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The differences between health information managers and records specialists 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 manager and a records specialist. Additionally, a health information manager has an average salary of $63,401, which is higher than the $33,273 average annual salary of a records specialist.
The top three skills for a health information manager include patients, transcription and patient care. The most important skills for a records specialist are customer service, data entry, and office equipment.
| Health Information Manager | Records Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $63,401 | $33,273 |
| Hourly rate | $30.48 | $16.00 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 121,247 | 28,647 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A Health Information Manager is someone who processes and safeguards patient information records. A health facility needs to secure patient records as it is confidential. A health information manager creates and implements policies in recording and documenting patient records and retrieve them upon request of a physician for a diagnosis. The health information manager also ensures that all patient information acquired by the healthcare facility is stored securely, adhering to all state and federal laws concerning data privacy.
Records Specialists are administrative professionals who help manage the records of the company. These records may be physical documents or digital copies that are stored in a database. Records Specialists may assist in creating filing systems and knowledge management systems to ensure that the records they keep are easily accessible. They also keep an organized list or database of all the documents that are with them. Records Specialists are in charge of pulling up records upon the request of different departments or individuals. If they are working with physical copies, they ensure that these documents are returned to them. If they are working with digital copies, they ensure that the files they share are kept confidential. Records Specialists may also be in charge of analyzing trends and creating records-related reports.
Health information managers and records specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Information Manager | Records Specialist | |
| Average salary | $63,401 | $33,273 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $103,000 | Between $26,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Farmington, CT | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Huron Consulting Group | Mt. San Antonio College |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a health information manager and a records specialist in terms of educational background:
| Health Information Manager | Records Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Computer Information Systems | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between health information managers' and records specialists' demographics:
| Health Information Manager | Records Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.9% Female, 83.1% | Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 8.3% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.5% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |