A few months ago, when a friend of mine decided to start anew at a hospital after turning forty, I honestly had my doubts.

The reaction from those around us was that, since he wasn't a nurse and had no medical background, what could he possibly do at a hospital?

However, I was surprised to hear a few weeks later that he had indeed secured a position at the reception desk of a general hospital.

It turns out that hospitals are not just staffed by doctors and nurses; there are many more administrative personnel supporting the operations.

From patient access representatives who handle patient registration, to medical records clerks who organize medical records, to scheduling coordinators who set appointments, and unit secretaries who manage ward operations, there are plenty of positions available that one can start without ever having held a stethoscope.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for medical records specialists was $51,140 as of May 2025, and employment in this field is projected to grow by 8 percent from 2025 to 2035.

This translates to an average of 14,000 new positions created each year, which is certainly not a narrow path.

The same goes for medical administrative assistants. The national average salary is around $48,910, and research shows that entry-level positions for those with less than a year of experience start at about $43,833.

Interestingly, when looking at the entire administrative job market, the trend is quite the opposite. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that overall employment for general secretaries and administrative assistants will actually decline by 2 percent from 2025 to 2035.

As online booking systems and self-service kiosks become more prevalent, pure administrative assistant positions are decreasing, while hospital administrative roles are uniquely on the rise, making this trend worth noting.

As the number of patients continues to grow and medical records become increasingly complex, it suggests that the people who organize and connect these records cannot be completely replaced by machines.

Positions like medical billing clerks who handle insurance claims and coding specialists who learn medical coding are also following a similar trend, with many starting in registration or record organization and transitioning to coding or billing within a few years.

You might wonder why hospitals do not require a medical background for these positions, and the answer is surprisingly simple.

Even with just a high school diploma or relevant certification, hospitals provide training after hiring to teach the electronic medical record systems and insurance claim processes.

From the hospital's perspective, having a good attitude towards people and attention to detail is more important, as medical knowledge can be acquired after hiring.

This aspect resonates with me.

The fact that one can secure a stable position through hard work without a college degree or expensive certifications is a much healthier structure than a society that ranks people based on education and credentials.

Especially for those who are older or have immigrated and joined American society later, hospital administrative positions can be one of the few pathways that come with stable health insurance and welfare benefits.

I believe that more of these positions should be created and that the treatment of these roles should improve, as it is crucial for society's vulnerable groups to have easier access to entry-level jobs.

When actually applying, the first step is to search for keywords like patient access or medical records on the hiring pages of large hospital groups or staffing agencies.

If you have customer service experience, it will definitely give you an advantage on your resume, and while having a medical administrative certification is beneficial, it is not a barrier to applying.

That friend of mine still greets patients every morning in the hospital lobby, learning through experience that one can help others without becoming a doctor.

Ultimately, what drives the large organization of a hospital is not just what happens inside the examination rooms, but also the hands that open the doors to those rooms.