Medical record coder vs health care administrator

The differences between medical record coders and health care administrators 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 record coder and a health care administrator. Additionally, a health care administrator has an average salary of $68,187, which is higher than the $54,162 average annual salary of a medical record coder.

The top three skills for a medical record coder include medical terminology, patients and CPC. The most important skills for a health care administrator are patients, patient care, and health care services.

Medical record coder vs health care administrator overview

	Medical Record Coder	Health Care Administrator
Yearly salary	$54,162	$68,187
Hourly rate	$26.04	$32.78
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	51,197	161,949
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

What does a medical record coder do?

A medical record coder is responsible for translating medical files and documents to comprehensive files required by insurance companies and other non-medical institutions. Medical record coders disclose all the patients' information on the file, including their treatment procedures, diagnosis, and medications. They serve as the representative of a medical institution to respond to inquiries and concerns, resolve record discrepancies, and submit additional documents as necessary. A medical record coder must have excellent communication skills, as well as extensive knowledge of the medical industry to discuss medical terms accurately and efficiently.

What does a health care administrator do?

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. Moreover, as a health care administrator, it is essential to address and resolve issues and concerns, implement the facility's policies and regulations, and ensure that procedures comply with health care laws and standards.

Medical record coder vs health care administrator salary

Medical record coders and health care administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Record Coder	Health Care Administrator
Average salary	$54,162	$68,187
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $75,000	Between $48,000 And $95,000
Highest paying City	-	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	-	Nevada
Best paying company	-	One Brooklyn Health
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between medical record coder and health care administrator education

There are a few differences between a medical record coder and a health care administrator in terms of educational background:

	Medical Record Coder	Health Care Administrator
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Nursing
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Pennsylvania

Medical record coder vs health care administrator demographics

Here are the differences between medical record coders' and health care administrators' demographics:

	Medical Record Coder	Health Care Administrator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%	Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 8.6% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 8.5% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between medical record coder and health care administrator duties and responsibilities

Medical record coder example 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.

Health care administrator example responsibilities.

Research and resolve recipients complaints relate to Medicaid service limitations, accessibility of MediPass manage services and provider treatment of recipients.
Interview prospective adopters and communicate the pet's needs.
Design training for EMR implementation for staff and medical providers.
Oversee pet care technician staff and report issues to management.
Utilize electronic medical records (EMR) technology for military members.
Supervise the maintenance and safeguarding of medical records and compliance with HIPAA regulations.

Medical record coder vs health care administrator skills

Common medical record coder skills

Medical Terminology, 12%
Patients, 12%
CPC, 10%
ICD-10-CM, 10%
Physiology, 8%
AHIMA, 8%

Common health care administrator skills

Patients, 26%
Patient Care, 9%
Health Care Services, 6%
Home Health, 6%
Mental Health, 6%
Vital Signs, 4%

Medical Record Coder vs. similar jobs

Medical Record Coder related careers

Medical Record Coder related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Medical Record Coder
Medical Record Coder vs Health Care Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs