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Clinical documentation improvement specialist salary

Average clinical documentation improvement specialist salary

$64,797

$31.15 hourly rate

Entry-level clinical documentation improvement specialist salary
$47,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist Salaries

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.

Opportunities for Growth and Advancement

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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Where can a Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist earn more?

Compare salary by location
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84k
64k
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Columbus, OH$87,874
Fayetteville, AR$54,140
Compare salary by company
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Nuance Communications$83,762
Jennie Stuart Health$70,117

Average clinical documentation improvement specialist salary by state

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.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for clinical documentation improvement specialists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1California$84,775$40.76
2Connecticut$80,714$38.80
3New Jersey$80,319$38.61
4North Carolina$75,061$36.09
5Nevada$75,582$36.34
6Vermont$78,112$37.55
7Texas$75,520$36.31
8Florida$72,681$34.94
9Rhode Island$72,525$34.87
10Oregon$74,040$35.60
11Kansas$73,019$35.11
12Maine$68,781$33.07
13Maryland$78,432$37.71
14District of Columbia$78,216$37.60
15Massachusetts$80,472$38.69
16Georgia$73,619$35.39
17Minnesota$70,697$33.99
18Indiana$69,993$33.65
19New York$71,324$34.29
20Washington$71,383$34.32
21Pennsylvania$66,208$31.83
22Montana$66,109$31.78
23Colorado$72,776$34.99
24Delaware$71,268$34.26
25Mississippi$69,891$33.60
26West Virginia$66,199$31.83
27Wyoming$65,245$31.37
28Alaska$71,346$34.30
29Idaho$67,311$32.36
30Arizona$64,373$30.95
31Hawaii$65,094$31.30
32North Dakota$60,754$29.21
33Michigan$63,796$30.67
34Iowa$62,497$30.05
35Wisconsin$63,116$30.34
36Tennessee$60,125$28.91
37Utah$63,561$30.56
38Oklahoma$60,835$29.25
39South Dakota$59,308$28.51
40New Mexico$61,403$29.52
41Louisiana$59,849$28.77
42Nebraska$59,437$28.58
43Virginia$65,259$31.37
44Missouri$61,608$29.62
45Alabama$61,058$29.35
46Ohio$58,050$27.91
47New Hampshire$60,599$29.13
48Illinois$57,922$27.85
49Kentucky$56,791$27.30
50South Carolina$56,037$26.94
51Arkansas$54,218$26.07
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Highest paying cities for clinical documentation improvement specialists

The highest-paying cities for clinical documentation improvement specialists are Madera, CA, Greenville, NC, and Las Vegas, NV.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Madera, CA$87,874$42.25
2Greenville, NC$76,076$36.58
3Las Vegas, NV$75,103$36.11
4Dallas, TX$74,953$36.04
5Atlanta, GA$73,760$35.46
6Portland, OR$73,466$35.32
7Tampa, FL$73,234$35.21
8Boulder, CO$72,738$34.97
9New York, NY$71,482$34.37
10Arlington, VA$65,897$31.68
11Phoenix, AZ$64,515$31.02
12Saginaw, MI$63,788$30.67
13Salt Lake City, UT$63,283$30.42
14Madison, WI$62,991$30.28
15Mobile, AL$61,498$29.57
16Toledo, OH$58,040$27.90
17Chicago, IL$57,947$27.86
18Hopkinsville, KY$56,477$27.15
19Fayetteville, AR$54,140$26.03

Clinical documentation improvement specialist salary details

A clinical documentation improvement specialist's salary ranges from $47,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $87,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average clinical documentation improvement specialist salary graph
Average clinical documentation improvement specialist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a clinical documentation improvement specialist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly 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

Highest paying clinical documentation improvement specialist jobs

The highest paying types of clinical documentation improvement specialists are medical records manager, health care administrator, and specialist.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Records Manager$47,265$3,939$22.723,204
Records Analyst$44,714$3,726$21.5018,442
Recording Technician$34,620$2,885$16.6425,621
Records Coordinator$40,360$3,363$19.4025,060
Medical Records Manager$75,232$6,269$36.1754,997
Medical Records Clerk$32,491$2,708$15.62129,998

Top companies hiring clinical documentation improvement specialists now:

  1. Tenet Healthcare jobs (3)
  2. Valley Children's jobs (6)
  3. Memorial Healthcare System jobs (4)
  4. McLaren Health Care jobs (3)
  5. Evolent Health jobs (51)

Which companies pay clinical documentation improvement specialists the most?

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.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Nuance Communications$83,762$40.27
2Valley Children's$83,758$40.27
3Community Medical Center$83,204$40.00
4Northern Trust$80,766$38.83
5Moffitt Cancer Center$79,078$38.02
6Norton Healthcare$78,188$37.59
7Mount Sinai Health System$76,586$36.82
8Washington Regional Medical Center$76,567$36.81
9Doylestown Health$76,169$36.62
10Baptist Health Home Care$75,938$36.51
11Duke University Health System$74,334$35.74
12Virginia Hospital Center$73,760$35.46
13Health Alliance$73,529$35.35
14Memorial Healthcare$72,488$34.85
15Catholic Health East$71,246$34.25
16McLaren Health Care$71,062$34.16
17Geisinger Medical Center$71,058$34.16
18Evolent Health$70,708$33.99
19Cayuga Medical Center$70,217$33.76
20Jennie Stuart Health$70,117$33.71

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$70,000$69,600$69,200$68,800$68,400$68,000
MaleFemale

Clinical documentation improvement specialist salary trends

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.

Average clinical documentation improvement specialist salary over time

Compare clinical documentation improvement specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Clinical documentation improvement specialist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly 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%

Recently added clinical documentation improvement specialist salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Neurocrine BiosciencesSpecialist, Document and Clinical SystemsSan Diego, CA06/28/2025$88,000
SotalentClinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) SpecialistEscondido, CA06/25/2025$74,000
Danbury HospitalClinical Documentation Improvement SpecialistDanbury, CT06/14/2025$94,520
Unitedhealth GroupClinical Documentation Improvement SpecialistGilbert, AZ06/10/2025$71,600
Neurocrine BiosciencesSpecialist, Document & Clinical SystemsSan Diego, CA05/28/2025$88,000
One MedicalClinical Documentation Improvement SpecialistSan Francisco, CA05/26/2025$90,000
BJC HealthcareClinical Documentation Improvement Spec. IISaint Louis, MO05/08/2025$68,224
GuidehouseClinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) Specialist-OnsiteEscondido, CA04/27/2025$74,000
CVS HealthSpvr, Clinical Documentation=OshHomecroft, IN04/23/2025$43,888
ActalentClinical Documentation Improvement Specialist RNSacramento, CA03/12/2025$93,915

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