Medical records custodian vs health information specialist

The differences between medical records custodians 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 records custodian and a health information specialist. Additionally, a health information specialist has an average salary of $33,343, which is higher than the $32,178 average annual salary of a medical records custodian.

The top three skills for a medical records custodian include patients, patient appointments and front desk. The most important skills for a health information specialist are patients, HIPAA, and medical terminology.

Medical records custodian vs health information specialist overview

	Medical Records Custodian	Health Information Specialist
Yearly salary	$32,178	$33,343
Hourly rate	$15.47	$16.03
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	64,933	135,448
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

Medical records custodian vs health information specialist salary

Medical records custodians and health information specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Records Custodian	Health Information Specialist
Average salary	$32,178	$33,343
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $39,000	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 records custodian and health information specialist education

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

	Medical Records Custodian	Health Information Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Health Care Administration
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Southern California

Medical records custodian vs health information specialist demographics

Here are the differences between medical records custodians' and health information specialists' demographics:

	Medical Records Custodian	Health Information Specialist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 19.8% Female, 80.2%	Male, 15.1% Female, 84.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 7.5% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	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 records custodian and health information specialist duties and responsibilities

Medical records custodian example responsibilities.

Manage transition from in-house transcription system to outsource transcription service.
Register new patients and update existing patient demographics by collecting detail patient information including personal and financial information.
Organize and coordinate medical records management, including completing legal questionnaires and being in compliance with HIPAA regulations.
Implement a system to bill and collect records' copying fees while adhering to HIPPA guidelines and regulations.
Maintain patient confidence by keeping patient records information confidential; and conduct all activities in compliance with HIPAA regulations.
Complete annual e-learning courses require by hospital on work safety, security issues, in addition to HIPPA compliance regulations.

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 records custodian vs health information specialist skills

Common medical records custodian skills

Patients, 32%
Patient Appointments, 13%
Front Desk, 7%
HIPAA, 6%
Subpoenas, 4%
Hippa, 4%

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 Records Custodian vs Health Information Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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