Health information coder vs health information management director

The differences between health information coders and health information management directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a health information coder and a health information management director. Additionally, a health information management director has an average salary of $132,896, which is higher than the $54,353 average annual salary of a health information coder.

The top three skills for a health information coder include medical terminology, ICD-10-CM and CPC. The most important skills for a health information management director are patients, oversight, and medical terminology.

Health information coder vs health information management director overview

	Health Information Coder	Health Information Management Director
Yearly salary	$54,353	$132,896
Hourly rate	$26.13	$63.89
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	112,238	174,388
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 45%	Associate Degree, 38%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

What does a health information coder do?

A health information coder is responsible for translating the reports of physicians into beneficial medical codes. Health information coders make sure that all important information is appropriately coded for accuracy and consistency. The coders read the medical chart of a patient and analyze it and identify patient diagnoses and medical procedures. They categorize the diagnoses and the necessary procedures based on a national classification system. Also, they assign particular alphanumeric or numeric code to each procedure or diagnosis.

What does a health information management director do?

A Health Information Management Director develops and supervises health information systems. They also ensure that health information systems meet medical, legal, and ethical standards.

Health information coder vs health information management director salary

Health information coders and health information management directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Information Coder	Health Information Management Director
Average salary	$54,353	$132,896
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $78,000	Between $95,000 And $185,000
Highest paying City	-	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	University of Maryland Medical System
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between health information coder and health information management director education

There are a few differences between a health information coder and a health information management director in terms of educational background:

	Health Information Coder	Health Information Management Director
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 45%	Associate Degree, 38%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Health Care Administration
Most common college	Georgetown University	University of Southern California

Health information coder vs health information management director demographics

Here are the differences between health information coders' and health information management directors' demographics:

	Health Information Coder	Health Information Management Director
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 12.0% Female, 88.0%	Male, 16.5% Female, 83.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.6% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between health information coder and health information management director duties and responsibilities

Health information coder example responsibilities.

Create documentation education classes to general surgery residents, increasing the leveling of reporting which lead to increase revenues.
Provide clerical services in registering patients and guests in ambulatory surgery facility.
Train staff on the HIPAA regulations.
Assist in instructing students for exam preparation for the CPC exam.
Maintain establish department policies and procedures, objectives, QA program, HIPAA compliance, environmental and infection control standards.
Code charts (Inpatient/Outpatient/Observation) according to EHR records to ensure all charges are accurately capture; hydration/infusion/EM levels & procedures.

Health information management director example responsibilities.

Manage EMR image title, deficiency table, physician table, ROI table.
Implement and manage projects with complex HL7 interfaces between multiple clinical systems including writing project plans.
Achieve this goal by providing clear policies/justification for initiatives which impact designated FTE's.
Provide physician education on documentation improvement initiatives for ICD-9 and ICD-10.
Code patient charts for inpatient stays and outpatient services receive for mental and chemical dependence rehabilitation.
Train and provide support for Eclinicalworks software.

Health information coder vs health information management director skills

Common health information coder skills

Medical Terminology, 11%
ICD-10-CM, 9%
CPC, 9%
Patients, 7%
Quality Standards, 6%
AHIMA, 6%

Common health information management director skills

Patients, 21%
Oversight, 8%
Medical Terminology, 7%
ICD-10, 6%
Transcription, 6%
Revenue Cycle, 6%

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Health Information Coder vs Health Information Management Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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