Medical Receptionist Jobs in Albuquerque, NM
Medical receptionists in Albuquerque check in patients for UNM Hospital, Presbyterian and the two federal health systems, the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center and the Indian Health Service. Presbyterian posts patient access pay of $15.58 to $21.19 an hour. Here are the current openings, then who is hiring and how to start.
Current medical receptionist Openings in Albuquerque, NM
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Medical Receptionist Work in Albuquerque
Front desk work in Albuquerque health care goes by many titles, and knowing them helps your search. UNM Hospital, on the Health Sciences campus off Lomas and University, hires receptionists, outpatient clerks, patient services representatives and registration and eligibility specialists for its emergency department, clinics and pre-registration center. Presbyterian calls the job patient access or patient registration and runs it from its hospitals and the Rev. Hugh Cooper Administrative Center on San Mateo NE, while the federal employers use the title medical support assistant.
Federal health care adds a second big pool of front desk jobs. The Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in southeast Albuquerque, near Kirtland Air Force Base, staffs medical support assistants who schedule and check in veterans, and the Indian Health Service hires medical support assistants in Albuquerque for patient registration and scheduling. Insurance verification is a large part of the job at most employers, so comfort with Medicaid, Medicare and commercial plans carries real weight.
Top Albuquerque Employers Hiring Medical Receptionists
These Albuquerque employers hire front desk and patient registration staff, listed on their own careers sites:
- UNM Hospital - the state's only Level I trauma center has receptionist, outpatient clerk and patient services representative openings in Albuquerque.
- Presbyterian Healthcare Services - hires patient access advocates for registration and check-in at its Albuquerque hospitals and clinics.
- Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center - the New Mexico VA Health Care System hires medical support assistants to schedule and check in veterans.
- Indian Health Service - the federal agency hires medical support assistants in Albuquerque for patient registration, scheduling and records.
Medical Receptionist Salaries in Albuquerque
- Entry level: about $15.50 to $17 per hour for new front desk and registration staff.
- Experienced: roughly $17 to $21 per hour for registration staff who handle insurance verification and payments.
- Senior / federal: about $19.50 to $28.50 per hour, the range of a GS-5 to GS-6 federal medical support assistant.
These are estimates. Presbyterian's Patient Access Advocate I posting lists $15.58 to $21.19 an hour, and a mid-2026 Indian Health Service announcement for medical support assistants in Albuquerque listed $40,736 to $59,671 a year. Insurance and registration experience, a patient access certification, bilingual skills and federal grade steps move pay up, and the hospital systems and federal agencies add full benefits.
How to Become a Medical Receptionist in Albuquerque
New Mexico has no license for medical receptionists. Most employers ask for a high school diploma or GED plus some customer service or health care experience; Presbyterian, for example, asks for six months of health care experience or a year of customer service, then puts new patient access hires through a two-week Patient Access Academy. A patient access certification such as the CHAA is a plus. If you want clinical skills as well, Central New Mexico Community College's Medical Assistant certificate covers front office work alongside clinical training, with labs at CNM Rio Rancho, and Pima Medical Institute offers a Medical Assistant program at its campus on Cutler Avenue NE.
What the Job Involves
Medical receptionists greet patients, confirm identity and demographics, register visits in the electronic record, verify insurance eligibility, collect copays and schedule follow-up appointments. They answer phones, route messages to clinical staff, scan documents, explain forms and help patients and visitors find their way. In emergency departments and hospitals the work runs on rotating shifts and moves fast, while clinic front desks keep weekday hours.
Skills Employers Look For
- Patient registration and scheduling
- Insurance eligibility verification and payment collection
- Basic medical terminology
- Electronic health record and Microsoft Office skills
- Calm de-escalation and customer service
- Bilingual English and Spanish, a strong plus
Career Path and Advancement
Many Albuquerque front desk staff move from receptionist or Patient Access Advocate I to senior registration roles, then to lead patient support, patient access supervisor or financial advocate positions, all titles Presbyterian has used in its postings. Federal medical support assistants can climb grade steps and move into supervisory medical support assistant jobs, which the VA in Albuquerque posted at GS-8 in 2026. Others use the front desk as a way into health care before training as medical assistants or phlebotomists.
Related Careers in Albuquerque
If front desk health care work interests you, these related Albuquerque roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license or certificate to be a medical receptionist in New Mexico?
No. New Mexico does not license medical receptionists or patient registration staff. A patient access certification such as the CHAA is a plus at some employers, but most Albuquerque jobs ask only for a diploma or GED and customer service or health care experience.
How much do medical receptionists make in Albuquerque?
Most start around $15.50 to $17 an hour, and experienced registration staff earn roughly $17 to $21. Federal medical support assistant jobs at GS-5 and GS-6 have paid about $40,700 to $59,700 a year in Albuquerque.
What is a medical support assistant?
It is the federal title for a medical receptionist and scheduler. At the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center and the Indian Health Service, medical support assistants check in patients, verify eligibility and insurance, and book appointments, and those jobs are posted on USAJOBS.
Can you get a medical receptionist job in Albuquerque without health care experience?
Often, yes. Presbyterian accepts a year of customer service experience in place of health care experience for its entry patient access role, then trains new hires in its two-week Patient Access Academy.
What hours do medical receptionists work in Albuquerque?
Clinic front desks usually keep weekday business hours. Hospital and emergency department registration runs around the clock, so UNM Hospital and Presbyterian also hire for rotating and as-needed shifts.
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