Medical Records Specialists

Career Overview

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.

Also Known As

  • Health Information Technician (Health Information Tech)
  • Medical Records Clerk
  • Medical Records Coordinator
  • Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT)

Alternate Job Titles

  • Certified Coding Specialist
  • Certified Medical Coder
  • Certified Professional Coder (CPC)
  • Clinical Documentation Specialist
  • Clinical Office Technician (Clinical Office Tech)
  • Coder
  • Coding Consultant
  • Coding Specialist
  • Disability Rater
  • Electronic Health Records Specialist (EHR Specialist)
  • Fee Coder
  • Health Informatics Specialist
  • Health Information Clerk
  • Health Information Coder
  • Health Information Management Hospital Coder (HIM Hospital Coder)

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Integrity
  • Cautiousness
  • Cooperation

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

  • eClinicalWorks EHR software
  • Epic Systems
  • Henry Schein Dentrix
  • IBM SPSS Statistics
  • MEDITECH software
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint

Tools & Equipment

  • 10-key calculators
  • Barcode attachment equipment
  • Barcode scanners
  • Credit card processing machines
  • Desktop computers
  • Dictaphones
  • Encoders
  • Flat-top scanners
  • Label printers
  • Laser facsimile machines
  • Laser printers
  • Light pens
  • Microfiche viewing machines
  • Microfilm viewing machines
  • Multi-line telephone systems

Salary & Job Market

Salary PercentileAnnual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)$35,780
Median$50,250
Top Earners (90th percentile)$80,950

Workers Employed Nationally: 187,910

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

Medical Transcriptionists

Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)

Median Salary: $37,550

Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars

Education: Not specified

Median Salary: $67,310

Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Median Salary: $44,640

Medical Assistants

Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)

Median Salary: $44,200

File Clerks

Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)

Median Salary: $41,270


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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.

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