How Much Can You Make Working as a Medical Biller and Coder?

Key Insights:

• Several factors can influence medical biller and coder pay rates. They include geographic location, level of education or training, experience, and relevant certifications.
• Online salary search sites, national wage providers, and local job posts are all resources for finding pay information that aligns with your situation and qualifications.
• If you’re ready to pursue career training, Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) offers an online medical billing and coding program.

Medical billing and coding training can teach you how to help healthcare organizations prepare and send bills to insurance companies or other responsible parties. It also prepares you to translate patient health information (their diagnoses, medical tests, and treatments) into universally recognized codes. But how much does medical billing and coding pay?

This is a question you may be asking if you’re interested in this job role. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy to answer because medical billing and coding pay can vary based on several factors. One is the geographical area in which you work.

Medical Biller and Coder Wages Vary by State

Your pay as a medical biller and coder can vary depending on the state in which you work. Some states have a higher annual mean wage for this occupation, while the mean in other states is lower.

Medical biller and coder pay can even vary based on where you work within a state. For instance, workers in large metropolitan areas (think big cities) tend to have higher salaries according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), due to factors such as also having a higher cost of living.¹

Additional Factors That Can Impact Medical Biller and Coder Pay

Your geographical location isn’t the only factor that can affect pay as a medical biller and coder. Indeed reports that other factors that may influence your wages can include:²

• Level of education
• Professional certifications
• Amount of experience
• Skills and expertise
• Past employer references
• Employer wage structure

3 Ways to Find Medical Billing and Coding Pay Information

Once you understand the factors that can affect wages, you know what to look for when researching pay information that may be most relevant to you. Here are three potential resources for medical billing and coding wage information:

1. Online salary search sites. Some online pay search platforms allow you to search for medical billing and coding wages based on level of education, experience, and other factors. This can help you find pay information that aligns with your qualifications and experience.
2. National wage information. The BLS provides national wage information for medical secretaries and administrative assistants, the category in which medical billers and coders fall. It gives median annual and hourly wages, amounts earned by individuals in the lowest and highest percentiles, wages by industry (such as if you work for a physician or hospital), pay by state, and more.
3. Local job posts. It can also be helpful to look at job posts in your local area. They can give you an idea of wages in your city or town. Another benefit of looking at job posts is that you can gain a better sense of what a medical billing and coding career entails, including typical job duties and qualifications, if you’re unsure.

Learn more: What Is a Medical Biller and Coder?

Ready to Pursue Career Training in Medical Billing and Coding?

If this job role is of interest to you, UMA offers a Medical Billing and Coding Associate of Science/Associate of Applied Science Degree program. This career training program can help prepare you to pursue entry-level positions and covers topics such as diagnostic and procedural coding, billing and coding applications, and healthcare claims processing. It’s offered online and can be completed in 18 months or more.³

UMA is with you throughout your academic journey. If you have questions about your program or coursework, we’re here to help find the answers. We’re also here to support you in your career. We can help you with your resume, provide interview tips, and may even be able to connect you with employer partners that have medical billing and coding job opportunities available. “UMA is so supportive of everything you may need,” says Jared C., a graduate of our Medical Billing and Coding program.

Contact us to learn more or to discuss if this might be a good career path fit for you.

FAQs

• How much do medical coders make? Medical coder pay can vary based on geographic location, education and experience, relevant certifications, and more. The BLS provides national pay information for this role under the occupational category of medical secretaries and administrative assistants. You can also check online pay information sites for medical coder wage information.
• How much does a medical biller make? Medical biller pay can change based on your level of education and experience, where you work geographically, and more. Read local job posts to learn more about wages in your area. You can also check the BLS’s occupational category of medical secretaries and administrative assistants for pay information for these types of roles.
• How much does medical billing and coding pay? Medical billing and coding pay varies based on education, experience, certifications, location, and more. Check online pay information websites and job posts to learn more about wages in your local area. The BLS provides national data, which may be helpful too.