6 free templates for small practices: small practice, front office, practice manager, healthcare, HIPAA Privacy Officer, and assistant, with the HIPAA, OSHA, and FLSA guidance the template farms skip. Download as DOCX.
A medical office manager job description is harder to write well than it looks, because the role carries compliance duties no generic template addresses. In a small practice, the office manager is usually the first dedicated management hire, and often the designated HIPAA Privacy Officer and the OSHA point person on top of running operations, staff, and billing. Get those parts into the posting and you describe the real job; leave them out, like every template farm does, and you describe half of it.
At FirstHR, we build templates for the small independent practices that actually make this hire: the solo and small group practices, usually without an HR department, where the physician owner has been the de facto manager. The six below cover the real versions of the role, with the HIPAA, OSHA, and FLSA guidance built in. The guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
TL;DR
A medical office manager runs the operations, staff, billing, and compliance of a practice, and in a small practice is often the designated HIPAA Privacy Officer (45 CFR 164.530(a)) and OSHA point person. The federal category, medical and health services managers, had a median wage of $117,960 (BLS, May 2024), but small-practice pay runs lower. Classification is not automatic: confirm exempt vs non-exempt by salary and duties. Download as DOCX and customize.
What a Medical Office Manager Does
A medical office manager runs the administrative, financial, and staff operations of a practice so the providers can focus on care. The work spans operations and systems, staff supervision and HR, billing and revenue cycle, and compliance, and in a small practice the manager is often the first dedicated management hire who owns all of it.
The federal data groups the role under medical and health services managers, a broad category that also includes hospital executives, so the headline figures overstate the small-practice version. What changes by setting is the emphasis: a front office manager leans toward reception and scheduling, a practice manager toward business and finance, a healthcare office manager toward non-physician settings.
Office Manager vs Practice Manager vs Front Office
The single most useful thing this job description can do is be clear about which version of the role it means, because the titles overlap but describe different scopes and attract different candidates.
Medical Office Manager
Small-practice operations
The core role: runs the administrative, financial, and staff operations of a solo or small group practice. Non-clinical, and often the practice's first dedicated management hire.
Front Office Manager
Reception and check-in
Focused on the front desk: reception, scheduling, check-in and check-out, co-pay collection, and insurance verification. A subset of the office manager role centered on patient-facing flow.
Practice Manager
Group-practice business
Carries more business responsibility for a larger group: budgets, strategy, revenue cycle, credentialing, and multi-site coordination. Often holds a CMPE or similar credential.
Healthcare Office Manager
Non-physician settings
Effectively the same role in non-physician settings: physical therapy, chiropractic, optometry, behavioral health, or urgent care. Specialty agnostic, with modality-specific details filled in.
Match the Title to the Scope
Day-to-day operations of a small practice: Medical Office Manager. Front-desk reception and scheduling: Front Office Manager. Business, finance, and credentialing for a group: Practice Manager. The same role in PT, chiropractic, or optometry: Healthcare Office Manager. Asking for a strategic practice manager when you need a hands-on office manager, or the reverse, attracts the wrong applicants.
Medical Office Manager Duties and Responsibilities
A medical office manager's duties cluster into operations, staff and HR, billing and revenue, and compliance. The balance shifts by version, more front-desk for a front office manager, more finance for a practice manager, but these areas hold across the family.
Operations
Run daily office operations
Manage vendors, supplies, and systems
Keep the office and schedule running
Staff and HR
Supervise, schedule, and evaluate staff
Support hiring and onboarding
Handle staff issues and development
Billing and revenue
Oversee billing, coding, and collections
Manage the revenue cycle
Handle insurance and co-pay processes
Compliance
Maintain HIPAA privacy practices
Oversee OSHA safety requirements
Keep required records and documentation
A small-practice office manager typically owns all four areas at once, which is what makes it a broad, hands-on role. For a structured way to scope it before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by the version of the role and your practice. The operations core runs through all six, but the scope, the compliance duties, and the classification differ enough that the matched version reads more credibly. Use this guide to choose.
Small Practice
First management hire
The flagship for a solo or 2-5 physician practice making its first office-manager hire, with operations, staff, billing, and the compliance notes built in.
Front Office Manager
Reception and scheduling
For a practice that needs a supervisor over the front desk: check-in, scheduling, co-pay collection, and insurance verification.
Practice Manager
Group practice
For a multi-provider group: financial management, credentialing, revenue cycle, vendor contracts, and multi-site coordination.
Healthcare Office Manager
Non-physician settings
For PT, chiropractic, optometry, behavioral health, or urgent care, with the same core operations and modality-specific details filled in.
Compliance / Privacy Officer
HIPAA and OSHA
For a practice where the office manager also serves as the designated HIPAA Privacy Officer and owns OSHA compliance, with those duties spelled out.
Assistant Office Manager
Support and growth
For a growing practice that needs a second in command, classified as non-exempt and hourly, supporting the office manager and covering absences.
Match the Template to the Hire
A solo or small group practice making a first management hire: Small Practice. A front-desk supervisor: Front Office Manager. A multi-provider group: Practice Manager. A non-physician setting: Healthcare Office Manager. A designated Privacy Officer role: Compliance / Privacy Officer. A second in command: Assistant Office Manager. Whichever you pick, classify by salary and duties and name any HIPAA and OSHA responsibilities the role will own.
6 Free Medical Office Manager Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: practice overview, position summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, compliance notes, classification, and how to apply. Fill in the brackets, set the practice and reporting line, and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
Small practice, front office, practice manager, healthcare, compliance/Privacy Officer, and assistant. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: Medical Office Manager (Small Practice)
The flagship for a solo or 2-5 physician practice making its first office-manager hire, with operations, staff, billing, and the compliance notes built in.
Medical Office Manager Job Description (Small Practice)
MEDICAL OFFICE MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION (SMALL PRACTICE)
Practice: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Physician Owner / Practice Owner / Managing Partner]
Employment type: Full-time (W-2)
FLSA status: [Exempt or Non-exempt; confirm by salary and duties, see notes]
Compensation: $______ per [year or hour] [+ benefits]
ABOUT [PRACTICE NAME]
[Practice Name] is a [solo / 2-5 physician] [specialty] practice in
[City, State]. We are hiring our Medical Office Manager to run the
day-to-day operations of the office so our providers can focus on
patient care.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Medical Office Manager runs the administrative, financial, and staff
operations of the practice. You will manage front and back office staff,
oversee scheduling and billing, keep the practice compliant, and serve as
the operational hub between the providers and the team.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Manage daily operations of the medical office
•Supervise, schedule, train, and evaluate staff
•Oversee patient scheduling and front-desk flow
•Oversee billing, coding, and revenue cycle
•Manage vendors, supplies, and office systems
•Maintain compliance with HIPAA and OSHA
•Handle patient concerns and escalations
•Support hiring, onboarding, and HR tasks
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[2+] years in medical office or practice administration
•Knowledge of medical billing, coding, and insurance
•Familiarity with EHR and practice-management systems
•Understanding of HIPAA and OSHA requirements
•Staff supervision and organizational skills
•[Associate's or bachelor's degree preferred]
COMPLIANCE NOTES (read before posting)
In a small practice, the office manager is often the designated HIPAA
Privacy Officer (45 CFR 164.530(a)) and the person responsible for OSHA
requirements. State which of these duties this role owns. On
classification, see the FLSA note: title alone does not make this role
exempt. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Practice Name] is an equal opportunity employer. Reasonable accommodations
are available for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $______ per [year or hour] [+ benefits]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Template 2: Front Office / Front Desk Manager (Medical)
For a practice that needs a supervisor over the front desk: check-in, scheduling, co-pay collection, and insurance verification.
Front Office / Front Desk Manager (Medical) Job Description
FRONT OFFICE / FRONT DESK MANAGER (MEDICAL) JOB DESCRIPTION
Practice: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Practice Manager / Office Manager / Physician Owner]
Employment type: Full-time (W-2)
FLSA status: [Confirm by salary and duties; often non-exempt, see notes]
Compensation: $______ per [year or hour] [+ benefits]
POSITION SUMMARY
[Practice Name] is hiring a Front Office Manager to lead the reception,
scheduling, and patient-intake operations of the practice. You will
supervise front-desk staff, manage check-in and check-out, oversee
co-pay collection and insurance verification, and keep the front of the
office running smoothly.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Supervise and schedule front-desk and reception staff
•Manage patient check-in, check-out, and flow
•Oversee co-pay collection and reconciliation
•Manage insurance verification and authorizations
•Maintain the appointment schedule and reminders
•Handle patient questions and front-desk escalations
•Keep the waiting area and front office organized
•Follow HIPAA front-desk privacy practices
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[1-3] years of medical front-desk experience
•Front-desk leadership or supervisory experience
•Knowledge of scheduling and EHR systems
•Insurance verification and co-pay handling
•Strong customer-service and communication skills
•Understanding of HIPAA at the front desk
NOTE ON CLASSIFICATION
A front-desk supervisor whose primary duties are running the desk rather
than managing the business may be non-exempt and overtime-eligible.
Classify by actual duties and salary, not the title. This is general
information, not legal advice.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $______ per [year or hour] [+ benefits]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Still Using Spreadsheets for Onboarding?
Automate documents, training assignments, task management, and track onboarding progress in real time.
This is the part the template farms skip entirely, and for a medical office manager it is where a careful posting adds the most value. Three compliance areas shape the role.
HIPAA Privacy Officer designation
The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires a covered entity to designate a privacy official responsible for developing and implementing its privacy policies and procedures (45 CFR 164.530(a)). HIPAA sets no qualifications, so in a small practice this role usually falls to the office or practice manager. Name it in the job description and document the designation.
HIPAA training and BAAs
The Privacy Officer trains the workforce on privacy policies, manages Business Associate Agreements with vendors that handle protected health information, maintains the Notice of Privacy Practices, and leads breach and incident response. HIPAA records carry a six-year retention requirement.
OSHA bloodborne pathogens
A medical office with exposure to blood or other potentially infectious material must maintain an Exposure Control Plan and meet the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030), including annual training and recordkeeping. The office manager often owns this program.
FLSA classification
A medical office manager is exempt only if paid on a salary basis at or above the federal threshold and the duties test is met. Many small-practice managers earn below the threshold or do mostly hands-on work, making them non-exempt and overtime-eligible. Job titles do not determine exempt status.
The Privacy Officer designation is required by the HIPAA Privacy Rule at 45 CFR 164.530(a), the bloodborne pathogens standard at 29 CFR 1910.1030, and the classification rules in DOL Fact Sheet 17A. If the role will own these, name them in the posting.
Name the Compliance Duties and Classify Honestly
If the office manager will be the designated HIPAA Privacy Officer or own the OSHA program, say so in the job description and document the Privacy Officer designation in writing. Classify the role as exempt only if it meets both the salary threshold and the duties test; many small-practice managers are non-exempt. This is general information, not legal advice.
Requirements and Qualifications
This is an experience-driven role where practice knowledge often matters more than a degree. Name the specific experience, systems, and compliance knowledge your practice needs, and keep the list focused.
Requirement
What to know
Experience
2+ years in a medical office; more for a group practice manager
Billing and insurance
Medical billing, coding, and insurance knowledge
Systems
EHR and practice-management software familiarity
Compliance
HIPAA and OSHA understanding; Privacy Officer for compliance roles
Education
Associate's or bachelor's often preferred, not always required
Classification
Confirm exempt or non-exempt by salary and duties, not title
Keep the must-have experience, systems, and compliance knowledge clear, and list certifications like the CMPE as preferred unless genuinely essential. The O*NET profile lists common tasks, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
How to Write a Medical Office Manager Job Description
A strong posting takes shape once you settle the version, the scope, and the compliance duties. Here is the process the templates are built around.
1
Identify which version you need
Small-practice office manager, front office, practice manager, healthcare, compliance/Privacy Officer, or assistant are different hires. Pick the match before writing.
2
List the real responsibilities
Operations, staff and HR, billing and revenue, and compliance, calibrated to the role and your practice.
3
Classify correctly
Confirm exempt or non-exempt based on salary and the duties test, not the title. Many small-practice office managers are non-exempt.
4
Name the compliance duties
If the role is the designated HIPAA Privacy Officer or owns OSHA compliance, say so and list those duties.
5
Set pay and add EEO
Benchmark to the scope and region, set a good-faith range where required, and add an equal-opportunity statement.
Keep the posting neutral and inclusive, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics.
Medical Office Manager Pay and Outlook
Pay varies widely by practice size, region, and scope, and the broad federal category overstates what a small practice typically pays.
Pay and Demand (BLS)
Grouped under medical and health services managers, the category had a median annual wage of $117,960 in May 2024, but that span includes hospital and large-facility executives. Within it, managers in offices of physicians had a median of $100,780, and the broad category held about 616,200 jobs with employment projected to grow 23% from 2024 to 2034 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
For a small-practice office manager specifically, real-world pay tends to run below those figures, commonly from the mid-$40,000s into the $80,000s depending on the practice and scope, with the broad federal number reflecting hospital and large-facility administrators. The drivers are practice size, the breadth of duties, region, and whether the role is more clerical or more strategic. Because pay sometimes falls below the FLSA salary threshold, classification is not automatic. For your posting, benchmark to the specific scope, your region, and the experience you need rather than the federal median, and include a good-faith range where required. National compensation surveys and local listings both help you set the number.
Hiring a Medical Office Manager for a Small Practice
A hospital or health system hires office managers through an HR department and a formal process. A solo or small group practice makes the same hire directly, where the physician owner runs the whole thing, often while still seeing patients and usually without an HR department. Here is what actually matters.
This is usually a small independent practice making its first management hire
Be clear about who actually hires a medical office manager, because it shapes the whole posting. While the federal occupation category that includes the role spans large hospitals and health systems, the office-manager title specifically clusters in small, independent physician practices, and that segment is large: industry survey data shows that in 2024 nearly half of physicians worked in practices of ten or fewer doctors, many in groups of fewer than five. The typical hire is a solo or small group practice moving from a model where the physician was the de facto manager to a structured operation with a dedicated office manager. That practice rarely has an HR department, so the office manager often absorbs HR, compliance, billing oversight, and operations all at once. Write the posting for that reality: name the size and specialty of your practice, be specific about which duties this person will own, and be honest that this is a broad, hands-on role rather than a narrow administrative one. A clear, specific posting beats the generic templates that dominate the search results.
In a small practice the office manager is often the HIPAA Privacy Officer and the OSHA point person
This is the part every generic template skips, and it is exactly where a careful posting adds value. The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires every covered entity to designate a privacy official who is responsible for developing and implementing the practice's privacy policies and procedures (45 CFR 164.530(a)). HIPAA does not set qualifications for the role, so in a small practice it almost always lands on the office or practice manager, the person who knows how the office runs. That means the office manager often owns HIPAA policies, workforce training, Business Associate Agreements, the Notice of Privacy Practices, and breach response, plus the six-year records retention HIPAA requires. On top of that, a medical office with exposure to blood or infectious material must maintain an OSHA Exposure Control Plan and meet the bloodborne pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030), with annual training and recordkeeping, and that program usually sits with the office manager too. If this role will carry those duties, say so in the job description and document the Privacy Officer designation in writing. This is general information, not legal advice.
Classification is not automatic: many small-practice office managers are non-exempt
Do not assume the office manager is salaried and exempt just because of the title. Under the FLSA, this role is exempt only if it is paid on a salary basis at or above the federal threshold of $684 per week, which equals $35,568 a year, and its primary duties meet the executive or administrative duties test. That 2019 threshold is the operative figure: the 2024 rule that would have raised it was vacated by a federal court and then formally rescinded by the Department of Labor through a technical amendment, restoring the $684 level. Two things commonly make a small-practice office manager non-exempt. First, pay: many small-practice managers earn an hourly rate that, especially part-time or in lower-wage areas, falls below the salary threshold, which makes them non-exempt regardless of title. Second, duties: a manager who spends most of the day on front-desk and clerical work rather than genuine management may not meet the duties test. The Department of Labor is explicit that job titles do not determine exempt status; the actual salary and duties must meet the tests. Classify the role honestly, and apply the higher of the federal or state standard where a state sets stronger rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
After You Hire: Onboarding
The job description is step one, and because a medical practice is a HIPAA covered entity, the onboarding should handle the employment basics plus the compliance setup that comes with the role. Send the offer with the compensation and the correct exempt or non-exempt classification, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 within the first days along with the rest of the new hire paperwork, and gather tax forms.
Then handle the healthcare-specific setup, the part that matters most here. If the office manager will serve as the designated HIPAA Privacy Officer, document that designation in writing and have them complete and then deliver HIPAA training to the workforce; collect signed confidentiality acknowledgments; review Business Associate Agreements with vendors that handle protected health information; and confirm the OSHA Exposure Control Plan and bloodborne pathogens training are current. Keep these policies, agreements, and the signed onboarding documents on file, with HIPAA records retained for six years, the kind of structured start the employee onboarding guide describes.
Because a small practice rarely has an HR department, a documented, repeatable process saves real time. FirstHR fits the workflow directly: e-signature for the offer, confidentiality acknowledgments, and BAAs; document management to store policies and compliance records with retention in mind; training modules for HIPAA and OSHA onboarding with completion tracking; task workflows so every hire runs the same way; and a simple HRIS with an org chart as the practice grows. Because pricing is flat rather than per seat, a small practice pays one rate as it scales. FirstHR does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with a payroll provider. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
A medical office manager runs operations, staff, billing, and compliance, and in a small practice is usually the first dedicated management hire.
Office manager, front office manager, practice manager, and healthcare office manager are different scopes; match the title to the role you need.
In a small practice the office manager is often the designated HIPAA Privacy Officer (45 CFR 164.530(a)) and the OSHA point person, which no generic template addresses.
Classification is not automatic: confirm exempt vs non-exempt by salary ($684/week threshold) and the duties test, since many small-practice managers are non-exempt.
The federal category (medical and health services managers, median $117,960, May 2024) overstates small-practice pay, which commonly runs from the mid-$40,000s into the $80,000s.
Name any HIPAA and OSHA duties in the posting and document the Privacy Officer designation in writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a medical office manager do?
A medical office manager runs the administrative, financial, and staff operations of a medical practice so the providers can focus on patient care. The core duties cluster into a few areas: operations, including managing daily office workflow, vendors, supplies, and systems; staff and HR, including supervising, scheduling, training, and evaluating front and back office staff and supporting hiring and onboarding; billing and revenue, including overseeing billing, coding, collections, and the revenue cycle along with insurance and co-pay processes; and compliance, including maintaining HIPAA privacy practices and OSHA safety requirements and keeping the required records. In a small practice, the office manager is frequently the practice's first dedicated management hire and often serves as the designated HIPAA Privacy Officer and the OSHA point person. The emphasis shifts by setting: a front office manager focuses on reception and scheduling, a practice manager carries more business and financial responsibility for a group, and a healthcare office manager fills the same role in non-physician settings like physical therapy or chiropractic. This page offers a template for each of these versions.
What is the difference between a medical office manager and a medical practice manager?
The two roles overlap but differ in scope and level. A medical office manager runs the day-to-day administrative operations of a practice, typically a smaller one, and the role usually includes hands-on and clerical work alongside management; it is often a solo or small group practice's first dedicated management hire. A medical practice manager carries more business responsibility, usually for a larger multi-provider group: financial management and budgeting, revenue cycle oversight, provider credentialing and payer enrollment, vendor contracts, multi-site coordination, and practice strategy. Practice managers more often hold a credential such as the CMPE and are less likely to do clerical work. A related title, front office manager, is narrower than either, focused on the reception, scheduling, check-in, co-pay, and insurance-verification functions at the front desk. And healthcare office manager is effectively the same as medical office manager but used in non-physician settings like physical therapy, chiropractic, optometry, or behavioral health. When you write the posting, pick the title that matches the actual scope, because asking for a strategic practice manager when you need a hands-on office manager, or the reverse, attracts the wrong candidates.
Is a medical office manager a HIPAA Privacy Officer?
Often, yes, especially in a small practice. The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires every covered entity to designate a privacy official who is responsible for the development and implementation of the practice's privacy policies and procedures, a requirement found at 45 CFR 164.530(a). HIPAA does not set any qualifications for the role, so in a small practice it almost always falls to the office manager or practice manager, the person who knows how the office actually runs. When the office manager holds this designation, the privacy-officer duties typically include developing and maintaining privacy policies, training the workforce on those policies, managing Business Associate Agreements with vendors that handle protected health information, maintaining the Notice of Privacy Practices, and leading breach and incident response, along with keeping the records HIPAA requires for six years. The practice should document the designation in writing. If your office manager will serve as Privacy Officer, the job description should say so and list those duties explicitly, which is exactly what the compliance-focused template on this page does. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is a medical office manager exempt or non-exempt from overtime?
It depends on salary and duties, not the title, and many small-practice office managers are actually non-exempt. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the role is exempt from overtime only if it is paid on a salary basis at or above the federal threshold of $684 per week, which is $35,568 a year, and its primary duties meet the executive or administrative exemption duties test. That 2019 threshold is the current operative figure: the 2024 rule that would have raised it was vacated by a federal court and then formally rescinded by the Department of Labor, restoring the $684 level. Two things commonly make a small-practice office manager non-exempt. First, pay: many small-practice managers are paid an hourly rate that, particularly part-time or in lower-wage areas, falls below the salary threshold, which makes them non-exempt regardless of title. Second, duties: a manager who spends most of the day on front-desk and clerical work rather than genuine management may not meet the duties test even if salaried. The Department of Labor is explicit that job titles do not determine exempt status; the actual salary and duties must meet the tests, and where a state sets a higher standard you apply the higher one. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm classification with an employment professional.
What qualifications does a medical office manager need?
A medical office manager typically needs a mix of healthcare-administration experience, billing and insurance knowledge, and staff-supervision skills, with formal education requirements varying by practice. Most postings ask for a couple of years of experience in a medical office or practice-administration role, knowledge of medical billing, coding, and insurance, familiarity with electronic health record and practice-management systems, an understanding of HIPAA and OSHA requirements, and demonstrated ability to supervise and organize staff. An associate's or bachelor's degree is commonly preferred but not always required, since hands-on practice experience often matters more. For a larger group practice, the bar rises: a practice manager role often expects more years of management experience, revenue-cycle and credentialing expertise, and sometimes a credential such as the Certified Medical Practice Executive (CMPE) or a healthcare-administration degree. For a compliance-heavy role, knowledge of HIPAA and OSHA and experience writing policies and training staff matter most. When you write the posting, set the qualifications to the actual scope and seniority, list certifications as preferred rather than required unless they are genuinely essential, and separate the real must-haves from the wish list so you do not screen out strong, experience-based candidates.
How do I write a medical office manager job description?
Start by identifying which version of the role you need, since a small-practice office manager, a front office manager, a group practice manager, and a compliance-focused manager are different hires, then write the posting around your practice and the real work. Pick the matching version: small practice, front office, practice manager, healthcare, compliance and Privacy Officer, or assistant. Write an honest position summary and list the actual responsibilities, which span operations, staff and HR, billing and revenue, and compliance, calibrated to the role. Name your practice size, specialty, and the systems you use, since experienced candidates read for those. State the reporting line and classify the role correctly: confirm whether it is exempt or non-exempt based on salary and duties rather than assuming the title makes it exempt. If the role will be the designated HIPAA Privacy Officer or own OSHA compliance, say so and list those duties, which sets your posting apart from the generic templates. Add qualifications calibrated to the level, the compensation with a good-faith range where your state requires it, and an equal-opportunity statement. The free templates on this page give you a starting structure for each version.
How much does a medical office manager make?
Pay varies widely by practice size, region, and scope, and the headline federal number overstates what a small-practice office manager typically earns. The Bureau of Labor Statistics groups the role under medical and health services managers, which had a median annual wage of $117,960 in May 2024, but that broad category includes hospital executives and large-facility administrators, so it sits well above what a small independent practice pays. Within that category, the median for managers in offices of physicians was $100,780, and real-world pay for a small-practice office manager specifically tends to run lower, commonly in a range from the mid-$40,000s into the $80,000s depending on the practice and the scope of the role. The drivers are practice size and complexity, the breadth of duties, region and local wage levels, and whether the role is more clerical or more strategic. Because pay sometimes falls below the FLSA salary threshold, the role is not automatically salaried and exempt. For your posting, benchmark to the specific scope, your region, and the experience you need rather than the broad federal median, and include a good-faith range where your state or city requires it. National compensation surveys and local listings both help you set a competitive number.
What happens after I hire a medical office manager?
Run a structured onboarding that handles the employment basics and the compliance setup this role carries, since a medical practice is a HIPAA covered entity with real obligations. Start with the paperwork: send the offer stating the compensation and the correct exempt or non-exempt classification, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 in the first days, and gather the W-4 and any state tax forms. Then handle the healthcare-specific setup, which is the part that matters most here. If the office manager will serve as the designated HIPAA Privacy Officer, document that designation in writing, and have them complete and then deliver HIPAA training to the workforce; collect signed confidentiality acknowledgments from staff; review or put in place Business Associate Agreements with vendors that handle protected health information; and confirm the OSHA Exposure Control Plan and bloodborne pathogens training are current. Store these policies, agreements, and training records, keeping HIPAA documentation for the required six years. Then orient the new manager to your practice-management and EHR systems, billing workflows, and the team. Because a small practice rarely has an HR department, having this documented and repeatable saves real time. FirstHR fits the workflow directly: e-signature for the offer, confidentiality acknowledgments, and BAAs; document management to store policies and compliance records with retention in mind; training modules for HIPAA and OSHA onboarding with completion tracking; task workflows so every hire runs the same way; and a simple HRIS with an org chart as the practice grows. FirstHR does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with a payroll provider. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
