Medical Records Specialists

Median salary

$51,140

Average salary

$56,790

Employment

194,720

Projected growth

7.1% growth

Annual openings

14,200

Typical entry education

Postsecondary nondegree award

What Medical Records Specialists Do

Compile, process, and maintain medical records of hospital and clinic patients in a manner consistent with medical, administrative, ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements of the healthcare system. Classify medical and healthcare concepts, including diagnosis, procedures, medical services, and equipment, into the healthcare industry's numerical coding system. Includes medical coders.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: None
Self-employed: 0.8%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

3M Encoder
Allscripts EHR
Amazing Charts
American Medical Association CodeManager
Azalea Health Azalea EHR
Billing software
Coding database software
ComChart EMR

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Integrity
Cautiousness
Cooperation
Stress Tolerance
Self-Control

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

ConventionalHigh
InvestigativeMedium
SocialMedium
RealisticLow
EnterprisingLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where medical records specialists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).