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The differences between medical record coders and records 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 records specialist. Additionally, a medical record coder has an average salary of $54,162, which is higher than the $33,273 average annual salary of a records specialist.
The top three skills for a medical record coder include medical terminology, patients and CPC. The most important skills for a records specialist are customer service, data entry, and office equipment.
| Medical Record Coder | Records Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $54,162 | $33,273 |
| Hourly rate | $26.04 | $16.00 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 51,197 | 28,647 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
Records Specialists are administrative professionals who help manage the records of the company. These records may be physical documents or digital copies that are stored in a database. Records Specialists may assist in creating filing systems and knowledge management systems to ensure that the records they keep are easily accessible. They also keep an organized list or database of all the documents that are with them. Records Specialists are in charge of pulling up records upon the request of different departments or individuals. If they are working with physical copies, they ensure that these documents are returned to them. If they are working with digital copies, they ensure that the files they share are kept confidential. Records Specialists may also be in charge of analyzing trends and creating records-related reports.
Medical record coders and records specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Record Coder | Records Specialist | |
| Average salary | $54,162 | $33,273 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $75,000 | Between $26,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Oregon |
| Best paying company | - | Mt. San Antonio College |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a medical record coder and a records specialist in terms of educational background:
| Medical Record Coder | Records Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between medical record coders' and records specialists' demographics:
| Medical Record Coder | Records Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3% | Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2% |
| 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, 8.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.5% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |