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The differences between health information specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a health information specialist, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a specialist has an average salary of $58,013, which is higher than the $33,343 average annual salary of a health information specialist.
The top three skills for a health information specialist include patients, HIPAA and medical terminology. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Health Information Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $33,343 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $16.03 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 135,448 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A health information specialist is in charge of overseeing and developing strategies to optimize information management procedures in hospitals, physicians' offices, and other similar environments. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering and updating medical records, receiving and organizing files, and updating databases according to the appropriate coding systems and procedures. Furthermore, as a health information specialist, it is essential to coordinate with nurses and other staff to ensure accuracy in documentation, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Health information specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Information Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $33,343 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $42,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | University of California | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a health information specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Health Information Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between health information specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Health Information Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.1% Female, 84.9% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |