Health information coder vs medical service technician

The differences between health information coders and medical service technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a health information coder has an average salary of $54,353, which is higher than the $37,943 average annual salary of a medical service 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 service technician are patients, customer service, and vital signs.

Health information coder vs medical service technician overview

	Health Information Coder	Medical Service Technician
Yearly salary	$54,353	$37,943
Hourly rate	$26.13	$18.24
Growth rate	11%	7%
Number of jobs	112,238	189,362
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	45	36
Years of experience	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 service technician do?

A medical service technician provides health care and treatments to patients under the supervision or directives of a more experienced physician. Most of their responsibilities revolve around assessing a patient's condition, administering required aid, diagnosing patients, conducting check-ups, and counseling patients. There are also instances when a medical service technician may prescribe medications, conduct inspections at facilities to ensure sanitary conditions, and coordinate with hospital staff for requesting supplies. Furthermore, it is crucial to have accurate documentation of all processes and transactions, all while adhering to the hospital's policies and standards.

Health information coder vs medical service technician salary

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

	Health Information Coder	Medical Service Technician
Average salary	$54,353	$37,943
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $78,000	Between $23,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	-	Salem, MA
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	Sunrise Systems
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between health information coder and medical service technician education

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

	Health Information Coder	Medical Service Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Nursing
Most common college	Georgetown University	University of Virginia

Health information coder vs medical service technician demographics

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

	Health Information Coder	Medical Service Technician
Average age	45	36
Gender ratio	Male, 12.0% Female, 88.0%	Male, 30.8% Female, 69.2%
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, 6.5% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 4.5% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	9%	8%

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

Create and maintain confidential patient files; implement EHR systems to automate patient records management for the purposes of meaningful use.
Administer and document vaccinations and perform strep tests, finger sticks, urinalysis, and various need lab tests.
Run QC on all lab instrumentation ensuring reports are within acceptable limits.
Keep track of all POC inventory, reagents, QC materials and equipment validations.
Apply cold packs to affect injuries of the patient, fit crutches on patients.
Maintain all training and CPR certifications in order to actively participate in codes with in the hospital.

Health information coder vs medical service 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 service technician skills

Patients, 18%
Customer Service, 6%
Vital Signs, 5%
Infection Control, 5%
Phlebotomy, 4%
CPR, 4%

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Health Information Coder
Health Information Coder vs Medical Service Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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