What’s The Highest Paid Medical Coding Specialty?

At this moment, there are about 20 specialty medical coder certifications that you can get such as Certified Obstetrics Gynecology Coder (COBGC), Certified Hematology and Oncology Coder (CHONC), Certified General Surgery Coder (CGSC), Certified Cardiology Coder (CCC), Certified Family Practice Coder (CFPC), Certified Ambulatory Surgical Center Coder (CASCC), Certified Emergency Department Coder (CEDC) and many more. See this post for more on each specialty coding certification.

When you are planning to get your specialty cert, it should matters a lot that you know which among these the highest paid medical coding specialty is. Depending on your interests this may make a big difference in selecting your career path in medical coding.

Keep in mind that there are so many factors that determine the payment or compensation that you can get when you have any medical coder certification or specialty. But among the types available, one of the highest paid specialties is Certified Emergency Department Coder (CEDC).

The reason behind this is that it is based on the highest coding standards as well as on-the-spot patient and note taking accuracy. It is important that you also determine the compensations of the other medical coding specialties just in case you want other options apart from the CEDC designation.

For instance getting a CPC-H certification may be one way to increase your salary without going into a field you are not interested in. This post on the wage range of professional coders may also be of help.

Now that you know that Certified Emergency Department Coder (CEDC) is one of the highest paid medical coding specialties, you probably have in mind the certification that you will choose in the future. But before you benefit from the high compensation of this medical coding specialty, it is first important that for you to undergo the training and certification process required.

You can only get these specialty certifications by first obtaining your CPC in the first place. For more on the requirements of CPC certification see this post. For some getting experience in medical coding is the toughest part.

How To Make More Money As A Medical Coder

Making money is extremely easy, especially when you are equipped with details pertaining to your desired field. Depending on your experiences and trainings, you can easily earn a lot of money out of your medical background. Just like other medical opportunities, medical coder can instantly accumulate money. If you are planning to earn huge amount of cash out of this profession, you have to know more about its employment procedures.

As a medical coder, you will most likely never be employed if you didn’t pass it examination. Isn’t it that every employer always selects prefect employees? If you have an excellent and remarkable educational background, and credentials, then expect that you can get a high position. In this scenario, the higher position you may have, the larger the income you can get.

See this post for more on how much money medical coders make.

Depending on your chosen company and preferred specialization, your salary could frequently vary quite a bit. Say for instance, in the average the billers and medical coders who select to work in, outpatient care centres or physician’s office get high wages as compared to others. If you prefer to work from home, the hourly rate usually covered between $10-25. Big range - I know.

Whether you choose to work at home or not, the importance is you have the opportunity to work with reasonable salaries. As you can see, a lot of people are longing to become a professional medical coder. Do you the reason why? It is simply because of its salary and willingness to help other in the society.

So, what are you waiting for? Start expanding your medical insights and land a job instantly. Perusing some of the other articles here on Medical Coding Career Planner is a great place to start.

How Much Do Medical Coders Make

The typical salary for medical coders varies widely. There is no one good answer but there are ways of breaking it down.

The absolute average salary for medical coders is somewhere in the low to mid $40,000 range. Nation-wide (according to the AAPC Salary Survey of 2011) the average coder made a few thousand dollars more than $40,000 per year however this varies by geographic region and by type of coder.

On the west coast a medical coder makes more. A California medical coder for instance makes approximately $57,000 annually. The entire west coast coders on average make in the mid-$50,000.

On the other end of the spectrum however medical coders in the state of Kentucky only make on average around $37,000 annually and coders in the inland south on the whole make on average under $40,000.

The other main differential between high paid coders and low paid coders is their certification level. Those coders who held CPC certifications made on average around $46,000 per year compared to around $40,000 per year for non-CPC certification holders or CPC-A holders. The difference is about 15% more pay for holders of certifications.

Furthermore specialty certifications tend to get paid more than standard CPCs. For instance the highest paid Medical Coders tend to hold specialty certifications in addition to the CPC designation. The CPC-H is the hospital specialty certification and it tended to increase average salaries and pay ranges even further.

According to the survey it’s clear that experience matters regardless of certification level. Those working in the field for more 5-10 years or more tend to command pay much higher than those starting out but as experience grows in those who hold specialty certifications medical coders quickly start earning more than average levels of pay.

Another group of medical coders that made more than the others were those medical coders who worked for large medical/physician groups. The difference isn’t as great as the differences between regions but large medical groups tended to pay coders 7-8% more on average than small physician groups.

As for hospital coders the medical coders working in inpatient facilities were paid more on average than those in outpatient facilities by approximately 9%.

So how much money can you make as a medical coder? It completely depends but I can tell you this: If I were just starting a career in medical coding I would consider all the averages and trends and position myself to be the most likely candidate for high pay.

How To Make The Most Money As A Medical Coder

I would take the CPC exam and obtain my CPC certification. If necessary I would work for two years as a CPC-A (apprentice) to build up some experience and get the full certification.

I would then take the CPC-H exam to obtain my Certified Professional Coder-Hospital Outpatient certification. To get this certification you have to have at least two years of experience under your belt as a CPC or a CPC-A.

While working in my first two years as a CPC-A I would work on the west-coast for a large physician group or outpatient medical facility. Upon testing for my CPC-H certification I would then try to find employment in a large hospital inpatient/outpatient facility as they tend to pay better than smaller groups or non-hospital facilities.

There are always outliers and special circumstances but on average a specialized certification (CPC-H) working for a large inpatient hospital group/facility on the west coast will pay the most. From then everything is likely going to be based upon performance.

Certified Medical Coders tend to make more money when their skills actually save the physician group money. A good medical coder will perform better and will save money so you have to demonstrate your ability to save your employer money in their billing department.

During your first few years documenting and proving your valuable contribution to the group via cost savings and efficiencies is the best way to make it into the upper echelon of the medical coder pay scale.

Further advancements can also pad income but they are not for everyone. Moving into auditing and educating are additional ways to increase your salary but the position may not be for you. However acquiring the skills and certifications to reach the highest pay will also open doors for you in these areas should you choose to go that route.

On average a CPC with a CPC-H designation earns on average in the mid-$50,000 range. Instructors on the other hand, those with CPC-I designations can easily make $20,000 a year more than that. To get there though you have to be dedicated from the very beginning to achieving these higher paying positions and working at it deliberately to get there.

How Much Do Certified Medical Coders Typically Make?

Considering careers in medical coding don’t usually require college education the compensation for medical coders is somewhat limited. Typically medical coders who are not certified make less than those CPCs who are certified but you can expect after certification to be making enough money live off of.

All positions vary but on the whole the usual certified medical coder who has a high school education and who has completed his or her AAPC certification classes and successfully passed the CPC exam can expect to make somewhere around $15 per hour which is in the $30,000 to $35,000 per year range.

Of course not certified medical coders and those who work part time may see a smaller hourly rate so your miles may vary. The easiest way however to ensure you are paid top dollar is to get certified. The CPC exam is a long five and a half hour test but passing it and getting your medical coding certificate can ensure you command top dollar for your career.