Medical records specialists salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,000 | $17.79 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $51,140 | $24.59 |
| Mean (average) | $56,790 | $27.30 |
| 90th percentile | $81,150 | $39.01 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Medical records specialists pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 53 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $43,810 | $30,250 | $64,730 | 2,330 | 0.88 |
| Alaska | $61,090 | $46,390 | $90,530 | 1,070 | 2.64 |
| Arizona | $47,630 | $36,530 | $75,430 | 3,750 | 0.93 |
| Arkansas | $41,740 | $33,920 | $65,090 | 1,920 | 1.18 |
| California | $61,810 | $43,800 | $102,470 | 18,700 | 0.82 |
| Colorado | $59,020 | $45,280 | $82,980 | 1,780 | 0.49 |
| Connecticut | $60,940 | $40,490 | $88,900 | 1,120 | 0.53 |
| Delaware | $56,060 | $36,870 | $77,500 | 610 | 1.01 |
| District of Columbia | $72,040 | $46,300 | $128,010 | 270 | 0.3 |
| Florida | $45,760 | $36,330 | $76,850 | 21,490 | 1.73 |
| Georgia | $51,550 | $36,260 | $81,580 | 5,930 | 0.97 |
| Guam | $38,470 | $29,120 | $55,430 | 70 | 0.88 |
| Hawaii | $63,180 | $45,700 | $91,650 | 400 | 0.51 |
| Idaho | $53,460 | $39,930 | $77,840 | 1,490 | 1.39 |
| Illinois | $56,440 | $38,890 | $77,520 | 5,740 | 0.75 |
| Indiana | $47,670 | $38,270 | $79,270 | 5,860 | 1.46 |
| Iowa | $50,640 | $38,910 | $66,390 | 2,250 | 1.15 |
| Kansas | $48,160 | $36,680 | $77,910 | 2,030 | 1.13 |
| Kentucky | $48,410 | $36,290 | $74,520 | 4,210 | 1.68 |
| Louisiana | $44,610 | $32,900 | $77,080 | 2,600 | 1.07 |
| Maine | $52,090 | $42,210 | $76,660 | 1,000 | 1.25 |
| Maryland | $54,220 | $35,400 | $82,090 | 2,440 | 0.71 |
| Massachusetts | $60,350 | $43,960 | $81,620 | 3,500 | 0.77 |
| Michigan | $48,120 | $37,180 | $77,080 | 4,890 | 0.89 |
| Minnesota | $61,530 | $48,120 | $83,020 | 3,150 | 0.85 |
| Mississippi | $41,500 | $31,010 | $61,580 | 2,310 | 1.58 |
| Missouri | $50,750 | $38,880 | $77,010 | 3,890 | 1.06 |
| Montana | $50,190 | $40,460 | $64,540 | 820 | 1.27 |
| Nebraska | $51,670 | $38,620 | $74,990 | 1,640 | 1.28 |
| Nevada | $50,300 | $36,990 | $81,140 | 2,350 | 1.21 |
| New Hampshire | $49,210 | $39,120 | $68,980 | 930 | 1.09 |
| New Jersey | $50,240 | $33,280 | $83,650 | 4,450 | 0.83 |
| New Mexico | $57,470 | $36,600 | $76,460 | 1,400 | 1.28 |
| New York | $61,720 | $40,730 | $101,940 | 9,080 | 0.75 |
| North Carolina | $49,620 | $36,840 | $79,670 | 6,760 | 1.09 |
| North Dakota | $46,280 | $39,580 | $79,800 | 520 | 0.98 |
| Ohio | $50,990 | $38,060 | $79,290 | 7,440 | 1.07 |
| Oklahoma | $53,460 | $36,610 | $74,710 | 2,480 | 1.16 |
| Oregon | $59,000 | $44,260 | $81,120 | 2,560 | 1.04 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,840 | $37,490 | $77,880 | 6,970 | 0.92 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,990 | $21,900 | $57,780 | 1,850 | 1.57 |
| Rhode Island | $63,960 | $44,650 | $84,540 | 650 | 1.03 |
| South Carolina | $54,280 | $37,240 | $71,280 | 2,750 | 0.95 |
| South Dakota | $51,610 | $36,920 | $76,950 | 900 | 1.57 |
| Tennessee | $48,780 | $37,320 | $79,960 | 4,440 | 1.08 |
| Texas | $48,860 | $34,440 | $78,390 | 17,210 | 0.98 |
| Utah | $52,870 | $35,720 | $82,640 | 1,910 | 0.88 |
| Vermont | $57,560 | $42,130 | $77,580 | ||
| Virginia | $53,290 | $37,630 | $78,680 | 4,630 | 0.9 |
| Washington | $62,270 | $45,500 | $98,130 | 5,010 | 1.13 |
| West Virginia | $47,360 | $31,610 | $75,000 | 1,260 | 1.43 |
| Wisconsin | $60,280 | $46,750 | $79,720 | 2,870 | 0.78 |
| Wyoming | $54,210 | $37,930 | $79,530 | 280 | 0.79 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for medical records specialists
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 14,000. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for medical records specialists
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator CIP 51.0706
- Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician CIP 51.0707
- Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder CIP 51.0713
- Disease Registry Data Management CIP 51.0721
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Protect the security of medical records to ensure that confidentiality is maintained.
- Review records for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with regulations.
- Scan patients' health records into electronic formats.
- Release information to persons or agencies according to regulations.
- Enter data, such as demographic characteristics, history and extent of disease, diagnostic procedures, or treatment into computer.
- Maintain or operate a variety of health record indexes or storage and retrieval systems to collect, classify, store, or analyze information.
- Process patient admission or discharge documents.
- Retrieve patient medical records for physicians, technicians, or other medical personnel.
Technology skills
- Epic Systems (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Henry Schein Dentrix (hot technology)
- IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Microsoft SQL Server (hot technology)
- Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services SSRS (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Microsoft Visual Basic (hot technology)
- Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Time Management, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination.
Common job titles: Coder, Health Information Clerk, Health Information Specialist, Health Information Technician (Health Information Tech), Health Records Specialist, HIM Clerk (Health Information Management Clerk), Medical Coder, Medical Records Clerk, Medical Records Technician (Medical Records Tech), RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician).
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do medical records specialists make?
The national median annual wage for medical records specialists was $51,140 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $37,000 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $81,150. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do medical records specialists need?
BLS lists postsecondary nondegree award as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is medical records specialists a growing career?
BLS projects employment of medical records specialists to change +7.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 14,000 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay medical records specialists the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($72,040), Rhode Island ($63,960), Hawaii ($63,180). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.