State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Medical Records Specialist Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Medical Records Specialists earn a median of $51,140 per year ($24.59/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 7.1% through 2034, with about 14,200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
SOC 29-2072Healthcare Practitioners and TechnicalLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $51,140
- Projected growth
- +7.1%
- Openings a year
- 14,200
- Typical education
- Certificate
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Coder, Health Information Clerk, Health Information Specialist, Health Information Technician (Health Information Tech), Medical Records Clerk, Medical Records Coordinator.
How much do Medical Records Specialists make?
10th percentile$37,000
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$43,490
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$51,140
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$64,820
Upper quartile
90th percentile$81,150
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $51,140 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $24.59/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $56,790 |
| People employed | 194,720 |
Versus all US occupations
At $51,140, the median for Medical Records Specialists sits in line with the $50,980 median across all US occupations.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $97,870, this is 48% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $81,150 or more while the bottom 10% earn $37,000, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 32% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $72,040, and still leads at $65,550 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Medical Records Specialists the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $72,040 | $65,550 | 270 |
| Rhode Island | $63,960 | $62,534 | 650 |
| Hawaii | $63,180 | $57,462 | 400 |
| Washington | $62,270 | $58,189 | 5,010 |
| California | $61,810 | $55,826 | 18,700 |
| New York | $61,720 | $57,190 | 9,080 |
| Minnesota | $61,530 | $62,390 | 3,150 |
| Alaska | $61,090 | $59,682 | 1,070 |
| Connecticut | $60,940 | $58,817 | 1,120 |
| Massachusetts | $60,350 | $57,065 | 3,500 |
Is Medical Records Specialist a growing career?
Medical Records Specialists7.1%
All US occupations3.1%
+7.1% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Medical Records Specialists to change 7.1% over 2024–2034, roughly 2.3× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 13,800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 14,200 openings are projected each year, 7.3% of the 194,800 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
An increasing share of the population is entering older age groups, which typically require more medical services. In addition, there is a growing prevalence of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. As a result, more medical records specialists will be needed to translate patient information and services delivered into standardized codes to be used for insurance reimbursement and other purposes.
However, the increase in adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions that make the medical coding process more efficient may affect the demand for these workers.
How to become a Medical Records Specialist
Medical records specialists typically need a postsecondary certificate to enter the occupation, although some qualify with a high school diploma. Others might need an associate’s degree. Certification may be required or preferred.
| Typical entry-level education | Postsecondary nondegree award |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What does a Medical Records Specialist do?
Compile, process, and maintain medical records of hospital and clinic patients in a manner consistent with medical, administrative, ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements of the healthcare system. Classify medical and healthcare concepts, including diagnosis, procedures, medical services, and equipment, into the healthcare industry's numerical coding system. Includes medical coders.
Medical records specialists compile, process, and maintain patient files. They also may classify and enter patients’ medical information into the healthcare industry's numerical coding system.
Day-to-day tasks
- Assign the patient to diagnosis-related groups (DRGs), using appropriate computer software.
- Compile and maintain patients' medical records to document condition and treatment and to provide data for research or cost control and care improvement efforts.
- Consult classification manuals to locate information about disease processes.
- Enter data, such as demographic characteristics, history and extent of disease, diagnostic procedures, or treatment into computer.
- Identify, compile, abstract, and code patient data, using standard classification systems.
- Maintain or operate a variety of health record indexes or storage and retrieval systems to collect, classify, store, or analyze information.
- Post medical insurance billings.
- Process and prepare business or government forms.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where medical records specialists work
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 28% |
|---|---|
| Offices of physicians | 19% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 8% |
| Administrative and support services | 8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 7% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base reporting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Medical software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Medical Records Specialist?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic2.9
Investigativeprimary4.3
Artistic1.0
Socialprimary3.4
Enterprising1.9
Conventionalprimary7.0
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Medical Records Specialist: frequently asked questions
How much do Medical Records Specialists make?
Medical Records Specialists earn a median of $51,140 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), close to the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $24.59/hr. The middle half earn between $43,490 and $64,820. The top 10% earn $81,150 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Medical Records Specialist?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialled training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or licence programme) as the typical entry route for Medical Records Specialists.
Is Medical Records Specialist a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 7.1% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 14,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Medical Records Specialist do?
Medical records specialists compile, process, and maintain patient files. A core O*NET task: assign the patient to diagnosis-related groups (DRGs), using appropriate computer software. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Business intelligence and data analysis software, Data base management system software.
Which states pay Medical Records Specialists the most?
The highest state medians for Medical Records Specialists are District of Columbia ($72,040), Rhode Island ($63,960), Hawaii ($63,180) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Medical Records Specialist?
O*NET scores Medical Records Specialists highest on the Conventional, Investigative and Social interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.