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The differences between medical biller 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 medical biller coder and a medical records technician. Additionally, a medical biller coder has an average salary of $38,756, which is higher than the $37,087 average annual salary of a medical records technician.
The top three skills for a medical biller coder include patients, medical billing and ICD-10. The most important skills for a medical records technician are patients, medical terminology, and HIPAA.
| Medical Biller Coder | Medical Records Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,756 | $37,087 |
| Hourly rate | $18.63 | $17.83 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 54,861 | 67,660 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A medical biller coder is responsible for handling the billing processes and insurance within a hospital, clinic, or similar facility. They must gather patient information and records to analyze and translate them into codes according to the insurance and medical guidelines. Moreover, it is crucial to verify all patient forms and ensure their accuracy as it will serve as a basis on essential documents and medical record-keeping. There may also be instances where a medical biller coder must devise payment plans for patients, communicate with families and guardians, and coordinate with physicians.
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.
Medical biller coders and medical records technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Biller Coder | Medical Records Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,756 | $37,087 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $49,000 | Between $28,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Long Branch, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Guidehouse |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between a medical biller coder and a medical records technician in terms of educational background:
| Medical Biller Coder | Medical Records Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Health Care Administration |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between medical biller coders' and medical records technicians' demographics:
| Medical Biller Coder | Medical Records Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.0% Female, 90.0% | Male, 18.8% Female, 81.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 8.0% White, 59.5% 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% |