Career Outlook
Across American Academy of Professional Coders™ (AAPC) membership, medical coders (certified and non-certified) earn an average salary of $54,890, up 5.8% from last year’s average salary of $51,889. Medical coders without certification earn approximately $42,015 per year while certified professional coders on average earn $55,923 annually—33% more than their non-certified colleagues. This calculation includes all certifications attained through AAPC, AHIMA, and other organizations. The average salary solely for AAPC-certified professionals is 8.7% higher.
Pay continues to climb for medical coding certification. The salary for health information technicians with two credentials rises to an average of $64,890. Billing and coding specialists with three or more credentials earn approximately $70,608 per year.
Due to the increase in the medical field (tests, treatments, and procedures included) employment as a medical biller is expected to grow by 11 percent to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.
The demand for health services is expected to increase as the population ages.
Further, since the addition of electronic health records (EHR), the need for technicians is increased yet again to keep up with the many new opportunities in EHR data management.
The median annual wage for medical records and health information technicians was $45,240 in February 2022.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical Records and Health Information Technicians, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-records-and-health-information-technicians.htm (visited February 18, 2022).
