Cancer registrars: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more

Cancer registrars typically do the following:

Review patients records and pathology reports to verify completeness and accuracy
Assign classification codes to represent the diagnosis and treatment of cancers and benign tumors
Conduct annual followups to track treatment, survival, and recovery
Compile and analyze cancer patient information for research purposes
Maintain facility, regional, and national databases of cancer patients

Education Required: Postsecondary certificate and associates degree programs in health information technology typically include courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, communication, health data requirements and standards, classification and coding systems, healthcare reimbursement methods, healthcare statistics, and computer systems. Applicants to health information technology programs may increase their chances of admission by taking high school courses in health, computer science, math, and biology.
Job Outlook: The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 13% (Faster than average)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.)
Advancement: Technicians may advance to a position as a medical or health services manager after completing a bachelors or masters degree program and taking the required certification courses. Requirements vary by facility.
Licenses/Certifications: Most employers prefer to hire health information technicians who have certification, or they may expect applicants to earn certification shortly after being hired. A health information technician can earn certification from several organizations. Certifications include the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and the Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR), among others.
Median pay: How much do Medical Records and Health Information Technicians make?: $38,040 Annual Salary; $18.29 per hour

Careers for Medical Records and Health Information Technicians