Wiki Applying for first job//starting salary??

[SallyT]

I’m in the process of applying for my first coding position. I have completed school and will be taking my exam in February. I’m curious as to what salary/hourly pay I should be asking for as a newbie. I don’t want to ask too little or too much. Can anyone give me an idea of what I should be realistically asking for?
I’ve been searching what the starting salary is for a CPC-A but am finding conflicting answers. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[Pathos]

Your salary is generally determined by the type of job you get, + any additional relevant experience and education you bring to the table (to a point). Location is a big factor as well, as a CPC will get a different salary if they are working in FL vs. working in CA. Depending if you are contracted or full time will also factor into your salary (paid by the chart vs. per hour).

Without knowing your work location, it is rather difficult to give you a good estimation however AAPC has posted their average salary survey on their website. Note that this their average salary results, meaning you would likely start out on the lower end.

Glassdoor.com does provide a salary estimate depending on the company you are going to work for, and your job title.

However, if I was to use my local area (Pacific Northwest), a starting CPC-A without any coding experience would probably start around $18-19/hr. Again, this number will likely be different depending on your area.

Best of luck!