Medical record coder vs health information specialist

The differences between medical record coders and health information specialists 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 information specialist. Additionally, a medical record coder has an average salary of $54,162, which is higher than the $33,343 average annual salary of a health information specialist.

The top three skills for a medical record coder include medical terminology, patients and CPC. The most important skills for a health information specialist are patients, HIPAA, and medical terminology.

Medical record coder vs health information specialist overview

	Medical Record Coder	Health Information Specialist
Yearly salary	$54,162	$33,343
Hourly rate	$26.04	$16.03
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	51,197	135,448
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
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 information specialist do?

A health information specialist is in charge of overseeing and developing strategies to optimize information management procedures in hospitals, physicians' offices, and other similar environments. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering and updating medical records, receiving and organizing files, and updating databases according to the appropriate coding systems and procedures. Furthermore, as a health information specialist, it is essential to coordinate with nurses and other staff to ensure accuracy in documentation, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

Medical record coder vs health information specialist salary

Medical record coders and health information specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Record Coder	Health Information Specialist
Average salary	$54,162	$33,343
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $75,000	Between $25,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	University of California
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between medical record coder and health information specialist education

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

	Medical Record Coder	Health Information Specialist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Health Care Administration
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Southern California

Medical record coder vs health information specialist demographics

Here are the differences between medical record coders' and health information specialists' demographics:

	Medical Record Coder	Health Information Specialist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%	Male, 15.1% Female, 84.9%
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, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between medical record coder and health information specialist 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 information specialist example responsibilities.

Manage chart completion (ICD-9-CM and CPT coding/abstracting), chart assembly and analysis, patient admission and patient information privacy/security.
Review and audit medical records for correct DRG and APC assignment.
Certify requests for subpoenas, court orders, legal cases and training of employees.
Utilize Cerner and Centricity systems to assist in ancillary services.
Abstract medical records with ICD9-CM, CPT and DRG coding.
Scan documentation via DCS into HPF to be index under ROI.

Medical record coder vs health information specialist skills

Common medical record coder skills

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

Common health information specialist skills

Patients, 26%
HIPAA, 11%
Medical Terminology, 10%
Patient Care, 10%
Data Entry, 4%
Office Equipment, 3%

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Medical Record Coder vs Health Information Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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