Salary Survey
2024 Medical Coding and Billing Salary ReportHow education impacts income
Although certification carries the most weight with employers and does not require an associate or bachelor’s degree to obtain, our survey shows a modest influence of education level on medical records specialist incomes.
Based on 2023 data, medical records specialists with no college education average $28.15 per hour, while those with a bachelor’s degree average $31.97 per hour, or 11.9 percent more.
Medical records specialists with a master’s degree earn 28.2 percent more on average than those with no postsecondary education, according to AAPC's 2023 Salary Survey. This income hike, however, has more to do with the professional’s role and job title than it does with education.
If you have your sights set on revenue cycle management, a four- or six-year degree program may be a wise decision. Regardless of education, however, there are several paths a certified medical coder who bypasses college or university can take to leadership and its financial rewards.