Salary of a Coding Specialist for a Medical Office

In order to streamline and normalize the medical billing process, the insurance industry and the federal government created standard billing codes medical offices use when referencing procedures on bills. Medical coding specialists, who are also known as medical coding technicians and medical billing technicians, use the coding process when submitting invoices to insurance companies. They must be knowledgeable of the coding process as well as medical practices to ensure they select the correct code for each procedure.

Average Salary

The Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the average yearly salary of medical records technicians at $30,610 as of May 2008. Salary.com's information paints a different picture, as it lists the average salary for a medical coding technician as $43,864 annually as of December 2010. Half of all coding technicians earned between $38,137 and $50,002, according to Salary.com.

Salary by Job Title

A coding technicians' salary may vary by the responsibilities delegated to him by his specific job title. Of all workers employed with a medical billing and coding certificate, those with the title of medical billing/coding specialist earned the largest salary, $33,256 each year as of December 2010, according to PayScale, Inc. Those who were employed in a position with a title of medical biller earned the least, with annual salaries averaging $26,700.

Earnings By Experience

As with many careers, the longer a medical coding specialist works in the profession, the larger his salary may become, with skilled workers potentially earning twice that of less experienced workers. Medical coding specialists with one to four years of experience may expect yearly earnings in the range of $26,796 and $36,867 as of December 2010, according to PayScale. That salary range increases for workers with five to nine years experience, with annual salaries reported between $31,444 and $42,729. Coding specialists with more than 10 years of experience may earn significantly more, with salaries ranging from $47,500 to $75,000 annually.

Earnings By Location

Medical coders' salaries vary only slightly between regions in the United States. Medical coding specialists employed in Colorado earned the largest annual salary, averaging $37,470 annually as of December 2010, according to Salary Expert. Those in Florida reported the smallest average annual earnings of $32,184. Five of the 10 states reporting salary data had annual earnings between $34,005 and $35,209.

References

• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
• Salary.com: Medical Records Coding Technician Salary
• PayScale: Medical Billing and Coding Certificate Degree Salaries
• PayScale: Salary Snapshot of Medical Coding Specialist Jobs
• Salary Expert: Compliance and Coding Specialist Salaries