Medical Receptionist Jobs in Memphis, TN
Medical receptionists in Memphis check in patients, verify insurance and book appointments for clinics from the Medical District to Germantown, and pay generally runs $14 to $20 an hour. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring, what it pays and how to get started.
Current medical receptionist Openings in Memphis, TN
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Medical Receptionist Work in Memphis
Front desk jobs in Memphis health care go by several names. Methodist Le Bonheur calls them medical office assistants, Baptist hires registration specialists for its clinics and admissions representatives for its hospitals, and the Memphis VA Medical Center on Jefferson Avenue hires medical support assistants to schedule veterans and verify their coverage. The work follows the clinic map: Methodist's offices in Midtown, Germantown and Olive Branch, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis on Walnut Grove Road, and orthopedic groups such as OrthoSouth in Bartlett and on Primacy Parkway. Baptist's admissions jobs also reach across the river to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden in West Memphis.
Top Memphis Employers Hiring Medical Receptionists
These Memphis employers post front desk and patient access openings on their own careers sites:
- Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare - hires medical office assistants to register patients, schedule visits and collect co-pays at clinics in Memphis, Germantown, Whitehaven and Olive Branch.
- Baptist Memorial Health Care - posts registration specialists for Baptist Medical Group clinics and admissions representatives at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, Baptist Women's and its central patient access center.
- OrthoSouth - the orthopedic practice hires front desk receptionists, including a weekday role covering its Bartlett and Primacy offices.
- Memphis VA Medical Center - the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center hires medical support assistants to schedule appointments, prepare clinic visits and verify insurance.
Medical Receptionist Salaries in Memphis
- Entry level: about $14 to $16.50 per hour for new front desk staff.
- Experienced: roughly $16.50 to $19.50 per hour with scheduling and insurance verification experience.
- Senior and lead: about $20 to $26 per hour for lead roles, hospital patient access and federal positions.
These are estimates. Federal wage data puts the Memphis median at $16.60 an hour for all receptionists and $19.20 for medical secretaries and administrative assistants, and the Memphis VA advertised its medical support assistant jobs at $33,895 to $55,341 a year depending on grade. Insurance verification and prior authorization skills, a national certification, hospital admissions work and lead duties move pay up.
How to Become a Medical Receptionist in Memphis
There is no state license for medical receptionists in Tennessee. Most employers ask for a high school diploma or GED, and the Memphis VA has posted medical support assistant jobs at an entry grade that requires no experience. Certification is optional but helps: Methodist lists the NCCT Certified Medical Office Assistant and the NHA Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) as preferred. For a degree route, Southwest Tennessee Community College offers an Administrative Professional Technology A.A.S. with a Medical Office Technology concentration.
What the Job Involves
Medical receptionists are the first and last person a patient sees. The job means greeting patients, registering new patients and updating demographic and insurance details, scheduling and confirming appointments, collecting co-pays, answering and routing calls, retrieving records, preparing charts and helping patients sign up for the patient portal. Hospital admissions roles do the same registration work on rotating, night and PRN shifts.
Skills Employers Look For
- Patient scheduling and registration
- Insurance verification and prior authorization
- Basic medical terminology
- Electronic health record and practice management software
- Collecting co-pays and balancing a cash drawer
- Friendly, professional phone manner
- Keeping patient information private under HIPAA
Career Path and Advancement
Many Memphis front desk staff start at a single clinic and move into lead medical office assistant, hospital patient access or a central scheduling team, where pay and shift options widen. From there the path runs to practice coordinator and practice manager, a job title Methodist posts for its specialist clinics. Others move into billing and coding or train as medical assistants to work on the clinical side.
Related Careers in Memphis
If front desk work in health care interests you, these related Memphis roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a certification to be a medical receptionist in Memphis?
No. Tennessee has no license for the job, and most employers require only a high school diploma or GED. A certification such as the NHA CMAA or NCCT Certified Medical Office Assistant is listed as preferred by some employers, including Methodist Le Bonheur.
How much do medical receptionists make in Memphis?
Most front desk roles pay about $14 to $20 an hour. The federal median for receptionists in the Memphis metro is $16.60 an hour, and medical secretaries and administrative assistants earn a median of $19.20.
What is the difference between a medical receptionist and a medical office assistant?
In Memphis they are mostly the same job under different titles. Methodist Le Bonheur's medical office assistants register patients, schedule visits, collect co-pays and answer phones, which is the core of front desk work everywhere.
Can I work at the Memphis VA without experience?
Yes, at the entry grade. Memphis VA medical support assistant announcements have allowed hiring at GS-3 with a high school diploma and no experience, with higher grades requiring office, customer service or scheduling experience. Federal jobs require U.S. citizenship and a background check.
What hours do medical receptionists work in Memphis?
Clinic front desk jobs are usually weekday day shifts, such as OrthoSouth's 7:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. schedule. Hospital admissions representatives at Baptist work rotating, night and PRN shifts.
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