How to hire a certified coding specialist

How to hire a certified coding specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step certified coding specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a certified coding specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new certified coding specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the certified coding specialist you need to hire. Certain certified coding specialist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A certified coding specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, certified coding specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of certified coding specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Certified Coding Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Certified Coding Specialist	Medical records and health information technicians, commonly referred to as health information technicians, organize and manage health information data. They ensure its quality, accuracy, accessibility, and security in both paper and electronic systems... Show more	$17-34
   Medical Records Manager	The main job of a medical records manager is to secure and maintain electronic and written data within a medical records department. Medical records managers retrieve patient records for medical personnel and physicians... Show more	$24-53
   Records Manager	The records manager is an important position that handles the creation, organization, and disposal of records. They are also responsible for establishing systems for their management and the maintenance, verification, and evaluation of extant systems... Show more	$15-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Medical Terminology
   • ICD-10-CM
   • CPC
   • CPT-4
   • AHIMA
   • DRG
   • Medicare
   • Surgery
   • AAPC
   • Data Entry
   • Procedure Codes
   • Nursing Home
   • ICD-9-CM
   • Medicaid

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the outsourced transcription company.
   • Comply with HIPAA privacy laws.
   • File appeals and reviews for deny claims.
   • Conduct prospective E/M audits for clinic and hospital services.
   • Access hospital records, post E/M charges, electronically.
   • Post EOB's in system and file under corresponding insurances.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your certified coding specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A certified coding specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, certified coding specialists' average salary in arkansas is 34% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level certified coding specialists 48% less than senior-level certified coding specialists.
   • Certifications. A certified coding specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a certified coding specialist's salary.

   Average certified coding specialist salary

   $51,818yearly

   $24.91 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level certified coding specialist salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a certified coding specialist job description

   A certified coding specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a certified coding specialist job description:

   Certified coding specialist job description example

   ALM Hopewell Center provides comprehensive mental health services to children and adults in the northern and central parts of the City of St. Louis and North St. Louis City. A professional mental health staff serves a growing caseload of 2,800 patients, of which greater than ninety-five percent are chronically mentally ill and suffering from major psychiatric disorders. Hopewell Center operates a Psychosocial Rehabilitation Center and a Comprehensive Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center for adults and youth. Many services are provided at schools. Emergency services, including a crisis bed and mobile outreach, are available twenty-four hours per day. A multi-disciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, counselors, social workers, educators, and support staff work diligently to carry out the mission of providing comprehensive care to patients and their families.

   Summary:

   At ALM-Hopewell Center, the Peer Specialist is who is responsible for assisting and empowering peer consumers by identifying a main concern, developing strength based independent living plans that includes a measurable goal and objectives, and carrying out the independent living plans with the peer consumers. The Peer Specialist helps fellow peers cultivate their independence, self-confidence, and self-esteem in a residential setting. The specialist empowers other people with disabilities to explore new options, resources, relationships, feelings, attitudes, and rights. The Peer Specialist is a companion, educator, advocate and friend to consumers.

   Summary of Job Duties:

   • Inform Peer Consumers of available programs and services and assist in referrals to other agencies/community partners that will assist the consumer in meeting his/her goal of independent living
   • Meet with consumers in their own homes, at designated offices and by phone as need to ensure continued consumer satisfaction and progress towards the independent living plan goal
   • Ensure that consumers have full and unbiased access to a variety of services and service providers to meet their specific needs
   • Assist Peer Consumer in carrying out each objective of the residential treatment plan
   • Abide by 9 CSR 30-4.039 (13) providing services that are person centered and recovery focused

   Minimum Requirements:

   High School Diploma or General Equivalency Diploma

   Participant in recovery support services

   Strong desire for employment and strong desire to help others

   Self starter who enjoys working independently

   Experience that demonstrates organization and planning abilities.

   Certified Peer Specialist (Preferred)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right certified coding specialist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your certified coding specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit certified coding specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit certified coding specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new certified coding specialist

   Once you've found the certified coding specialist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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