AAPC - Advancing the Business of Healthcare

2024 Medical Coding and Billing Salary Report by experience

Experience makes a significant difference

AAPC's 2025 Medical Coding and Billing Salary Report shows that certification and on-the job experience tell employers that you are prepared to handle a variety of responsibilities and situations that may arise, collaborate well with others, and are thriving in the industry.

Experience from certification(s)

The fact that certification is the No. 1 factor influencing medical records specialist incomes is not surprising. After all, professional certification is the litmus test of a job candidate’s value. Nothing provides hiring managers with more confidence in a medical coder’s proficiency than passing the Certified Professional Coder (CPC)® exam.

The next best vote of confidence — also the second biggest influence on income — is additional credentials. Medical records specialists who participated in AAPC's 2024 Salary Survey averaged $65,401 in 2024, but those with three or more AAPC certifications averaged $84,414 for the year, which is 22.5 percent more.

Work experience pays

Incomes rise about 42% on average from entry-level to late career

In 2024, first-year medical records specialists earned $48,204 for the year, while those with at least 31 years of work experience earned $83,544 — a 42.3 percent difference! Work experience, as an isolated influence on compensation, adds upwards of 42 percent to income over the course of the CPC’s career. The biggest gains occur in the first 15 years.

2023 Salary Survey by Experience

2024 incomes based on work experience

2022 Salary Survey respondents report a median 13.2 years in the industry. With medical coding experience comes career advancement opportunities into high-paying healthcare business roles, such as practice management, medical auditing, compliance, and clinical documentation improvement specialist.

Years on the Job

Average Income

0 - 1

$48,204

2 - 4

$52,615

5 - 9

$60,223

10 - 15

$68,221

16 - 20

$73,295

21 - 25

$76,983

26 - 30

$80,025

31+

$83,544

Feeling stuck or stagnant in your career?