Health information coder vs medical records technician

The differences between health information coders and medical records 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 medical records technician. Additionally, a health information coder has an average salary of $54,353, which is higher than the $37,087 average annual salary of a medical records technician.

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 technician are patients, medical terminology, and HIPAA.

Health information coder vs medical records technician overview

	Health Information Coder	Medical Records Technician
Yearly salary	$54,353	$37,087
Hourly rate	$26.13	$17.83
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	112,238	67,660
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 45%	Associate Degree, 34%
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 technician do?

A medical records technician is responsible for performing administrative duties, handling patients' medical records for medical purposes. Medical records technicians keep an organized database of patients' information, including medical history, diagnosis, healthcare treatments, laboratory schedules, and insurance details using specific healthcare coding procedures. Medical records technicians must be detail-oriented and highly organizational, especially on maintaining the accuracy and confidentiality of patients' information. This job is critical in the healthcare industry for the doctors' reference and determining treatment costs.

Health information coder vs medical records technician salary

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

	Health Information Coder	Medical Records Technician
Average salary	$54,353	$37,087
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $78,000	Between $28,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	Long Branch, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Guidehouse
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between health information coder and medical records technician education

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

	Health Information Coder	Medical Records Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 45%	Associate Degree, 34%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Health Care Administration
Most common college	Georgetown University	University of Pennsylvania

Health information coder vs medical records technician demographics

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

	Health Information Coder	Medical Records Technician
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 12.0% Female, 88.0%	Male, 18.8% Female, 81.2%
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, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between health information coder and medical records technician 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 technician example responsibilities.

Enter all patient in-take into EMR, manage triage, scheduling, and maintain a sterile clinic setting.
Manage medical treatment authorizations and durable medical equipment (DME) requests and verify medical eligibility for all patients requesting treatment.
Perform examinations in the ER, main radiology area and surgery.
Order medical records for patients, medical staff, outside entities, and court subpoenas for certain dates of services.
Audited/Validate daily outpatient medical coding accounts involving emergency rooms, surgery, interventional radiology, radiology, and ancillary services.
Staff education on EMR and industry regulations.

Health information coder vs medical records technician 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 technician skills

Patients, 20%
Medical Terminology, 11%
HIPAA, 6%
Patient Care, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Medical Facilities, 4%

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Health Information Coder
Health Information Coder vs Medical Records Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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