At the medical coding salary career center we keep you up to date with the latest salary, training and job prospects information for medical coding and billing careers. We also connect you with educational and employment opportunities in your city so that you can begin an exciting and lucrative career.

Medical coders transfer patient information into a data base which is then used to generate statements and claims.  If the claim is rejected by the insurance company, the coder must investigate the issue and update the claim with whatever new information is required.

There is good news for medical coders (also known as a clinical coder) in the latest survey conducted by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).  The average medical coding salary has risen from 2010 levels, continuing the trend of the past few years.  Median salaries for medical coders have risen about 6% per year for the past few years.  The average salary for a coder with a Certified Professional Coder (CPC) certification, the most widely held credential and frequently a requirement for employment, is approximately $46,800.  Fully 59% of all coders earn between $30,000 and $50,000 per year, and over 50% earn over $40,000 – the first time that threshold has been crossed.

There are a number of important factors which contribute to the salary enjoyed by an individual medical coder.  The credentials held, the years of experience, the educational level achieved, the number of hours worked, and the region of the country all play a role.  Working in an urban setting as opposed to a rural one also contributed to salary differences.

Opting for increased certification within the medical coding field can have a pronounced impact on salary earned.  Coders who earned a CPC as well as a Certified Professionals Coder-Hospital Outpatient (CPC-H) certification saw their average salary increase $4000 over 2010 levels to $54,700 per year.  In similar fashion, CPC holders who also held Certified Professionals Coder-Instructor (CPC-I) certification earned an average annual salary of $76,000, an increase of $6000 over the previous year.  Salaries can also vary dependent upon the medical field within which a coder works.  Coders in neuro-psychiatry can earn $62,500 per year, while those in plastic surgery earn about $50,000.

Both the AAPC and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) offer certification programs.  Certification makes sense.  Not only do coders holding credentials earn more than those who don’t, but the salary gap between the two groups continues to increase, rising from $6,600 per year in 2008 to $7,658 per year in 2010.  A non-credentialed coder with 4 years experience earns a salary roughly equivalent to the salary earned by a coder with certification after 2 years experience.

It is frequently the case, in many professions, that experience and salaries are correlated.  More experience usually equates to a higher salary.  This is no less true in the medical coder field.  Of those coders with 20 years or more experience, over 50% earn more than $50,000 a year.  Approximately 27% of those with between 10 years and 20 years experience earned over $50,000 annually, while only 14% of those coders with 5 to 10 years experience broke through that salary barrier.

General educational achievement also plays its role.  Coders tend to be better educated than the population at large, with 88% having attended college (with or without graduating).  Only 55% of the general population in the United States has some college experience.  Within the field, there is a significant difference in earning power between those with a degree versus those with only a high school diploma.  Degree holders earn $10,000 more per year then those without a degree, or $51,825 on average, while those without a degree earn an average annual salary of $41,802.

 

It can come as no surprise that those coders who work more tend, on average, to earn more.  What is a bit surprising, however, is the rather dramatic difference in earnings.  Only 18% of coders who work between 31 and 40 hours a week earn $50,000 or more, while 43% of those who work more than 40 hours a week earn over $50,000 annually.

Regional differences are also apparent in the salaries earned by medical coders.  The average salary earned by coders in the Northeast is $46,643, in the South $41,863, in the Midwest $41,235 and in the West $48,150.  Cost of living is an underlying factor in these differences, with salaries being higher in states with a higher cost of living.  The average annual salary for coders in California, for example, is $57,700 while in Kentucky it is $37,500.

Finally, the location in which a coder lives influences the salary earned.  Coders in urban areas earned about $47,500 per year, while suburban coders earned approximately $2000 less per year.  Coders in rural areas earned the lowest annual salary, just about $37,500.

Cost of living again accounts for most of the differences.

 

Many factors contribute to the medical coder salary you can earn.  Proper planning and preparation are key.  While a college degree and certification are not mandatory, both are helpful not only in getting a position but in earning a higher salary as well.  Position yourself correctly and you can have a rewarding profession and an attractive medical coding salary.