The medical coder salary is around $37,000 a year ($17 an hour). However, it can range anywhere between $25,000 and $50,000 a year. There are several factors to influence medical coder’s pay, like their experience, geographic area or industry.
Factors that Influence the Medical Coder Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the yearly and hourly oncologist salary sorted by percentile like in the following table:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
| Hourly Wage | $11.63 | $14.01 | $17.84 | $23.32 | $29.52 |
| Annual Wage | $24,190 | $29,130 | $37,110 | $48,510 | $61,400 |
One of the lowest in healthcare, the medical coder salary range is determined by a number of factors. Just like the medical coder and biller salaries and job description are different, so are the medical coder salaries and duties from one workplace to another. But what exactly determines the medical coder salary?
Well, there are three main factors having to do with each employee, employer, and workplace. The three factors are the geographical location of the workplace, each employee’s experience level, and the industry of the profession. So, let’s see which factors influence the medical coder salary the most.
Geographic Area
Below, we compiled a series of tables with the states and areas best suited to practice the medical coder job. The tables will contain information related to the highest employment rates and salaries seen by people in the profession.
The states offering the highest levels of employment for medical coders are:
| State | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| California | 18,860 | 1.22 | 0.88 | $23.36 | $48,590 |
| Texas | 16,730 | 1.45 | 1.05 | $18.66 | $38,810 |
| Florida | 9,800 | 1.24 | 0.90 | $19.15 | $39,830 |
| Ohio | 8,810 | 1.67 | 1.21 | $18.46 | $38,400 |
| New York | 8,680 | 0.97 | 0.70 | $21.00 | $43,680 |
The states where you can find the highest medical coder salary are:
| State | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| District of Columbia | 610 | 0.90 | 0.65 | $33.31 | $69,290 |
| New Jersey | 1,630 | 0.42 | 0.30 | $29.00 | $60,310 |
| Alaska | 710 | 2.17 | 1.57 | $25.02 | $52,040 |
| California | 18,860 | 1.22 | 0.88 | $23.36 | $48,590 |
| Maryland | 3,890 | 1.50 | 1.09 | $23.04 | $47,930 |
We have also taken into account those who might be interested in information more vaguely distributed. So, check out the same statistics for the metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas around the United States.
The metropolitan areas with the highest levels of employment for the medical coder profession are:
| Metropolitan area | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Los Angeles – Long Beach – Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 5,210 | 1.27 | 0.92 | $22.76 | $47,330 |
| New York – Jersey City – White Plains, NY – NJ Metropolitan Division | 4,620 | 0.71 | 0.52 | $23.53 | $48,950 |
| Chicago – Naperville – Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division | 4,470 | 1.25 | 0.91 | $20.77 | $43,190 |
| Houston – The Woodlands – Sugar Land, TX | 4,000 | 1.37 | 0.99 | $20.08 | $41,760 |
| Boston – Cambridge – Newton, MA NECTA Division | 3,140 | 1.79 | 1.30 | $23.39 | $48,650 |
| Phoenix – Mesa – Scottsdale, AZ | 3,130 | 1.67 | 1.21 | $20.43 | $42,500 |
| Cincinnati, OH – KY – IN | 3,060 | 2.98 | 2.16 | $20.75 | $43,150 |
| Atlanta – Sandy Springs – Roswell, GA | 2,850 | 1.15 | 0.83 | $18.61 | $38,720 |
| Dallas – Plano – Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 2,800 | 1.20 | 0.87 | $21.88 | $45,510 |
| Baltimore – Columbia – Towson, MD | 2,630 | 2.00 | 1.45 | $23.01 | $47,870 |
The metropolitan areas with the highest medical coder salaries are:
| Metropolitan area | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Newark, NJ – PA Metropolitan Division | 550 | 0.48 | 0.35 | $32.07 | $66,710 |
| San Jose – Sunnyvale – Santa Clara, CA | 690 | 0.68 | 0.49 | $29.94 | $62,270 |
| Oakland – Hayward – Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,360 | 1.29 | 0.94 | $28.29 | $58,830 |
| San Francisco – Redwood City – South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division | 900 | 0.89 | 0.64 | $26.68 | $55,480 |
| Silver Spring – Frederick – Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division | 680 | 1.18 | 0.85 | $26.32 | $54,740 |
| Vallejo – Fairfield, CA | 180 | 1.48 | 1.07 | $25.58 | $53,200 |
| Napa, CA | 60 | 0.85 | 0.61 | $25.54 | $53,130 |
| Washington – Arlington – Alexandria, DC – VA – MD – WV Metropolitan Division | 1,970 | 0.81 | 0.59 | $25.49 | $53,030 |
| New Bedford, MA | 150 | 2.39 | 1.73 | $25.39 | $52,810 |
| Denver – Aurora – Lakewood, CO | 1,250 | 0.91 | 0.66 | $25.17 | $52,360 |
The nonmetropolitan areas with the highest levels of employment for the people with the medical coder job description are:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | 640 | 3.58 | 2.60 | $16.76 | $34,860 |
| Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | 560 | 2.51 | 1.82 | $12.57 | $26,140 |
| Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | 560 | 3.63 | 2.63 | $13.73 | $28,550 |
| North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) | 350 | 1.07 | 0.78 | $16.50 | $34,310 |
| Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | 330 | 2.84 | 2.06 | $15.06 | $31,330 |
Finally, the nonmetropolitan areas where you can find the highest salaries for the profession are:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| North Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 1.67 | 1.21 | $23.26 | $48,390 |
| Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 1.26 | 0.92 | $23.07 | $47,990 |
| Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | 140 | 2.19 | 1.59 | $21.53 | $44,790 |
| West Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 2.33 | 1.69 | $21.34 | $44,390 |
| Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 0.64 | 0.47 | $21.17 | $44,030 |
Experience
As with most jobs in healthcare, the medical coder salary is influenced by the experience level of each employee. However, experience doesn’t make as big an impact as the other factors. Below, we have compiled and estimated salary path for the profession.
Without taking into accounts any sign-on bonuses, profit sharing, or other sources of income, the average starting medical coder salary is somewhere around $33,000 a year. According to payscale.com, this is how the average salary path for someone with more than twenty years in the profession goes:
- From $33,000 to $39,000 after five to ten years on the job;
- Between $39,000 and $41,000 after ten to twenty years on the job;
- From $41,000 to $44,000 after more than twenty years of experience.
Industry
Finally, the last major determining factor when it comes to the medical coder salary is the industry of the profession. Depending on each employer and industry standards, the average salary of a medical coder is as in the following tables.
The industries with the highest medical coder employment levels are:
| Industry | Employment | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 66,780 | 1.27 | $20.71 | $43,080 |
| Offices of Physicians | 38,920 | 1.55 | $16.80 | $34,940 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 11,970 | 0.72 | $18.05 | $37,550 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 7,060 | 0.96 | $17.97 | $37,370 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 6,350 | 0.28 | $22.13 | $46,030 |
Last, but certainly not least, the industries with the highest medical coder salary are:
| Industry | Employment | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 430 | 0.07 | $25.45 | $52,940 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 660 | 0.04 | $25.41 | $52,860 |
| Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | 90 | 0.02 | $23.91 | $49,740 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 710 | 0.11 | $23.87 | $49,660 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | 5,360 | 0.27 | $22.85 | $47,520 |
Work Hours
Most of the times, medical coders work full-time. That means that they usually have 40-hour work weeks. Unlike doctors and physicians, medical coders don’t have to partake in the on-call rotation. However, shifts are often employed, so as to have a sufficient number of coders present in the hospital at all times.
So, medical coders often have to work nights, weekends, and holidays. Fortunately, most employers allow coders to choose between the three to get a decent schedule. Overtimes and double shifts are some pretty frequent occurrences.
Bonuses and Benefits Packages
According to payscale.com, the medical coder salary is joined by plenty of bonuses and benefits packages. Medical coders can benefit from tips, overtimes, bonuses, and profit sharing opportunities. Tips can go as high as $2 an hour, and overtimes are generally paid anything between $15 and $37. Bonuses and profit can add an extra $6,000 a year to the medical coder wage.
Of course, most coders receive a fair number of paid and sick leave days. A 401(K) plan is also common, but it depends on each employer. About 80% of all medical coders receive full medical insurance. That leaves 63% who get dental, and 51% who get vision. However, 17% of coders get no insurance whatsoever.
Job Outlook
According to bls.com, the rate of employment for medical coders will go up 15% by 2024. That is much faster than the 8% average for all occupations in the US. The growth is owed to several factors, such as the increased demand for medical services.
In its turn, the increased demand is caused by a rise in illness, as well as by the constant increase of the elderly population. Interestingly, the technological advances we’ve gone through don’t really diminish the demand for the profession. This is because while technology is indeed developing, coding medical files still has a human requirement.
While the medical coder salary is one of the lowest in healthcare, the job also comes with one of the lowest professional stress levels on record. It has a highly positive job outlook, and plenty of advancement opportunities. For more similar articles, check out the medical biller and the ultrasound technician salary guides.
All the tables in this article about the medical coder salary are courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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