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The differences between medical records technicians 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 technician and a health information specialist. Additionally, a medical records technician has an average salary of $37,087, which is higher than the $33,343 average annual salary of a health information specialist.
The top three skills for a medical records technician include patients, medical terminology and HIPAA. The most important skills for a health information specialist are patients, HIPAA, and medical terminology.
| Medical Records Technician | Health Information Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $37,087 | $33,343 |
| Hourly rate | $17.83 | $16.03 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 67,660 | 135,448 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A medical records technician is responsible for performing administrative duties, handling patients' medical records for medical purposes. Medical records technicians keep an organized database of patients' information, including medical history, diagnosis, healthcare treatments, laboratory schedules, and insurance details using specific healthcare coding procedures. Medical records technicians must be detail-oriented and highly organizational, especially on maintaining the accuracy and confidentiality of patients' information. This job is critical in the healthcare industry for the doctors' reference and determining treatment costs.
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 records technicians and health information specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Records Technician | Health Information Specialist | |
| Average salary | $37,087 | $33,343 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $48,000 | Between $25,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Long Branch, NJ | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Guidehouse | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical records technician and a health information specialist in terms of educational background:
| Medical Records Technician | Health Information Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Health Care Administration |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between medical records technicians' and health information specialists' demographics:
| Medical Records Technician | Health Information Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 18.8% Female, 81.2% | Male, 15.1% Female, 84.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.3% 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% |