How to hire a medical record coder

How to hire a medical record coder, step by step

Here's a step-by-step medical record coder hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a medical record coder job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new medical record coder
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a medical record coder, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a medical record coder to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a medical record coder that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of medical record coders and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Medical Record Coder	Description	Hourly rate
   Medical Record Coder	Medical records and health information technicians, commonly referred to as health information technicians, organize and manage health information data. They ensure its quality, accuracy, accessibility, and security in both paper and electronic systems... Show more	$18-36
   Health Information Technician	A health information technician is primarily responsible for managing and handling patient information, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality. They coordinate with various health care workers to gather patient data, laboratory results, test findings, and medical histories, encoding them in clinical databases in a timely and efficient manner... Show more	$12-21
   Health Care Administrator	A health care administrator is primarily in charge of overseeing the daily administrative operations of medical and health care facilities. They are responsible for setting objectives, establishing guidelines and employee schedules, maintaining accurate records, gathering and analyzing data, developing strategies to optimize operations, and coordinating with nurses, physicians, patients, and other health care experts... Show more	$23-45

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Medical Terminology
   • Patients
   • CPC
   • ICD-10-CM
   • Physiology
   • AHIMA
   • DRG
   • Procedure Codes
   • CPT-4
   • AAPC
   • Data Entry
   • Medicaid
   • E/M
   • Disease Processes

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Code and charge ER records, apply E/M codes, correct billing errors, and code infusion records.
   • Process all charges receive from outside services to include CPT, ICD-9, or any other necessary information.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your medical record coder job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A medical record coder salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, medical record coders' average salary in arkansas is 45% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level medical record coders earn 48% less than senior-level medical record coders.
   • Certifications. A medical record coder with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a medical record coder's salary.

   Average medical record coder salary

   $54,162yearly

   $26.04 hourly rate

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   Entry-level medical record coder salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

4. Writing a medical record coder job description

   A medical record coder job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a medical record coder job description:

   Medical record coder job description example

   Reviews clinical documentation and diagnostic results as appropriate to abstract data and apply appropriate ICD-9-CM/ICD-10-CM/PCS1 and CPT 4 codes for reimbursement, external reporting, research, regulatory compliance, medical necessity, CCI, NCCI and other regulatory edits. Code and abstract medical records of moderate to high complexity within the Primary Enterprise acute care facilities.
   Essential Functions
   
   Reviews moderate to high complexity medical records to identify the appropriate principal diagnosis and procedure codes and all other appropriate secondary diagnoses and procedure codes and assign Present on Admission indicators, Hospital Acquired Conditions and Core Measures for all diagnosis codes. Facilitates appropriate MSDRG for inpatient medical records and appropriate APC assignment for outpatient medical records using UHDDS and other facility guidelines. Reviews charges and Evaluation and Management levels. Demonstrates the technical competence to use the facility encoder as it interfaces with the hospital mainframe and/or EMR in an on-site or remote setting. Abstracts coded data and other pertinent fields in the hospital electronic health record. Ensures the accuracy of data input. Meets established quality and productivity standards. Stay abreast of coding principles and regulatory guidelines related to inpatient and/or outpatient coding. Physical Requirements
   
   Must be able to concentrate and sit for long periods of time while reviewing electronic health records. Daily and weekly deadlines must be met in a fast paced office environment and/or at home environment.
   
   Education, Experience and Certifications.
   High School Diploma or GED required; Bachelor's Degree preferred. Advanced knowledge in Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology and Pharmacology required. 2 years coding experience in acute care setting required. Current RHIT, RHIA, CPC-H, CIC or CCS required plus a passing score on the Coding test.
   
   About Us
   
   Atrium Health is one of the nation's leading healthcare organizations, connecting patients with on-demand care, world-class specialists and the region's largest primary care network. A recognized leader in healthcare delivery, quality and innovation, our foundation rests on providing clinically excellent and compassionate care.
   
   We've been serving our community since 1940, when we opened our doors as Charlotte Memorial Hospital. Since then, our network has grown to include more than 40 hospitals and 900 care locations ranging from doctors' offices to behavioral health centers to nursing homes.
   
   Our focus: Delivering the highest quality patient care, supporting medical research and education, and joining with partners outside our walls to keep our community healthy.
   
   About the Team
   
   Our Mission Statement, Vision and Values
   
   Our Mission: To improve health, elevate hope and advance healing - for all.
   
   Our Vision: To be the first and best choice for care.
   Our Values: We recognize that employees are our most valuable asset. We have identified four core values we hold in the highest regard: caring, commitment, integrity and teamwork.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right medical record coder for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your medical record coder job on Zippia to find and attract quality medical record coder candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with medical record coder candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new medical record coder

   Once you have selected a candidate for the medical record coder position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new medical record coder first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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