### Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Medical Records Specialists Summary
                        
            
                                                        
                                                                
                        
            
            
            
                            
                                                
                                                
                                                
                                                
            						
							
				                                                
                                            




            			medical records and health information specialists imageMedical records and health information specialists meet with other healthcare workers to clarify diagnoses or to get additional information.							
						Quick Facts:     Medical Records Specialists2023     Median Pay
            						$48,780     per year
										$23.45     per hourTypical Entry-Level Education
                                    Postsecondary nondegree awardWork Experience in a Related Occupation
                                    NoneOn-the-job Training
                                    NoneNumber of Jobs, 2022
                                    194,300Job Outlook, 2022-32
                                    8% (Faster than average)Employment Change, 2022-32
                                    16,500What Medical Records Specialists Do
                                                
                        
                        
Medical records specialists compile, process, and maintain patient files.
            
                        Work Environment
                        
Medical records specialists typically spend many hours at a computer. Most work full time.
            
                                                How to Become a Medical Records Specialist
                                                
                        
Medical records specialists typically need a postsecondary certificate to enter the occupation, although some qualify with a high school diploma. Others might need an associate’s or bachelor's degree. Certification may be required or preferred.
            
                        Pay
                        												                            																				    														The median annual wage for medical records specialists was $48,780 in May 2023.									                                					
						
            
                        Job Outlook
                        						
												Employment							of medical records specialists is projected to grow							 8 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
						About 15,000 openings for medical records specialists are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
            			
            			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
						State & Area Data
                       Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for medical records specialists.
            
            
						
                        Similar Occupations
                        
                                                    Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of medical records specialists with similar occupations.
            
            
                        More Information, Including Links to O*NET
                        
                                               
                        Learn more about medical records specialists by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
 What Medical Records Specialists Do 
            

			Medical records and health information specialistsMedical records specialists validate and enter patients' health information into electronic health records systems.			
Medical records specialists compile, process, and maintain patient files. They also may classify and enter patients’ medical information into the healthcare industry's numerical coding system.
Duties
Medical records specialists typically do the following:
Review patients’ records for timeliness, completeness, and accuracy
Use classification systems to assign clinical codes for patients’ diagnoses, procedures, medical services, and related information
Maintain and retrieve records for insurance reimbursement and data analysis
Electronically record data for collection, storage, analysis, retrieval, and reporting
Ensure confidentiality of patients’ recordsMedical records specialists have a variety of data entry and recordkeeping tasks. They may gather patients’ medical histories, symptoms, test results, treatments, and other health information and enter the details into electronic health records (EHR) systems. Some workers categorize medical information for purposes such as insurance reimbursement and providing data to clinicians.
When handling medical records, these workers follow administrative, ethical, and legal requirements for safeguarding patient privacy. Medical records specialists also may serve as gatekeepers for access to patient files. They ensure access only to authorized people and retrieve, scan, and transmit files according to established protocols.
*Medical coders*******assign the diagnosis and procedure codes for patient care, population health statistics, and billing purposes. For example, they might review patient information for preexisting conditions, such as diabetes, to ensure proper coding of patient data. They also work as the liaison between healthcare providers and billing offices.
Although medical records specialists do not provide direct patient care, they work regularly with registered nurses and other healthcare workers. They meet with these workers to clarify diagnoses or to get additional information.
For information about other workers who deal with healthcare records, see the profile for health information technologists and medical registrars.
 Work Environment
			Medical records and health information techniciansThis is one of the few health-related occupations in which there is no direct hands-on patient care.			

	    
				
	
	
	
	
	
	
	    					 Medical records specialists held about 194,300 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of medical records specialists were as follows:
        Hospitals; state, local, and private
                27%Offices of physicians
                19Professional, scientific, and technical services
                9Management of companies and enterprises
                9Administrative and support services
                8Medical records specialists typically work at a computer.
Work Schedules
Most medical records specialists work full time. In healthcare facilities that are always open, such as hospitals, specialists may work shifts, including nights or weekends.
 How to Become a Medical Records Specialist

			Medical records specialistsEmployers may prefer to hire medical records specialists who have acquired certification.			
Medical records specialists typically need a postsecondary certificate to enter the occupation, although some qualify with a high school diploma. Others might need an associate’s degree. Certification may be required or preferred.
Education
A high school diploma or equivalent and experience in a healthcare setting are enough to qualify for some positions, but others may require a postsecondary certificate or an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
High school students may benefit from taking classes in subjects such as biology, computer science, and anatomy.
Community colleges and technical schools offer certificate and associate’s degree programs for medical records specialists. These programs typically include courses in medical terminology, health data requirements and standards, and classification and coding systems.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Employers may prefer to hire medical records specialists who have certification, or they may expect applicants to earn certification shortly after being hired. For example, some medical records specialists earn the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) credential; certifications for medical coders include the Certified Billing & Coding Specialists (CBCS), Certified Coding Associate (CCA), Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), and Certified Professional Coder (CPC).
Certifications usually require candidates to pass an exam and might require previous experience or education. Certificate, associate’s, or bachelor’s degree programs may help students to meet these requirements.
Advancement
Medical records specialists may advance to become health information technologists or medical registrarsor medical or health services managers after completing a higher certification program or earning a degree in health information technology. Requirements vary by facility.
Important Qualities
***Analytical skills.*** Medical records specialists must interpret medical documentation to assess diagnoses, which they then code into a patient’s medical record.
***Detail oriented.*** Medical records specialists must be precise about verifying and coding patient information.
***Integrity.*** Medical records specialists must exercise discretion and act ethically when working with patient data to protect patient confidentiality, as required by law.
***Interpersonal skills.*** Medical records specialists need to discuss patient information, discrepancies, and data requirements with physicians, finance personnel, and other workers involved in patient care and recordkeeping.
 Pay

			



	
 
                                                     
            
    
                Medical Records SpecialistsMedian annual wages, May 2023Health technologists and technicians$51,250  Medical records specialists$48,780  Total, all occupations$48,060Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
 

	
	



		
	
	
	
The median annual wage for medical records specialists was $48,780 in May 2023. 


The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $35,080, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $77,810.





		
	    					 In May 2023, the median annual wages for medical records specialists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:	
        Management of companies and enterprises
                $53,320Hospitals; state, local, and private
                52,350Administrative and support services
                50,120Professional, scientific, and technical services
                47,500Offices of physicians
                43,710Most medical records specialists work full time. In healthcare facilities that are always open, such as hospitals, specialists may work shifts, including nights or weekends.
 Job Outlook

   
        
    
          
        
    
                Medical Records SpecialistsPercent change in employment, projected 2022-32Medical records specialists8%  Health technologists and technicians7%  Total, all occupations3%Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
            
            
			 
	
	
	

			Employment				of medical records specialists is projected to grow				 8 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
			
			About 15,000 openings for medical records specialists are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
			
			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
			Employment
	
			
An increasing share of the population is entering older age groups, which typically require more medical services. In addition, there is a growing prevalence of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. As a result, more medical records specialists will be needed to translate patient information and services delivered into standardized codes to be used for insurance reimbursement and other purposes.
However, the increase in adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered solutions that make the medical coding process more efficient may affect the demand for these workers.
			

                        Employment projections data for     medical records specialists, 2022-32
                Occupational Title
                        SOC Code
                        Employment, 2022
                        Projected Employment, 2032
                        Change, 2022-32
                        Employment by IndustryPercent
                        NumericSOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program**Medical records specialists**
			29-2072
			194,300
			210,900
			8
			16,500
			Get data
 State & Area Data **Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OES data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Medical records specialists **Projections Central** Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved. **CareerOneStop** CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.
 Similar Occupations This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of medical records specialists. Occupation
                Job Duties
                ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION
                2023     MEDIAN PAY**Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars**
            Health information technologists and medical registrars advise organizations on computerized healthcare systems and analyze clinical data.
            Associate's degree
            $62,990**Information Clerks**
            Information clerks perform routine clerical duties, maintain records, collect data, and provide information to customers.
            See How to Become One
            $40,540**Medical and Health Services Managers**
            Medical and health services managers plan, direct, and coordinate the business activities of healthcare providers.
            Bachelor's degree
            $110,680**Medical Assistants**
            Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks, such as scheduling appointments and taking patients’ vital signs.
            Postsecondary nondegree award
            $42,000**Medical Transcriptionists**
            Medical transcriptionists use electronic devices to convert voice recordings from physicians and other healthcare workers into formal reports.
            Postsecondary nondegree award
            $37,060**Pharmacy Technicians**
            Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense prescription medication to customers or health professionals.
            High school diploma or equivalent
            $40,300
 Contacts for More Information
								
For more information about medical records specialists, including details about certification, visit
American Health Information Management Association
American Academy of Professional Coders
National Healthcareer Association
For a list of accredited training programs at the associate's degree level and above, visit
Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education
CareerOneStop
For a career video on medical records and health information technicians, visit
Medical Records Specialists

                                                
                                                        
                                                                                                    O*NET
                                        Medical Records Specialists
 Suggested citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.  Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical Records Specialists, 
        	 at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-records-and-health-information-technicians.htm (visited *May 21, 2024*).
 **Last Modified Date:**
                        Wednesday, April 17, 2024


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