Salary deep dive / SOC 29-2072
Medical Records Specialist salary.
Complete wage data for Medical Records Specialists (BLS SOC 29-2072): national median $51,140, 90th percentile $81,150, total US employment 194,720. Below: by state, by metro, by credential, by experience, and by employer type.
By Taylor Rupe, editor · Updated
10th percentile
Median (50th)
Mean
90th percentile
The 6 facts that matter most about Medical Records Specialist pay.
- National median: $51,140. 10th percentile $37,000, 90th percentile $81,150. The 10-to-90 spread is $44,150 — credential and setting drive almost all of it.
- Highest-paying states by median: New York ($61,720), California ($61,810), Wisconsin ($60,280). California has the highest 90th percentile at $102,470.
- Total US employment: 194,720. Texas leads in absolute headcount (20,390), followed by California (19,750), Florida (15,510).
- Credential premium per AAPC 2025 salary survey: certified coders earn 8.9% more than uncredentialed. Multi-credentialed coders average $79,988 (single-credential CPC: $59,605).
- By experience: entry-level $37,000-$44,000, mid-career around median, senior 80-90th percentile band.
- BLS projects 9% growth 2022-2032, faster than national average across all occupations.
National numbers
National wage distribution.
BLS May 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for Medical Records Specialists (SOC 29-2072):
| Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,000 | $17.79 |
| Median (50th) | $51,140 | $24.59 |
| Mean | $56,790 | $27.30 |
| 90th percentile | $81,150 | $39.01 |
| Total US employment | 194,720 |
Hourly figures derived from annual divided by 2,080 (40 hours/week × 52 weeks). BLS OEWS, May 2024.
By state
Salary by state (10 states with data).
Our database currently includes BLS state-level data for the 10 highest-population states for Medical Records Specialists. Sorted by median annual wage:
| State | Median | 90th pct | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia (DC) | $72,040 | $128,010 | 270 |
| Rhode Island (RI) | $63,960 | $84,540 | 650 |
| Hawaii (HI) | $63,180 | $91,650 | 400 |
| Washington (WA) | $62,270 | $98,130 | 5,010 |
| California (CA) | $61,810 | $102,470 | 18,700 |
| New York (NY) | $61,720 | $101,940 | 9,080 |
| Minnesota (MN) | $61,530 | $83,020 | 3,150 |
| Alaska (AK) | $61,090 | $90,530 | 1,070 |
| Connecticut (CT) | $60,940 | $88,900 | 1,120 |
| Massachusetts (MA) | $60,350 | $81,620 | 3,500 |
| Wisconsin (WI) | $60,280 | $79,720 | 2,870 |
| Colorado (CO) | $59,020 | $82,980 | 1,780 |
| Oregon (OR) | $59,000 | $81,120 | 2,560 |
| Vermont (VT) | $57,560 | $77,580 | n/a |
| New Mexico (NM) | $57,470 | $76,460 | 1,400 |
| Illinois (IL) | $56,440 | $77,520 | 5,740 |
| Delaware (DE) | $56,060 | $77,500 | 610 |
| South Carolina (SC) | $54,280 | $71,280 | 2,750 |
| Maryland (MD) | $54,220 | $82,090 | 2,440 |
| Wyoming (WY) | $54,210 | $79,530 | 280 |
| Idaho (ID) | $53,460 | $77,840 | 1,490 |
| Oklahoma (OK) | $53,460 | $74,710 | 2,480 |
| Virginia (VA) | $53,290 | $78,680 | 4,630 |
| Utah (UT) | $52,870 | $82,640 | 1,910 |
| Maine (ME) | $52,090 | $76,660 | 1,000 |
| Nebraska (NE) | $51,670 | $74,990 | 1,640 |
| South Dakota (SD) | $51,610 | $76,950 | 900 |
| Georgia (GA) | $51,550 | $81,580 | 5,930 |
| Ohio (OH) | $50,990 | $79,290 | 7,440 |
| Missouri (MO) | $50,750 | $77,010 | 3,890 |
| Iowa (IA) | $50,640 | $66,390 | 2,250 |
| Nevada (NV) | $50,300 | $81,140 | 2,350 |
| New Jersey (NJ) | $50,240 | $83,650 | 4,450 |
| Montana (MT) | $50,190 | $64,540 | 820 |
| North Carolina (NC) | $49,620 | $79,670 | 6,760 |
| New Hampshire (NH) | $49,210 | $68,980 | 930 |
| Texas (TX) | $48,860 | $78,390 | 17,210 |
| Tennessee (TN) | $48,780 | $79,960 | 4,440 |
| Kentucky (KY) | $48,410 | $74,520 | 4,210 |
| Kansas (KS) | $48,160 | $77,910 | 2,030 |
| Michigan (MI) | $48,120 | $77,080 | 4,890 |
| Indiana (IN) | $47,670 | $79,270 | 5,860 |
| Arizona (AZ) | $47,630 | $75,430 | 3,750 |
| West Virginia (WV) | $47,360 | $75,000 | 1,260 |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | $46,840 | $77,880 | 6,970 |
| North Dakota (ND) | $46,280 | $79,800 | 520 |
| Florida (FL) | $45,760 | $76,850 | 21,490 |
| Louisiana (LA) | $44,610 | $77,080 | 2,600 |
| Alabama (AL) | $43,810 | $64,730 | 2,330 |
| Arkansas (AR) | $41,740 | $65,090 | 1,920 |
| Mississippi (MS) | $41,500 | $61,580 | 2,310 |
| Puerto Rico (PR) | $27,990 | $57,780 | 1,850 |
| National | $51,140 | $81,150 | 194,720 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024. We're expanding state coverage in upcoming refreshes.
By metro
Top 12 highest-paying metros.
Metropolitan areas ranked by median annual wage. Coastal and high-cost-of-living metros dominate, but Wisconsin, Minnesota, and select Midwest metros punch above their cost-of-living weight:
| Metro | Median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $61,740 | 1,370 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $61,300 | 1,970 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $60,610 | 7,370 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $57,520 | 2,510 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $55,980 | 1,680 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $53,930 | 7,820 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $50,810 | 2,030 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $50,360 | 6,140 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $49,790 | 3,220 |
| Kansas City | $49,750 | 1,260 |
| Columbus | $49,560 | 1,540 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $48,560 | 2,210 |
Source: BLS OEWS Metro Estimates, May 2024. Limited to metros with published median wage data.
By credential
Salary premium by credential.
AAPC's 2025 Medical Coding and Billing Salary Survey (based on 2024 data) is the most cited industry source for credential-specific pay. Headline numbers for Medical Records Specialists in the coder subset:
| Credential | AAPC avg salary | vs uncredentialed |
|---|---|---|
| Uncredentialed | ~$45,000 | baseline |
| CCA (AHIMA, entry coding) | $48,321 | +7% |
| CCS (AHIMA, advanced inpatient) | $57,500 | +28% |
| CPC (AAPC, physician) | $59,605 | +32% |
| Two credentials | $71,130 | +58% |
| Three or more credentials | $76,035 | +69% |
Source: AAPC 2025 Medical Coding and Billing Salary Survey. Self-reported by AAPC members.
For non-coding Medical Records Specialists (RHIT-credentialed records and analyst work), AHIMA salary surveys indicate a similar credentialed premium of 10-20% over uncredentialed peers. See our RHIT certification page for credential detail.
By experience
Pay progression by years of experience.
| Experience | Typical role | Pay band |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 year | Medical Records Specialist I, entry-level coder | $36-46K |
| 1-3 years | Records Specialist II, junior coder | $42-55K |
| 3-7 years | Senior records specialist, certified coder | $50-68K |
| 7-12 years | Coding auditor, senior specialist | $62-80K |
| 12+ years | Lead coder, coding supervisor | $72-95K |
Bands synthesized from BLS percentile distribution plus AAPC and AHIMA salary survey context. Geographic and credential adjustments apply.
By employer
Pay by employer type.
- Acute-care hospitals (general medical and surgical): Median around the national median, top end at academic medical centers and Level I trauma centers clears $75-85K. Largest single employer category.
- Physician offices: Typically 5-10% below national median. Smaller practices pay less but roles are broader.
- Outpatient care centers: Generally at or slightly below national median. ASCs and specialty clinics fall here.
- Revenue cycle service companies (Optum, R1 RCM, Conifer, Datavant): At or above national median. Strong remote-work options. Credential reimbursement common.
- Insurance carriers: 5-15% above national median, especially in HEDIS and risk adjustment work.
- Federal government / VA: At national median for most roles; federal pension and benefits offset salary slightly below private sector.
- Healthcare consulting (Deloitte, Huron, Optum Advisory): 15-25% above national median; bonus structures common.
Sources
Sources and methodology.
This page is built from three primary data sources:
- BLS OEWS May 2024 for national and state-level percentile distribution. SOC 29-2072.
- BLS Metro OEWS for metro-level median and employment.
- AAPC 2025 Medical Coding and Billing Salary Survey (based on 2024 data) for credential-specific premiums.
All credential salary figures are self-reported survey data with the limitations that implies. BLS data is authoritative for occupation-level wages but lumps coders and records specialists together under SOC 29-2072.
Sources: BLS OEWS 29-2072, AAPC 2025 Salary Survey. Last refreshed .
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