with software training).
  • Customer service skills
  • Multitasking skills
  • Organizational skills
  • Familiarity with medical terminology or medical records or coding

What do Surgical Schedulers Like or Dislike about their Jobs?

Every job has its good points and its bad points. Working as a surgical scheduler or medical secretary is no different.

Here’s what most surgical coordinators like about their job:

  • Most like the hours. If you work in a doctor’s office, you’ll have 9-5 hours.
  • They enjoy working with people.
  • They feel as if it is a relatively stable job.

Here’s what many surgical schedulers dislike about their job:

  • They feel that they are often understaffed.
  • It can be stressful dealing with phone calls, paperwork, and patients–all at the same time.
  • Surgeries can be rescheduled at the last minute, which can be frustrating. In addition, some patients won’t follow the surgical instructions, which can be frustrating.

Surgical Coordinator Job Outlook

Overall employment of secretaries and administrative assistants is projected to grow 3 percent from 2014 to 2024, slower than the average for all occupations. However, there were 516,050 medical secretaries in the workforce as of 2014. While this job isn’t growing rapidly, there are opportunities for this career.

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment Employment
RSE
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage
Wage RSE
516,050 0.8 % $16.12 $33,530 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $10.71 $12.78 $15.50 $18.56 $22.74
Annual Wage $22,270 $26,580 $32,240 $38,600 $47,300

Industries with the highest levels of employment for medical secretaries:

Industry Employment Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Offices of Physicians 181,740 7.40 $15.55 $32,340
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 128,230 2.44 $16.25 $33,800
Offices of Dentists 78,720 8.93 $18.23 $37,920
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 45,810 5.92 $14.35 $29,850
Outpatient Care Centers 19,420 2.77 $15.73 $32,710

Top paying industries for medical secretaries:

Industry Employment Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Junior Colleges 30 n/a $19.70 $40,980
Scientific Research and Development Services 440 0.07 $19.68 $40,930
Consumer Goods Rental n/a n/a $18.91 $39,320
State Government (OES Designation) 210 0.01 $18.33 $38,130
Offices of Dentists 78,720 8.93 $18.23 $37,920

Top paying states for this occupation:

State Employment Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Washington 10,610 3.66 0.96 $19.57 $40,700
New Jersey 13,220 3.42 0.89 $19.16 $39,850
Massachusetts 20,880 6.28 1.65 $19.10 $39,730
Minnesota 8,590 3.15 0.82 $18.89 $39,290
Connecticut 4,380 2.66 0.70 $18.54 $38,560

Lowest paying states for surgical schedulers:

State Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Puerto Rico $10.56 $21,960
Guam $10.76 $22,380
West Virginia $13.54 $28,160
Louisiana $13.69 $28,480
Kentucky $13.86 $28,820
Oklahoma $13.94 $29,000
Arkansas $14.02 $29,160

Surgical Scheduler Salary for all 50 States:

State Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Alabama $14.92 $31,020
Alaska $18.02 $37,480
Arizona $14.73 $30,630
Arkansas $14.02 $29,160
California $18.20 $37,850
Colorado $16.81 $34,970
Connecticut $18.54 $38,560
Delaware $16.16 $33,620
District of Columbia $18.33 $38,130
Florida $14.59 $30,340
Georgia $15.24 $31,690
Guam $10.76 $22,380
Hawaii $17.22 $35,820
Idaho $14.69 $30,560
Illinois $16.50 $34,320
Indiana $15.16 $31,530
Iowa $15.28 $31,780
Kansas $14.89 $30,980
Kentucky $13.86 $28,820
Louisiana $13.69 $28,480
Maine $15.85 $32,960
Maryland $16.64 $34,610
Massachusetts $19.10 $39,730
Michigan $14.91 $31,000
Minnesota $18.89 $39,290
Mississippi $14.34 $29,830
Missouri $15.11 $31,420
Montana $14.88 $30,950
Nebraska $15.55 $32,350
Nevada $16.92 $35,190
New Hampshire $16.89 $35,140
New Jersey $19.16 $39,850
New Mexico $14.90 $30,990
New York $18.20 $37,850
North Carolina $14.72 $30,620
North Dakota $15.07 $31,340
Ohio $14.70 $30,590
Oklahoma $13.94 $29,000
Oregon $17.08 $35,530
Pennsylvania $15.68 $32,610
Puerto Rico $10.56 $21,960
Rhode Island $17.76 $36,940
South Carolina $15.08 $31,360
South Dakota $17.24 $35,850
Tennessee $14.12 $29,370
Texas $14.68 $30,530
Utah $14.92 $31,040
Vermont $18.08 $37,610
Virgin Islands $18.24 $37,930
Virginia $16.22 $33,730
Washington $19.57 $40,700
West Virginia $13.54 $28,160
Wisconsin $16.03 $33,340
Wyoming $15.08 $31,370

References:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Medical Secretaries on the Internet at bls.gov.

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