Q: "How much money does a CA typically make?"
A: When it comes to base pay, there really is no "typical" wage range, because of the following 4 factors:

• Area (small town vs. metro area makes a difference). Either way, your pay should definitely not be less than the going rate for receptionists.
• Responsibilities. Both duties and team size is important here. If you have a one-CA office, where that person is responsible for everything, including all insurance billing and follow-up, they should be paid at a higher rate than in an office with a full-time insurance expert plus 3 other CA's to divide the remaining load. Another responsibility that justifies higher pay is marketing. In other words, an office with one CA who wears all the hats, including insurance billing or marketing, should be compensated at a higher rate than a CA who has numerous team members to rely on for help and therefore less responsibilities.
• Practice success. Obviously offices that have more patients to care for, or provide more services per patient, have a higher workload for the CA. A front desk CA who seamlessly handles 100 patients per day should be paid more than one who handles 30.
• Value of other benefits offered (health insurance, IRA, vacation pay, etc.

In other words, comparing rates of pay is extremely difficult since there are so many variables, cost-of-living being just one factor. I'm a fan of paying well enough to get what you want. Plus, it's impossible to gauge how well a new CA will do at asking for referrals, performing financial consultations, educating, etc. These are the qualities that I find really valuable and am happy to pay more for.
 
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