Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between health information coders and health information technicians 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 technician. Additionally, a health information coder has an average salary of $54,353, which is higher than the $34,604 average annual salary of a health information technician.
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 technician are patients, medical terminology, and customer service.
| Health Information Coder | Health Information Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $54,353 | $34,604 |
| Hourly rate | $26.13 | $16.64 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 112,238 | 120,786 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
A health information technician is primarily responsible for managing and handling patient information, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality. They coordinate with various health care workers to gather patient data, laboratory results, test findings, and medical histories, encoding them in clinical databases in a timely and efficient manner. They must analyze every information to detect any inconsistencies, performing corrective measures right away. Furthermore, as a health information technician, it is essential to utilize particular software and systems when processing information, all while adhering to the hospital's policies and regulations.
Health information coders and health information technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Information Coder | Health Information Technician | |
| Average salary | $54,353 | $34,604 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $78,000 | Between $26,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Fairbanks, AK |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Stifel Financial |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a health information coder and a health information technician in terms of educational background:
| Health Information Coder | Health Information Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Health Care Administration |
| Most common college | Georgetown University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between health information coders' and health information technicians' demographics:
| Health Information Coder | Health Information Technician | |
| 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, 9.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.6% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |