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Medical Records Specialist

$51,140
median / year
$37,000 – $81,150
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Organize patient records and assign medical codes for billing, insurance, and data accuracy.

You may also see this posted as: Health Information Technician (Health Information Tech), Medical Records Clerk, Medical Records Coordinator, Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT), Coder, Health Information Clerk.

Where you work

Hospitals, clinics, and remote offices

The hours

Mostly regular weekday hours, some remote

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Assign the patient to diagnosis-related groups (DRGs), using appropriate computer software.
  • Compile and maintain patients' medical records to document condition and treatment and to provide data for research or cost control and care improvement efforts.
  • Consult classification manuals to locate information about disease processes.
  • Enter data, such as demographic characteristics, history and extent of disease, diagnostic procedures, or treatment into computer.
  • Identify, compile, abstract, and code patient data, using standard classification systems.

Good fit if you like…

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

O*NET job zone 3 of 5

Medium preparation—often vocational training, an associate degree, or substantial experience—is usually needed.

Work styles that matter most

Attention to DetailDependabilityIntegrityCautiousness

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Epic SystemsMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookeClinicalWorks EHR softwareHenry Schein Dentrix

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$51,140
per year
Hourly median
$24.59
per hour
What most earn
$37,000–$81,150
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~14,200
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+7.1%
Faster than average
Working in the U.S.
194,720
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 0.8% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Certificate program

Training path: Certificate program, sometimes on the job.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

Certifications like RHIT or CCS are widely preferred by employers, though not always legally required.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Medical codingAttention to detailData entryConfidentiality

The honest take

A behind-the-scenes way into health care for people who prefer computers and coding to bedside work.

Standard Occupational Classification 29-2072. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.