Medical coder demographics and statistics in the US
Medical coder demographics research summary. Zippia estimates medical coder demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our medical coder estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about medical coders after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 34,626 medical coders currently employed in the United States.
- 86.8% of all medical coders are women, while 13.2% are men.
- The average medical coder age is 45 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of medical coders is White (60.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.2%), Black or African American (9.2%) and Asian (9.0%).
- In 2022, women earned 97% of what men earned.
- 9% of all medical coders are LGBT.
- Medical coders are 79% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Medical coder demographics by:
Medical coder gender statistics
86.8% of medical coders are women and 13.2% of medical coders are men.
- Female, 86.8%
- Male, 13.2%
Medical coder gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 86.8% |
| Male | 13.2% |
Medical coder gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$55,908
Female income
$54,415
Medical coder gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in medical coder positions over time. Currently, 86.8% of medical coders are female.
Medical coder gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 8.27% | 91.73% |
| 2011 | 8.74% | 91.26% |
| 2012 | 7.18% | 92.82% |
| 2013 | 7.06% | 92.94% |
| 2014 | 7.10% | 92.90% |
| 2015 | 6.96% | 93.04% |
| 2016 | 6.39% | 93.61% |
| 2017 | 6.49% | 93.51% |
| 2018 | 12.78% | 87.22% |
| 2019 | 11.89% | 88.11% |
| 2020 | 12.80% | 87.20% |
| 2021 | 13.21% | 86.79% |
Medical coder related jobs gender ratio
We compared medical coders with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, guitar technician and armorer technician have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Radiographer, Mammographer | 2% | 98% |
| Mammographer | 3% | 97% |
| Lead Mammographer | 3% | 97% |
| Medical Coder | 13% | 87% |
| Driver/Technician | 93% | 7% |
| Armorer Technician | 95% | 5% |
| Guitar Technician | 96% | 4% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Medical coder demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among medical coders is White, which makes up 60.1% of all medical coders. Comparatively, 16.2% of medical coders are Hispanic or Latino and 9.2% of medical coders are Black or African American.
- White, 60.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.2%
- Black or African American, 9.2%
- Asian, 9.0%
- Unknown, 4.2%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
Medical coder race
| Medical coder race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 60.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.2% |
| Black or African American | 9.2% |
| Asian | 9.0% |
| Unknown | 4.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.3% |
Medical coder race and ethnicity over time
See how medical coder racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Medical coder race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 59.80% | 13.12% | 7.61% | 16.46% |
| 2011 | 60.11% | 14.56% | 6.53% | 15.66% |
| 2012 | 62.00% | 12.49% | 6.62% | 15.37% |
| 2013 | 61.83% | 13.07% | 6.42% | 14.98% |
| 2014 | 63.90% | 12.06% | 7.25% | 13.82% |
| 2015 | 63.44% | 12.21% | 7.60% | 13.84% |
| 2016 | 66.07% | 11.08% | 7.13% | 12.87% |
| 2017 | 65.13% | 9.81% | 7.87% | 14.07% |
| 2018 | 65.35% | 9.83% | 7.08% | 14.86% |
| 2019 | 66.35% | 9.34% | 7.56% | 13.50% |
| 2020 | 64.84% | 9.64% | 6.58% | 13.86% |
| 2021 | 60.09% | 9.21% | 9.02% | 16.18% |
Medical coder wage gap by race
According to our data, asian medical coders have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american medical coders have the lowest average salary at $54,502.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $56,599 |
| White | $54,710 |
| Black or African American | $54,502 |
| Asian | $58,975 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $54,879 |
Average medical coder age
See how the average age of medical coders varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Medical coder age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 46 | 44 |
| Unknown | 34 | 46.5 |
| Asian | 43 | 47 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 34 | 45 |
| White | 39 | 48 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 47.5 |
Medical coder age breakdown
The average age of medical coders is 40+ years years old, representing 66% of the medical coder population.
Medical coder age breakdown
| Medical Coder Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 66% |
| 30-40 years | 25% |
| 20-30 years | 9% |
Medical coder educational attainment
The most common degree for medical coders is associate degree, with 37% of medical coders earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 28% and bachelor's degree degree at 10%.
- Associate, 37%
- Bachelor's, 28%
- Diploma, 10%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 18%
Medical coders by degree level
| Medical coder degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Associate | 37% |
| Bachelor's | 28% |
| Diploma | 10% |
| High School Diploma | 7% |
| Other Degrees | 18% |
Medical coder jobs you might like
Medical coder wage gap by degree level
According to the data, medical coders with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $62,960 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, medical coders earn a median annual income of $56,093 compared to $53,366 for medical coders with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $62,960 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $48,992 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,093 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,366 |
Medical coder employment statistics
Most medical coders work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where medical coders work
Below, you can see the size of companies where medical coders work.
Medical coder jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 10% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 19% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 33% |
| > 10,000 employees | 24% |
Medical coder jobs by company type
Employees with the medical coder job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most medical coders prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Medical coder jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 8% |
| Public | 13% |
| Private | 79% |
| Government | 0% |
Medical coder jobs by industry
The most common industries for medical coders are health care, professional and education.
Medical coder industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 64% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Education | 7% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Insurance | 4% |
| Media | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
Medical coder turnover and employment statistics
Medical coder unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for medical coders between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Medical coder unemployment rate by year
| Year | Medical coder unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.77% |
| 2011 | 6.79% |
| 2012 | 5.10% |
| 2013 | 5.49% |
| 2014 | 4.85% |
| 2015 | 3.93% |
| 2016 | 2.26% |
| 2017 | 2.65% |
| 2018 | 2.09% |
| 2019 | 1.90% |
| 2020 | 2.30% |
| 2021 | 3.29% |
Average medical coder tenure
The average medical coder stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 23,521 medical coders resumes in Zippia's database.
Medical coder tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 22% |
| 1-2 years | 29% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 19% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 10% |
Medical coder LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of medical coders that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Pharmacist Technician | 5.02% | 113,033 |
| Dental Hygienist | 6.89% | 24,234 |
| Laboratory Supervisor | 8.24% | 49,957 |
| Medical Coder | 9.29% | - |
| Optical Assistant | 12.53% | 2,978 |
| Obstetrics Technician | 12.80% | 55,214 |
| Senior Nuclear Medicine Technologist | 21.93% | 56,975 |
Similar medical coder jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Pharmacist Technician | 5.02% | 113,033 |
| Dental Hygienist | 6.89% | 24,234 |
| Laboratory Supervisor | 8.24% | 49,957 |
| Optical Assistant | 12.53% | 2,978 |
| Obstetrics Technician | 12.80% | 55,214 |
| Senior Nuclear Medicine Technologist | 21.93% | 56,975 |
Foreign languages spoken by medical coders
The most common foreign language among medical coders is Spanish at 57.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.6% and Russian is the third-most popular at 4.6%.
- Spanish, 57.1%
- French, 8.6%
- Russian, 4.6%
- German, 4.3%
- Carrier, 4.3%
- Other, 21.1%
Medical coder languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 57.1% |
| French | 8.6% |
| Russian | 4.6% |
| German | 4.3% |
| Carrier | 4.3% |
| Other | 21.1% |
