How To Become A Medical Record Coder: What It Is and Career Path

What is a medical record coder and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Coding is often associated with information technology. We know that programmers and developers use codes to create software and other information technology-related output. This is the language they use so that the computers will understand. Did you know that coding is also used in the medical field? People who specialize in this are called Medical Record Coders.

Medical Record Coders are medical professionals who handle the coding of medical entries. They convert existing medical records to codes that the computer will understand. They translate notes and records made by physicians into medical codes. They work meticulously to ensure important information is coded properly. They ensure that no useful information is lost in the process. These codes are also used by other institutions that work with healthcare facilities, such as insurance companies.

One important skill in this role is the ability to understand medical language. In addition to that, you also need to be adept at medical coding and should have enough training to do so.

ScoreMedical Record CoderUS Average

Salary

4.2

Avg. Salary $54,162

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.8

Growth rate 11%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.25%

Asian 8.59%

Black or African American 10.57%

Hispanic or Latino 17.04%

Unknown 4.19%

White 58.36%

Gender

female 87.34%

male 12.66%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

4.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.0

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.6

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a medical record coder

Explore medical record coder education requirements

Most common medical record coder degrees

Associate

43.9 %

Bachelor's

29.5 %

Certificate

10.5 %

Start to develop specific medical record coder skills

Skills	Percentages
Medical Terminology	12.18%
Patients	11.92%
CPC	9.82%
ICD-10-CM	9.78%
Physiology	7.98%

Complete relevant medical record coder training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New medical record coders learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a medical record coder based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real medical record coder resumes.

Gain additional medical record coder certifications

Medical record coder certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific medical record coder certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for medical record coders include Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS).

More About Certifications

Research medical record coder duties and responsibilities

Create documentation education classes to general surgery residents, increasing the leveling of reporting which lead to increase revenues.
Obtain medical records through electronic health records (EHR).
Bill all Medicare, Medicaid, BlueCross, PPO claims electronically.
Maintain the strictest confidentiality and adhere to all HIPAA guidelines and regulations.

Prepare your medical record coder resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your medical record coder resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a medical record coder resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable medical record coder resume templates

Build a professional medical record coder resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your medical record coder resume.