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The differences between certified coding specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a certified coding specialist, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a specialist has an average salary of $58,013, which is higher than the $51,818 average annual salary of a certified coding specialist.
The top three skills for a certified coding specialist include medical terminology, ICD-10-CM and CPC. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Certified Coding Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $51,818 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $24.91 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 62,432 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
Certified coding specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Certified Coding Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $51,818 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $71,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a certified coding specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Certified Coding Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Business |
| Most common college | Georgetown University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between certified coding specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Certified Coding Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 8.6% Female, 91.4% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 9.1% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |