How Safe Is Medical Coding As A Career?

Especially following the recession in the United States, a major factor in choosing one’s career path is how “safe” it is. Career safety is composed of several circumstances, most involving job security and minimal interference in one’s personal life.

A few typical questions people ask his or herself regarding career safety include the following:

• Is my position able to stay relevant within my company or field?
• If not, does my position allow for mobility in my field in case my position is eliminated?
• How might increasing use of technology affect my work’s value?
• Can I expect normal work hours, or am I subject to late nights and extreme overtime?
• Will my job allow me the time and money to support a family?

Fortunately for persons looking into medical coding as a profession, coding is easily a safe career in regards to all the above questions. To answer them in order:

• Medical coding is an essential component to any medical center. Whether a hospital in a major metropolitan city or a small town clinic, everywhere there is a diagnosis and treatment requires medical coding.
• Although medical coding positions are not known to be eliminated, a medical center may choose to downsize or shift its coding staff. Luckily, coders have a strong background in anatomy and can transfer those skills to different or higher positions in their office.
• Increasing computer use makes the act of coding itself less time-consuming, but they cannot replace a coder because human workers must oversee computer work and repair possible errors.
• Hours are standard: the vast majority of medical coders work between 8am and 5pm Monday through Friday at an office.
• Medical coders on average earn between $30,000 and $50,000 depending on their employer and region with some coders making even more than that. Click here for more info on the salary scale.

While coders’ initial salaries don’t allow for glamorous lifestyles, the regular hours and job stability make this a suitable career path for persons looking to maintain a family. Given the state of the economy, it makes sense that so many people are getting their coding certification!


See this post for more on the requirements for getting your certification.