Medical coders: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more

Medical coders typically do the following:

Review patient information for preexisting conditions, such as diabetes, so patient data can be coded properly
Assign appropriate diagnoses and procedure codes for patient care, population health statistics, and billing purposes
Work as a liaison between the healthcare providers and billing offices

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