The Average Salary for Medical Billing & Coding Insurance in New York City

Medical coders assign codes to patient charts and other records.

Medical coding technicians or specialists assign codes to medical records to expedite the billing and insurance claims processes. These industry-established codes provide a standardized way to identify each diagnosis and procedure. The system determines the amount of reimbursement to health care providers by insurance carriers and Medicare and Medicaid. The work was originally accomplished using large manuals, but now coders use classification software. Salaries for medical coding professionals in New York City are generally higher than nationwide figures for this occupation.

Salary Range

The median salary for medical coders in New York City is $52,397 per year as of March 2011, according to Salary.com. The middle 50 percent earn $45,314 to $59,923 per year. The top 10 percent have annual salaries at or above $66,775, and only the bottom 10 percent make less than $38,865 per year. In comparison, the nationwide median salary for this occupation is $44,143 per year, about 17 percent lower than the New York median.

Advancement Opportunities

With experience, a medical coding technician has advancement opportunities for increased pay rates. A coding compliance specialist in New York City has a median annual salary of $57,843 as of March 2011. The middle 50 percent of these workers make $51,077 to $67,265, and the top 10 percent earn more than $75,840 per year. A medical records coding manager in New York City earns a median salary of $80,821 per year, with the middle 50-percent range at $69,840 to $83,402, and the top 10 percent earning more than $85,750 annually.

Comparisons

The median salary for medical coders in New York City is higher than that in nearby Stamford, Connecticut, where the median pay rate is $50,676, and in Elizabeth, New Jersey, at $51,868. The New York City median salary also is higher than that of other large U.S. cities, such as Los Angeles, where medical coders make $48,469 as a median annual salary; Chicago at $46,835; Phoenix, Arizona, at $43,745; Houston, Texas, at $43,790; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at $46,659.

Outlook

Although the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide salary information for medical coding in particular, the agency comments that employment of all medical records and health information technicians in general is likely to experience fast growth until at least 2018. An aging population drives demand for this work, as these individuals are more likely to have health problems and seek medical testing and treatment.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Medical Records and Health Information Technicians