Health information coder vs medical records clerk

The differences between health information coders and medical records clerks 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 medical records clerk. Additionally, a health information coder has an average salary of $54,353, which is higher than the $32,491 average annual salary of a medical records clerk.

The top three skills for a health information coder include medical terminology, ICD-10-CM and CPC. The most important skills for a medical records clerk are patients, customer service, and data entry.

Health information coder vs medical records clerk overview

	Health Information Coder	Medical Records Clerk
Yearly salary	$54,353	$32,491
Hourly rate	$26.13	$15.62
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	112,238	129,998
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 45%	Associate Degree, 29%
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 medical records clerk do?

Medical records clerks are employees in hospitals or clinics who manage office records. They are in charge of creating, updating, and filing patient-related medical records and other related documents. They ensure that all documents are correctly filled out and labeled before storing them safely in their respective storage areas. They may also be in charge of digitizing forms for easier access to files and back up purposes. They ensure that medical records are exact and updated. Medical records clerks should be organized and must always be on top of all tasks related to patient or medical records.

Health information coder vs medical records clerk salary

Health information coders and medical records clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Information Coder	Medical Records Clerk
Average salary	$54,353	$32,491
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $78,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Rochester, NY
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between health information coder and medical records clerk education

There are a few differences between a health information coder and a medical records clerk in terms of educational background:

	Health Information Coder	Medical Records Clerk
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 45%	Associate Degree, 29%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Health Care Administration
Most common college	Georgetown University	University of Pennsylvania

Health information coder vs medical records clerk demographics

Here are the differences between health information coders' and medical records clerks' demographics:

	Health Information Coder	Medical Records Clerk
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 12.0% Female, 88.0%	Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9%
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, 17.3% Asian, 7.8% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between health information coder and medical records clerk 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.

Medical records clerk example responsibilities.

Manage transition from in-house transcription system to outsource transcription service.
Manage front office check-in, insurance verification and certifications from doctors.
Accept and process healthcare claims and confidential medical records; verify patient eligibility and manage the Medicare and Medicaid billing process.
Perform infant labs and update the system with results, triage incoming patients, perform necessary resuscitation to baby and mom.
Provide information to medical facilities and patients when necessary and respond to subpoenas and other general release of patient information.
Experience in CPT and ICD-10 coding.

Health information coder vs medical records clerk skills

Common health information coder skills

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

Common medical records clerk skills

Patients, 27%
Customer Service, 9%
Data Entry, 7%
Medical Terminology, 6%
HIPAA, 5%
Patient Care, 4%

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Health Information Coder vs Medical Records Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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