Records custodian vs health information specialist

The differences between 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 records custodian and a health information specialist. Additionally, a records custodian has an average salary of $44,533, which is higher than the $33,343 average annual salary of a health information specialist.

The top three skills for a records custodian include patients, scheduling appointments and criminal justice. The most important skills for a health information specialist are patients, HIPAA, and medical terminology.

Records custodian vs health information specialist overview

	Records Custodian	Health Information Specialist
Yearly salary	$44,533	$33,343
Hourly rate	$21.41	$16.03
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	10,973	135,448
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

Records custodian vs health information specialist salary

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

	Records Custodian	Health Information Specialist
Average salary	$44,533	$33,343
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $61,000	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 records custodian and health information specialist education

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

	Records Custodian	Health Information Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Health Care Administration
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Southern California

Records custodian vs health information specialist demographics

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

	Records Custodian	Health Information Specialist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 31.6% Female, 68.4%	Male, 15.1% Female, 84.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 8.1% White, 61.2% 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 records custodian and health information specialist duties and responsibilities

Records custodian example responsibilities.

Manage transition from in-house transcription system to outsource transcription service.
Maintain HIPAA compliance by researching changes in laws and formats.
Gather patient records in response to subpoenas receive for client records.
Retrieve requested patient information according to HIPPA guidelines through microfilm and HBOC system.
Perform all duties as medical records clerk and prepare records for subpoenas and depositions.
Copy and release all records to other facilities while following the policies of HIPPA.

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.

Records custodian vs health information specialist skills

Common records custodian skills

Patients, 26%
Scheduling Appointments, 12%
Criminal Justice, 11%
Subpoenas, 11%
Hippa, 5%
HIPAA, 5%

Common health information specialist skills

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

Records Custodian vs. similar jobs

Records Custodian related careers

Records Custodian related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Records Custodian
Records Custodian vs Health Information Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs