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Job outlook for health information specialists in the United States
Health information specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected health information specialist job growth rate is 11% from 2018-2028.
About 23,100 new jobs for health information specialists are projected over the next decade.
Health information specialist salaries have increased 8% for health information specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 5,722 health information specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 135,448 active health information specialist job openings in the US.
The average health information specialist salary is $33,343.
Are health information specialist jobs in demand?
Health information specialist job and salary trends over time
Health information specialist jobs over time
Health information specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,722 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,344 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 13,523 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 6,612 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 6,472 | 0.00% |
Average health information specialist salary over time
Health information specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $33,343 | $16.03 | +2.8% |
| 2025 | $32,436 | $15.59 | --0.7% |
| 2024 | $32,670 | $15.71 | +3.0% |
| 2023 | $31,723 | $15.25 | +3.0% |
| 2022 | $30,800 | $14.81 | +2.5% |
Health information specialist jobs by state
Most common states for health information specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 290 | 42% |
| 2 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 260 | 34% |
| 3 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 180 | 31% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,655 | 30% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 280 | 29% |
| 6 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 854 | 27% |
| 7 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 457 | 27% |
| 8 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,235 | 26% |
| 9 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,944 | 26% |
| 10 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,721 | 26% |
| 11 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 222 | 26% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 474 | 25% |
| 13 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 252 | 24% |
| 14 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,371 | 23% |
| 15 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,600 | 23% |
| 16 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 310 | 23% |
| 17 | Alaska | 739,795 | 172 | 23% |
| 18 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 637 | 22% |
| 19 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,278 | 21% |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,245 | 21% |
Most common cities for health information specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natick | 2 | 6% | $40,041 |
| 2 | Annapolis | 2 | 5% | $40,119 |
| 3 | Alton | 1 | 4% | $31,831 |
| 4 | Beloit | 1 | 3% | $32,053 |
| 5 | Altamonte Springs | 1 | 2% | $29,720 |
| 6 | Battle Creek | 1 | 2% | $32,455 |
| 7 | Bentonville | 1 | 2% | $28,231 |
| 8 | Miami | 3 | 1% | $29,913 |
| 9 | Little Rock | 2 | 1% | $28,166 |
| 10 | Rockford | 2 | 1% | $32,925 |
| 11 | Ann Arbor | 1 | 1% | $32,800 |
| 12 | Bolingbrook | 1 | 1% | $32,869 |
| 13 | Atlanta | 2 | 0% | $33,653 |
| 14 | San Diego | 2 | 0% | $41,185 |
| 15 | Birmingham | 1 | 0% | $29,453 |
| 16 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $40,005 |
Health Information Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of health information specialist experts
Grambling State University
University of Kansas
Rowan University
Bowling Green State University
North Carolina Central University
University of Minnesota
Northwestern State University
American Public University System
Forsyth County, Georgia
Yenumula Reddy
IEEE Senior Member, ACM Senior Member, IARIA FellowGrambling State University
College of Arts and Sciences
What skills stand out on Health Information Specialist resumes?
Yenumula Reddy: -Programming languages.
-Common operating systems.
-Software proficiency.
-Technical writing.
-Project management.
-Data analysis.
What soft skills should all Health Information Specialists possess?
Yenumula Reddy: -Communication skills
-Problem-solving skills
-Work ethic
-Interpersonal skills
-Time management
What hard/technical skills are most important for Health Information Specialists?
Yenumula Reddy: -Computer technology (MS Office, Linux, Social Media, webtechnology (HTML/XML)
-Data analysis
-Marketing hard skills
What skills will help Health Information Specialists earn the most?
Yenumula Reddy: -Communication skills
-Analytical and research skills
-Flexibility and adaptability
-Interpersonal abilities
-Ability to make decisions
-Ability to plan, organize and prioritize the work
-Leadership and management
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Health Information Specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Cari Ann Kreienhop: I posed this question to our alumni in the field and received the response that GIS (ESRI) and Smart City technologies like Advanced Meter Reading (Xylem/Sensus is a big brand name in the water sector, for example) are the most likely evolving platforms and uses they will encounter. Additionally, it's essential to keep abreast of thematic trends related to technology: an awareness of cybersecurity threats, best practices, and defensive tactics. Understanding the language, concepts, and strategies to manage better, and support IT, and protect the organization is critical.
Beyond specific technology, leaning into logical analysis and data-gathering skills are critical to bringing a well-rounded perspective into an organization. Mastering Excel and R are great for hitting the ground running in an organization, but being versatile and savvy with data analytics will be an asset to any organization.
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorRowan University
Department of Language, Literacy and Sociocultural education
How would you rate the starting salaries for Health Information Specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.: Educators are not paid nearly enough. However, working in a state with strong teachers' unions helps to ensure a starting salary that recent graduates can live off of and growth opportunities, albeit modest, over their careers.
What are the best companies to work for a Health Information Specialist?
Jennifer Wagner: In my opinion, we have a strong alumni base in the following companies: Brookdale Assisted Living, Promedica/Heartland (in the Toledo area, most of the Heartland Nursing Homes were bought by Promedica), Sprenger Health Care, Otterbein Senior Life, which just merged with Sunset Communities (Toledo and Sylvania, OH (both companies have a strong alumni base)), HCF Management, CHI Living Communities, and Ohio Living. These companies have a strong commitment to educating the next generation of administrators and other health care managers. These companies recognize talent and develop that talent; most of these companies hire our students after completing their internship after the significant investment they made in our students.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Health Information Specialists in the next 5 years?
Jennifer Wagner: I have been on several webinars with NAB, McKnights, and ACHCA since the pandemic began. I am also on several social media sites for administrators and assisted living administrators. In my opinion, there will be a great demand for health care professionals in general, but long-term professionals, especially. With baby boomers retiring, we were already approaching a high demand for professionals.
With the pandemic, we see early retirements, people returning to school for master's degrees to climb the corporate ladder, get out of the day to day operations, and just plain old burnout. The pandemic has hard hit the nursing home industry. Employees can earn more money on unemployment, and they can easily find other service-related jobs making the same amount of money, working fewer hours, and less stress.
We cannot forget the fear, anxiety, and the weekly, or more often, Covid tests that our staff has to endure. There is still a critical shortage of PPE in long term care. From what I am hearing from industry leaders and regulatory agencies, if new grads and interns can learn to navigate this pandemic and the ever-changing regulations, they will not only be an asset to the profession, but they will be in high demand.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Health Information Specialists to find work opportunities?
Jennifer Wagner: Sorry, I can only make an educated guess here, but the state's hardest hit by Covid will be in the highest demand for all health care professionals. As healthcare changes the way it does business, with more telehealth and more remote services, I think we will see an increase in demand for this generation of college graduates. They had an edge on all of us with technology before the pandemic, but switching to remote learning models over the last year, they have become technology experts.
I can give you a couple of examples from the two courses that I teach. I am a strong advocate for service-learning pedagogy (style of learning). My goal is to get students early exposure to real-world situations. In one class, my students have been creating Zoom group activities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in residential group home settings. The residents have been isolated, and they are eager to engage in activities with new people, even remotely. In another class, my students are paired with senior center clients diagnosed with dementia and are cared for at home by family and friends.
These are individual activities where the student again uses Zoom to come up with particular actions to help give the caregiver a much-needed break for 30 minutes once a week. Our community partners and the people they serve are excited to have these new contacts in both classes. It is something for them to look forward to and gives them new experiences to share with their families. The students, too, are loving the experience and learning firsthand the effects of quarantine and isolation on high-risk populations.
Elisha Blankson
Program Director NCCU, Assistant ProfessorNorth Carolina Central University
Communication Disorders Department
What type of skills will young Health Information Specialists need?
Elisha Blankson: Graduates will need a skill set about the field in which they received training and additional skills useful to the job market. For example, with the changing demographics in the United States, extra skills in information technology and foreign languages will be a plus when entering the job market.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Health Information Specialists to find work opportunities?
Robert Henery Ph.D.: Licensed special education teachers will easily find a job anywhere in the country they wish to seek employment. It is not a question of finding a job, but rather which position you want to take. At any point in the school calendar cycle, numerous unique education teacher postings can be found in almost any school district; the need is that great. We have had our exceptional education teacher candidates flip over their badges at job fairs, identifying them as outstanding educators. They were immediately being pressured into job interviews on the spot. The thirst is real.
What experience really stands out on Health Information Specialist resumes?
Angela McKnight: Experience in various settings (ex. acute care settings), in a variety of departments, and a variety of radiologic sciences modalities (CT, MRI, interventional, mammography).
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Health Information Specialists?
Angela McKnight: The impacts of coronavirus on the healthcare industry will be studied for years to come. That said, I believe we will find that students who were in school or nearing graduation during this pandemic have shown remarkable resilience. Students nearing graduation are under a considerable amount of stress under normal circumstances. Students are completing their course requirements for graduation, scheduling to take the national registry, bringing the national registry, and job hunting during a pandemic would undoubtedly add pressure to graduates. I believe that looking forward; graduates will have a more sensible and realistic outlook on universal precautions and have a greater sense of purpose to help others.
Also, these graduates' job market should be stable in the Radiologic Sciences field, since health care workers are needed now more than ever. Because imaging sciences help evaluate the short- and long-term effects in coronavirus patients and survivors, it is incredibly relevant to fighting the pandemic.
Dr. Elizabeth Keavney Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorAmerican Public University System
Public Administration Department
How do you envision technology impacting Health Information Specialists in the next 5 years?
Dr. Elizabeth Keavney Ph.D.: COVID-19 has increased the number of people who are working at home. This means a solid basic knowledge of telecommuting, and the ability to work unsupervised will be necessary. The ability to use remote security protocols, the cloud, and various software platforms will be required.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Health Information Specialists to find work opportunities?
Donna Kukarola: This one, not so sure of, the southeast continues to see options as well as mid-western states.