Billing coder vs senior billing specialist

The differences between billing coders and senior billing specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a billing coder and a senior billing specialist. Additionally, a senior billing specialist has an average salary of $52,255, which is higher than the $37,554 average annual salary of a billing coder.

The top three skills for a billing coder include patients, ICD-10 and data entry. The most important skills for a senior billing specialist are patients, CPT, and billing issues.

Billing coder vs senior billing specialist overview

	Billing Coder	Senior Billing Specialist
Yearly salary	$37,554	$52,255
Hourly rate	$18.05	$25.12
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	55,376	40,195
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

What does a billing coder do?

A billing coder usually works at medical facilities where they are primarily in charge of gathering and analyzing patient information and billing data, translating them according to the special coding system for medical and insurance record purposes. They usually work in an office setting where they manage electronic health records, organize files, handle calls and correspondence, coordinate with different departments, and enter insurance claims into particular programs. Moreover, as a billing coder, it is essential to review records, keeping an eye out for any inconsistencies or missing details, performing corrective measures right away.

What does a senior billing specialist do?

A senior billing specialist processes and manages the billing systems of their company. They are in charge of processing necessary payments to clients and business partners and generating and providing invoices. They keep a record of all payment information. They also manage payment due dates and remind clients of the payment deadlines.

Billing coder vs senior billing specialist salary

Billing coders and senior billing specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Billing Coder	Senior Billing Specialist
Average salary	$37,554	$52,255
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $45,000	Between $36,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	Maryland
Best paying company	-	Five9
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between billing coder and senior billing specialist education

There are a few differences between a billing coder and a senior billing specialist in terms of educational background:

	Billing Coder	Senior Billing Specialist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Billing coder vs senior billing specialist demographics

Here are the differences between billing coders' and senior billing specialists' demographics:

	Billing Coder	Senior Billing Specialist
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 8.8% Female, 91.2%	Male, 16.2% Female, 83.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 6.8% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 7.6% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between billing coder and senior billing specialist duties and responsibilities

Billing coder example responsibilities.

Accept and process healthcare claims and confidential medical records; verify patient eligibility and manage the Medicare and Medicaid billing process.
Review documentation to assign or confirm E/M, CPT, HCPCS, modifiers and ICD-9 codes.
Process insurance claims to various carriers like Medicare, Medicaid, commercial, and private insurances.
Verify patient insurance and/or Medicaid eligibility status and produce 'no insurance' letters for non establish patients.
Use EMR to submit claims.
Correct coding of CPT, HCPCS and ICD-9 codes necessary to ensure appropriate reimbursement.

Senior billing specialist example responsibilities.

Manage temporary and internship staff on Medicaid posting project.
Revamp updating process for ICD-9 codes to ensure that federal/state changes.
Code all claims interpret in EOMB's from Medicare & EOB from insurance companies.
Resolve incorrect insurance payments, EOB denials, and any issues with outstanding accounts.
Review outpatient medical records for abstraction of billable physician services and conversion of those services into CPT codes.
Process claims reviewing ICD9-10 and CPT codes on to ensure correct submission on HCFA and UB92 claim forms.

Billing coder vs senior billing specialist skills

Common billing coder skills

Patients, 18%
ICD-10, 9%
Data Entry, 7%
Medical Terminology, 5%
Home Health, 5%
HCPCS, 5%

Common senior billing specialist skills

Patients, 12%
CPT, 5%
Billing Issues, 5%
Billing System, 5%
Data Entry, 5%
Billing Process, 5%

Billing Coder vs. similar jobs

Billing Coder related careers

Billing Coder related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Billing Coder
Billing Coder vs Senior Billing Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs