How Much Does a Medical Billing & Coder Make?
Medical coders and billers assign codes to the procedures and diagnoses a patient receives in a health care facility. The code determines the amount an insurance company or government agency will pay for the procedure. Billers prepare insurance documents and ensure patient information is correct to bill insurance companies and patients for procedures performed in a health care facility or doctor's office. According to PayScale, the average salary for a medical billing and coding professional is between $24,204 and $35,518 annually as of December 2010.
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Location
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The cost of living in different states can cause the salary for a medical coding and billing specialist to vary. For example, the salary for a professional in Pennsylvania is between $29,277 and $46,670 while those working in Florida earn between $28,983 and $39,698, according to PayScale. The cost of living is 19 percent higher in Philadelphia than it is in Tampa, according to Sperling's.
Experience
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Medical billers and coders earn higher salaries with more experience on the job. According to PayScale, a billing and coding professional with 20 years of experience or more earns an average salary between $29,504 and $49,339 and those with less than a year on the job earn salaries of $24,378 to $39,138.
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Type of Employer
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Medical billers and coders can work in hospitals, private practices, government agencies or be self-employed professionals. A self-employed medical billing and coding worker earns an average salary of $23,583 to $50,000 while those working for a hospital earn between $25,942 and $39,705.
Benefits
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, benefits packages that contain retirement plans, paid time off and health insurance add almost 30 percent to the value of a compensation package. The benefits a medical billing and coding specialist can receive from an employer include paid holidays and vacations, insurance, 401k plans, education assistance, paid sick time and education assistance. Employers offer benefits to attract skilled and experienced medical coders and billers to available positions.
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