Medical Records Specialists
Compile, process, and maintain medical records of hospital and clinic patients in a manner consistent with medical, administrative, ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements of the healthcare system. Classify medical and healthcare concepts, including diagnosis, procedures, medical services, and equipment, into the healthcare industry's numerical coding system. Includes medical coders.Salary by State
| State Name | Employment | Annual Salary | Hourly Salary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2,510 | $40,020 | $19.24 | |
| Alaska | 1,410 | $54,540 | $26.22 | |
| Arizona | 4,190 | $44,120 | $21.21 | |
| Arkansas | 1,770 | $39,190 | $18.84 | |
| California | 18,580 | $57,950 | $27.86 | |
| Colorado | 2,390 | $50,920 | $24.48 | |
| Connecticut | 1,230 | $57,480 | $27.64 | |
| Delaware | 490 | $46,000 | $22.11 | |
| District of Columbia | 270 | $63,270 | $30.42 | |
| Florida | 15,370 | $44,930 | $21.60 | |
| Georgia | 5,480 | $44,720 | $21.50 | |
| Hawaii | 510 | $55,010 | $26.45 | |
| Idaho | 1,390 | $45,400 | $21.83 | |
| Illinois | 4,760 | $48,920 | $23.52 | |
| Indiana | 4,010 | $46,140 | $22.18 | |
| Iowa | 2,090 | $44,570 | $21.43 | |
| Kansas | 1,910 | $43,780 | $21.05 | |
| Kentucky | 4,260 | $43,390 | $20.86 | |
| Louisiana | 2,150 | $43,020 | $20.68 | |
| Maine | 1,010 | $41,120 | $19.77 | |
| Maryland | 2,960 | $55,170 | $26.52 | |
| Massachusetts | 3,160 | $58,950 | $28.34 | |
| Michigan | 3,290 | $43,610 | $20.97 | |
| Minnesota | 4,290 | $54,860 | $26.37 | |
| Mississippi | 2,060 | $37,990 | $18.27 | |
| Missouri | 4,620 | $46,990 | $22.59 | |
| Montana | 790 | $45,300 | $21.78 | |
| Nebraska | 1,680 | $43,690 | $21.01 | |
| Nevada | 1,470 | $41,790 | $20.09 | |
| New Hampshire | 710 | $43,790 | $21.05 | |
| New Jersey | 1,090 | $67,130 | $32.28 | |
| New Mexico | 1,330 | $43,530 | $20.93 | |
| New York | 7,340 | $55,350 | $26.61 | |
| North Carolina | 5,000 | $43,950 | $21.13 | |
| North Dakota | 480 | $48,930 | $23.52 | |
| Ohio | 7,990 | $46,340 | $22.28 | |
| Oklahoma | 2,050 | $44,010 | $21.16 | |
| Oregon | 2,290 | $52,490 | $25.24 | |
| Pennsylvania | 7,170 | $48,310 | $23.23 | |
| Rhode Island | 600 | $51,520 | $24.77 | |
| South Carolina | 2,510 | $46,070 | $22.15 | |
| South Dakota | 1,110 | $47,160 | $22.68 | |
| Tennessee | 4,780 | $44,440 | $21.36 | |
| Texas | 20,540 | $44,470 | $21.38 | |
| Utah | 1,270 | $47,830 | $23.00 | |
| Vermont | 470 | $45,090 | $21.68 | |
| Virginia | 4,830 | $50,980 | $24.51 | |
| Washington | 3,520 | $54,980 | $26.44 | |
| West Virginia | 1,450 | $41,250 | $19.83 | |
| Wisconsin | 3,600 | $51,860 | $24.93 | |
| Wyoming | 350 | $48,620 | $23.38 |
Education
The programs listed below are typically the education paths that can land you this kind of job.
A program that prepares individuals to plan, design, and manage systems, processes, and facilities used to collect, store, secure, retrieve, analyze, and transmit medical records and other health information used by clinical professionals and health care organizations. Includes instruction in the principles and basic content of the biomedical and clinical sciences, information technology and applications, data and database management, clinical research methodologies, health information resources and systems, office management, legal requirements, and professional standards.
A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of health information administrators and other professionals, to construct medical records and clinical databases, perform manipulations on retrieved data, control the security and quality of records, and supervise data entry and technical maintenance personnel. Includes instruction in clinical and biomedical science data and information requirements, database management, data coding and validation, information security, quality control, health information content and structure, medical business procedures, and legal requirements.
A program that prepares individuals to perform specialized data entry, classification, and record-keeping procedures related to medical diagnostic, treatment, billing, and insurance documentation. Includes instruction in medical records and insurance software applications, basic anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, fundamentals of medical science and treatment procedures, data classification and coding, data entry skills, and regulations relating to Medicare and insurance documentation.
A program that prepares individuals to find, interpret, and record demographic and medical information on individuals for healthcare agencies and disease registries. Includes instruction in anatomy, data management, disease registry organization and operations, epidemiology, ethics, fundamentals of disease coding and staging, medical terminology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, physiology, quality management, and statistics.
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$48,310 per yearNational average salaryModerateJob growth rate
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Postsecondary nondegree awardTypical education requirement
Educational Attainment
The following chart shows the highest education level completed by those working as medical records specialists.
- Less than high school 1%
- High school graduate 19%
- College dropout 32%
- Associate’s degree 27%
- Bachelor’s degree 17%
- Master’s degree 3%
- Doctorate degree 1%
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