Overview
Responsibilities
T-A-S-K
Education
Income & Employability
Video Resources
Related Careers

Description

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.

Interests

  • Conventional
  • Investigative

Learn More about Interests

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.

Work Activities

    Detailed Work Activities

      Technology Skills

      • Medical software
      • Desktop communications software
      • Data base user interface and query software
      • Document management software
      • Categorization or classification software

      Skills

        Knowledge

          Most Common Education Level

          The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue that career.

          Certificates

          Certificate name

          Certified Medical Coder

          Certifying Organization

          Practice Management Institute

          Type

          Core

          Certifying Organization

          Radiology Coding Certification Board

          Type

          Specialty

          Certifying Organization

          American Academy of Professional Coders

          Type

          Specialty

          Certifying Organization

          American Academy of Professional Coders

          Type

          Specialty

          Certifying Organization

          American Medical Certification Association

          Type

          Core

          Income Percentile

          The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.

          Income PercentileIncome
          Low (10%)$NaN
          Median (50%)$NaN
          High (90%)$NaN

          Income by Experience

          This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–7 years), to senior level (8+ years).

          ExperienceIncome
          Entry Level$50,000
          Mid Level$100,000
          Senior Level$150,000

          Employability

          There are currently 191,500 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to increase to 208,200 positions, reflecting a projected growth of 9%.

          The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.

          Projected Job Growth of 9%

          The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), with ONET® being a registered trademark of USDOL/ETA. Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA; CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED); and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

          footer logo

          Your One Stop Shop For All Career Information

          Whether you are exploring new career paths, building your resume, or preparing for your next opportunity, our tools, templates, and guidance are designed to help you navigate your career journey with clarity and confidence.

          instagram
          linkedin
          tiktok
          youtube