The median pay for Patient Representatives is $50,290 a year ($24.18/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 5.9% through 2035, with about 12,400 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
- SOC 29-2099
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Patient Representative in four numbers
- Median pay
- $50,290a year, or $24.18/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $38KTop 10% $85K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +5.9%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+5.9%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +5.9% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 12,400185,600 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025185.6K
- Projected 2035196.4K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 185.6K Projected 2035 196.4K - Typical education
- Certificateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Access Representative (Access Rep), Admissions Coordinator, BCPA (Board Certified Patient Advocate), Case Manager, Patient Access Specialist, Patient Advocate.
Pay
How much do Patient Representatives make?
Every patient representative in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$50,290
Middle half earn $44,170 to $64,340
- 10th
- $38,180
- 25th
- $44,170
- 75th
- $64,340
- 90th
- $85,270
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $38,180 |
| 25th | $44,170 |
| Median | $50,290 |
| 75th | $64,340 |
| 90th | $85,270 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $50,290
- Median hourly wage
- $24.18/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $58,710
- People employed
- 182,610
Versus all US occupations
At $50,290, the median for Patient Representatives sits in line with the $50,980 median across all US occupations.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $102,760, this is 51% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $85,270 or more while the bottom 10% earn $38,180, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 22% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Wyoming pays the most at $80,520, and still leads at $86,869 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Patient Representatives the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Wyoming | $80,520 | $86,869 | 90 |
| 2Delaware | $78,650 | $78,801 | 110 |
| 3U.S. Virgin Islands | $72,450 | N/A | 30 |
| 4Washington | $62,090 | $58,021 | 3,870 |
| 5Maine | $61,490 | $63,359 | 550 |
| 6Massachusetts | $60,500 | $57,207 | 3,550 |
| 7California | $60,390 | $54,543 | 26,540 |
| 8Oregon | $60,390 | $58,426 | 1,720 |
| 9New York | $60,320 | $55,893 | 11,910 |
| 10Hawaii | $59,900 | $54,479 | 1,000 |
Job outlook
Is Patient Representative a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +5.9% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Patient Representatives | +5.9% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Patient Representatives to change 5.9% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 10,900 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 12,400 openings are projected each year, 6.7% of the 185,600 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Patient Representative
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Patient Representative do?
Assist patients in obtaining services, understanding policies and making health care decisions.
Day-to-day tasks
- Coordinate communication between patients, family members, medical staff, administrative staff, or regulatory agencies.
- Interview patients or their representatives to identify problems relating to care.
- Maintain knowledge of community services and resources available to patients.
- Refer patients to appropriate health care services or resources.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, continue education, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in the field.
- Explain policies, procedures, or services to patients using medical or administrative knowledge.
- Investigate and direct patient inquiries or complaints to appropriate medical staff members and follow up to ensure satisfactory resolution.
- Collect and report data on topics, such as patient encounters or inter-institutional problems, making recommendations for change when appropriate.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.3
- Speaking4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Writing3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Learning Strategies2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.3 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Service Orientation4.0
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Coordination3.9
- Persuasion3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Time Management3.1
- Negotiation3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Service Orientation | 4.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.9 |
| Persuasion | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Customer relationship management CRM software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Patient Representative?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Patient Representative |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 7 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Social6.6
- Investigative4.1
- Conventional3.8
- Enterprising3.1
- Artistic1.6
- Realistic1.3
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Patient Representative
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Health Information Technologist and Medical Registrar
$68,020median a year
Most earn $40K to $117K
+15.9%Associate's - Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Community and Social Service
- Computer and Mathematical
- Community and Social Service
- Management
More healthcare practitioners and technical careers
Median annual pay, with patient representatives highlighted
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- Physical Therapist$102,760
- Dental Hygienist$98,100
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer$96,590
- Radiologic Technologist and Technician$80,110
- Surgical Technologist$64,650
- Patient Representative$50,290
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologist | $391,490 |
| Physician Assistant | $135,880 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $132,300 |
| Physical Therapist | $102,760 |
| Dental Hygienist | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | $96,590 |
| Radiologic Technologist and Technician | $80,110 |
| Surgical Technologist | $64,650 |
| Patient Representative | $50,290 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Patient Representative appears on
Questions
Patient Representative: frequently asked questions
How much do Patient Representatives make?
Patient Representatives earn a median of $50,290 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), close to the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $24.18/hr. The middle half earn between $44,170 and $64,340. The top 10% earn $85,270 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Patient Representative?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialed training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or license program) as the typical entry route for Patient Representatives.
Is Patient Representative a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.9% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 12,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Patient Representative do?
Assist patients in obtaining services, understanding policies and making health care decisions. A core O*NET task: coordinate communication between patients, family members, medical staff, administrative staff, or regulatory agencies. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Medical software.
Which states pay Patient Representatives the most?
The highest state medians for Patient Representatives are Wyoming ($80,520), Delaware ($78,650), U.S. Virgin Islands ($72,450) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Patient Representative?
O*NET scores Patient Representatives highest on the Social, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFJ, ENFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.