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The average salary for a Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist in the United States is approximately $64,797 per year, translating to about $31 per hour. Salaries can vary based on several factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and the specific healthcare sector in which one works.
In states like California and New York, specialists often see higher compensation due to the cost of living and healthcare demand. Major cities such as San Francisco and New York City also offer competitive salaries.
As healthcare continues to evolve, the demand for skilled documentation specialists is likely to increase. Pursuing additional certifications and gaining experience in specialized areas can significantly enhance earning potential. By focusing on continuous education and networking within the healthcare community, professionals can position themselves for higher-paying roles within this vital industry.
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The highest-paying states for clinical documentation improvement specialists are California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The lowest average clinical documentation improvement specialist salary states are South Dakota, Ohio, and Illinois.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $84,775 | $40.76 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $80,714 | $38.80 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $80,319 | $38.61 |
| 4 | North Carolina | $75,061 | $36.09 |
| 5 | Nevada | $75,582 | $36.34 |
| 6 | Vermont | $78,112 | $37.55 |
| 7 | Texas | $75,520 | $36.31 |
| 8 | Florida | $72,681 | $34.94 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $72,525 | $34.87 |
| 10 | Oregon | $74,040 | $35.60 |
| 11 | Kansas | $73,019 | $35.11 |
| 12 | Maine | $68,781 | $33.07 |
| 13 | Maryland | $78,432 | $37.71 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $78,216 | $37.60 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $80,472 | $38.69 |
| 16 | Georgia | $73,619 | $35.39 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $70,697 | $33.99 |
| 18 | Indiana | $69,993 | $33.65 |
| 19 | New York | $71,324 | $34.29 |
| 20 | Washington | $71,383 | $34.32 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $66,208 | $31.83 |
| 22 | Montana | $66,109 | $31.78 |
| 23 | Colorado | $72,776 | $34.99 |
| 24 | Delaware | $71,268 | $34.26 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $69,891 | $33.60 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $66,199 | $31.83 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $65,245 | $31.37 |
| 28 | Alaska | $71,346 | $34.30 |
| 29 | Idaho | $67,311 | $32.36 |
| 30 | Arizona | $64,373 | $30.95 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $65,094 | $31.30 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $60,754 | $29.21 |
| 33 | Michigan | $63,796 | $30.67 |
| 34 | Iowa | $62,497 | $30.05 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $63,116 | $30.34 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $60,125 | $28.91 |
| 37 | Utah | $63,561 | $30.56 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $60,835 | $29.25 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $59,308 | $28.51 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $61,403 | $29.52 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $59,849 | $28.77 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $59,437 | $28.58 |
| 43 | Virginia | $65,259 | $31.37 |
| 44 | Missouri | $61,608 | $29.62 |
| 45 | Alabama | $61,058 | $29.35 |
| 46 | Ohio | $58,050 | $27.91 |
| 47 | New Hampshire | $60,599 | $29.13 |
| 48 | Illinois | $57,922 | $27.85 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $56,791 | $27.30 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $56,037 | $26.94 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $54,218 | $26.07 |
The highest-paying cities for clinical documentation improvement specialists are Madera, CA, Greenville, NC, and Las Vegas, NV.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madera, CA | $87,874 | $42.25 |
| 2 | Greenville, NC | $76,076 | $36.58 |
| 3 | Las Vegas, NV | $75,103 | $36.11 |
| 4 | Dallas, TX | $74,953 | $36.04 |
| 5 | Atlanta, GA | $73,760 | $35.46 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | $73,466 | $35.32 |
| 7 | Tampa, FL | $73,234 | $35.21 |
| 8 | Boulder, CO | $72,738 | $34.97 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $71,482 | $34.37 |
| 10 | Arlington, VA | $65,897 | $31.68 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $64,515 | $31.02 |
| 12 | Saginaw, MI | $63,788 | $30.67 |
| 13 | Salt Lake City, UT | $63,283 | $30.42 |
| 14 | Madison, WI | $62,991 | $30.28 |
| 15 | Mobile, AL | $61,498 | $29.57 |
| 16 | Toledo, OH | $58,040 | $27.90 |
| 17 | Chicago, IL | $57,947 | $27.86 |
| 18 | Hopkinsville, KY | $56,477 | $27.15 |
| 19 | Fayetteville, AR | $54,140 | $26.03 |
A clinical documentation improvement specialist's salary ranges from $47,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $87,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| 75th Percentile | $75,000 | $6,250 | $36 |
| Average | $64,797 | $5,400 | $31 |
| 25th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
| 10th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
The highest paying types of clinical documentation improvement specialists are medical records manager, health care administrator, and specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Records Manager | $47,265 | $3,939 | $22.72 | 3,204 |
| Records Analyst | $44,714 | $3,726 | $21.50 | 18,442 |
| Recording Technician | $34,620 | $2,885 | $16.64 | 25,621 |
| Records Coordinator | $40,360 | $3,363 | $19.40 | 25,060 |
| Medical Records Manager | $75,232 | $6,269 | $36.17 | 54,997 |
| Medical Records Clerk | $32,491 | $2,708 | $15.62 | 129,998 |
Top companies hiring clinical documentation improvement specialists now:
Clinical documentation improvement specialist salaries at Nuance Communications and Valley Children's are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average clinical documentation improvement specialist salary at companies like Community Medical Center and Northern Trust are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuance Communications | $83,762 | $40.27 |
| 2 | Valley Children's | $83,758 | $40.27 |
| 3 | Community Medical Center | $83,204 | $40.00 |
| 4 | Northern Trust | $80,766 | $38.83 |
| 5 | Moffitt Cancer Center | $79,078 | $38.02 |
| 6 | Norton Healthcare | $78,188 | $37.59 |
| 7 | Mount Sinai Health System | $76,586 | $36.82 |
| 8 | Washington Regional Medical Center | $76,567 | $36.81 |
| 9 | Doylestown Health | $76,169 | $36.62 |
| 10 | Baptist Health Home Care | $75,938 | $36.51 |
| 11 | Duke University Health System | $74,334 | $35.74 |
| 12 | Virginia Hospital Center | $73,760 | $35.46 |
| 13 | Health Alliance | $73,529 | $35.35 |
| 14 | Memorial Healthcare | $72,488 | $34.85 |
| 15 | Catholic Health East | $71,246 | $34.25 |
| 16 | McLaren Health Care | $71,062 | $34.16 |
| 17 | Geisinger Medical Center | $71,058 | $34.16 |
| 18 | Evolent Health | $70,708 | $33.99 |
| 19 | Cayuga Medical Center | $70,217 | $33.76 |
| 20 | Jennie Stuart Health | $70,117 | $33.71 |
The average clinical documentation improvement specialist salary has risen by $12,384 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average clinical documentation improvement specialist earned $52,413 annually, but today, they earn $64,797 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for clinical documentation improvement specialists over the last decade.
Compare clinical documentation improvement specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare clinical documentation improvement specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $64,800 | $31.15 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $63,000 | $30.31 | -0.7% |
| 2023 | $63,500 | $30.52 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | $61,600 | $29.64 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $59,900 | $28.78 | +2.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neurocrine Biosciences | Specialist, Document and Clinical Systems | San Diego, CA | 06/28/2025 | $88,000 |
| Sotalent | Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) Specialist | Escondido, CA | 06/25/2025 | $74,000 |
| Danbury Hospital | Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist | Danbury, CT | 06/14/2025 | $94,520 |
| Unitedhealth Group | Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist | Gilbert, AZ | 06/10/2025 | $71,600 |
| Neurocrine Biosciences | Specialist, Document & Clinical Systems | San Diego, CA | 05/28/2025 | $88,000 |
| One Medical | Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist | San Francisco, CA | 05/26/2025 | $90,000 |
| BJC Healthcare | Clinical Documentation Improvement Spec. II | Saint Louis, MO | 05/08/2025 | $68,224 |
| Guidehouse | Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) Specialist-Onsite | Escondido, CA | 04/27/2025 | $74,000 |
| CVS Health | Spvr, Clinical Documentation=Osh | Homecroft, IN | 04/23/2025 | $43,888 |
| Actalent | Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist RN | Sacramento, CA | 03/12/2025 | $93,915 |
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