Typical entry: Postsecondary nondegree award
Medical billing and coding specialist
Medical records specialists assign diagnosis and procedure codes to patient visits, submit claims to insurers, and fix rejected claims. Much of the work is remote or hybrid, which is why it draws people who need flexible hours.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What a medical billing and coding specialist makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$51,140
$24.59 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $43,490
- 75th percentile
- $64,820
- 90th percentile
- $81,150
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- Not published
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +7.8%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 14,000
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as typical: a coding certificate program followed by the AAPC CPC or AHIMA CCA exam. Employers usually want the certification and some practicum experience; entry roles in billing and registration are a common first step while studying.
The work, as O*NET defines it: 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.
The next step
Medical coding certificate and the AAPC CPC exam
- Typical cost
- $1,000 to $4,000 for a certificate program; CPC exam about $400 plus AAPC membership
- Time to complete
- 4 to 12 months
Where to start CPC exam prep
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for medical records specialists by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $34.63 | $72,040 | $55,750 to $99,060 | 270 |
| Rhode Island | $30.75 | $63,960 | $51,040 to $70,910 | 650 |
| Hawaii | $30.37 | $63,180 | $50,670 to $77,970 | 400 |
| Washington | $29.94 | $62,270 | $50,250 to $79,680 | 5,010 |
| California | $29.71 | $61,810 | $49,000 to $80,630 | 18,700 |
| New York | $29.67 | $61,720 | $49,010 to $79,120 | 9,080 |
| Minnesota | $29.58 | $61,530 | $49,690 to $70,070 | 3,150 |
| Alaska | $29.37 | $61,090 | $51,050 to $72,800 | 1,070 |
| Connecticut | $29.30 | $60,940 | $48,750 to $76,160 | 1,120 |
| Massachusetts | $29.02 | $60,350 | $48,170 to $74,700 | 3,500 |
| Wisconsin | $28.98 | $60,280 | $49,510 to $66,140 | 2,870 |
| Colorado | $28.37 | $59,020 | $49,280 to $68,140 | 1,780 |
| Oregon | $28.37 | $59,000 | $49,180 to $70,610 | 2,560 |
| Vermont | $27.67 | $57,560 | $47,340 to $62,590 | — |
| New Mexico | $27.63 | $57,470 | $43,470 to $66,240 | 1,400 |
| Illinois | $27.14 | $56,440 | $46,290 to $64,360 | 5,740 |
| Delaware | $26.95 | $56,060 | $42,690 to $67,160 | 610 |
| South Carolina | $26.10 | $54,280 | $45,180 to $62,650 | 2,750 |
| Maryland | $26.07 | $54,220 | $44,210 to $65,770 | 2,440 |
| Wyoming | $26.06 | $54,210 | $42,770 to $65,800 | 280 |
| Idaho | $25.70 | $53,460 | $46,450 to $64,470 | 1,490 |
| Oklahoma | $25.70 | $53,460 | $41,200 to $61,110 | 2,480 |
| Virginia | $25.62 | $53,290 | $45,200 to $64,950 | 4,630 |
| Utah | $25.42 | $52,870 | $42,040 to $65,360 | 1,910 |
| Maine | $25.04 | $52,090 | $46,330 to $61,790 | 1,000 |
| Nebraska | $24.84 | $51,670 | $44,610 to $62,960 | 1,640 |
| South Dakota | $24.81 | $51,610 | $44,860 to $63,130 | 900 |
| Georgia | $24.78 | $51,550 | $43,810 to $64,840 | 5,930 |
| Ohio | $24.52 | $50,990 | $45,500 to $63,510 | 7,440 |
| Missouri | $24.40 | $50,750 | $46,000 to $63,150 | 3,890 |
| Iowa | $24.35 | $50,640 | $44,500 to $61,920 | 2,250 |
| Nevada | $24.19 | $50,300 | $40,370 to $65,160 | 2,350 |
| New Jersey | $24.16 | $50,240 | $35,640 to $64,700 | 4,450 |
| Montana | $24.13 | $50,190 | $43,970 to $59,770 | 820 |
| North Carolina | $23.86 | $49,620 | $41,490 to $64,800 | 6,760 |
| New Hampshire | $23.66 | $49,210 | $44,090 to $61,050 | 930 |
| Texas | $23.49 | $48,860 | $39,470 to $63,970 | 17,210 |
| Tennessee | $23.45 | $48,780 | $40,840 to $62,930 | 4,440 |
| Kentucky | $23.28 | $48,410 | $40,570 to $61,720 | 4,210 |
| Kansas | $23.15 | $48,160 | $40,860 to $59,130 | 2,030 |
| Michigan | $23.13 | $48,120 | $41,370 to $61,470 | 4,890 |
| Indiana | $22.92 | $47,670 | $40,060 to $60,820 | 5,860 |
| Arizona | $22.90 | $47,630 | $40,150 to $61,350 | 3,750 |
| West Virginia | $22.77 | $47,360 | $38,090 to $59,950 | 1,260 |
| Pennsylvania | $22.52 | $46,840 | $42,690 to $60,510 | 6,970 |
| North Dakota | $22.25 | $46,280 | $40,330 to $60,860 | 520 |
| Florida | $22.00 | $45,760 | $37,390 to $59,230 | 21,490 |
| Louisiana | $21.45 | $44,610 | $36,830 to $61,150 | 2,600 |
| Alabama | $21.06 | $43,810 | $36,160 to $52,040 | 2,330 |
| Arkansas | $20.07 | $41,740 | $36,550 to $51,440 | 1,920 |
| Mississippi | $19.95 | $41,500 | $34,730 to $50,500 | 2,310 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be a medical billing and coding specialist?
No. BLS lists "postsecondary nondegree award" as the typical education for entry. The usual credential is medical coding certificate and the AAPC CPC exam.
How much does a medical billing and coding specialist make?
The median pay was $51,140 a year ($24.59 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $43,490 and $64,820, and the top 10 percent earned more than $81,150.
How long does it take to become a medical billing and coding specialist?
4 to 12 months. The typical cost is $1,000 to $4,000 for a certificate program; CPC exam about $400 plus AAPC membership.
Is medical billing and coding specialist work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 7.8% from 2025 to 2035 with about 14,000 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 29-2072.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile