Medical Billing and Coding Salary Guide

If you're researching the medical billing and coding salary, you'll find two main data sources that tell slightly different stories. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) groups billers and coders under "Medical Records Specialists" (SOC 29-2072). Their May 2024 data puts the median annual wage at $50,250, which works out to about $24.16 per hour.

The salary distribution is wide. Workers at the 10th percentile earn roughly $35,780, while the 25th percentile sits at $41,600. At the top end, the 75th percentile reaches $64,070, and the 90th percentile exceeds $80,950. That spread reflects real differences in certification, experience, geography, and employer type.

AAPC's 2025 salary survey tells the other side. Because AAPC's respondent pool skews toward certified, experienced professionals, their overall average comes in at $65,007 per year. That's $15,000 above the BLS median. Neither number is wrong. They're measuring different populations. The BLS captures everyone in the occupation. AAPC captures people who've invested in credentials and professional development.

Certification is the single biggest lever you can pull to raise your medical billing and coding salary. AAPC's 2025 survey makes the case clearly: non-certified professionals average $55,721 per year. Certified professionals average $66,979. That's a 20.7% premium for holding a credential.

The premium compounds with each additional certification. Professionals holding two AAPC credentials average $74,557. Those with three or more average $81,227. That means someone with three certifications earns roughly 46% more than a non-certified peer doing similar work.

Even factoring in the cost of certification (the CPC exam runs $399 for AAPC members, $499 for non-members, plus annual membership at $222), the investment pays for itself within months of a certification-driven raise. If you're deciding whether to certify, the math isn't close.

Experience drives steady salary gains in medical billing and coding. AAPC's 2025 data breaks down average annual earnings by years in the field, and the trajectory is consistent.

If you're just starting out, expect to earn around $48,204 in your first year. That reflects the learning curve new coders face, and many employers offer mentorship during this period. By years 2-5, you'll see meaningful bumps as you build speed, accuracy, and familiarity with payer-specific rules.

The mid-career jump is where things get interesting. Professionals with 6-10 years of experience and one or more certifications often move into supervisory roles, auditing, compliance, or specialized areas like risk adjustment. At 15+ years, the AAPC average hits $76,988. Professionals with 31+ years of experience average $83,544, and most of them hold multiple credentials and manage teams.

The jump from entry level to 15+ years represents a 60% increase. Combining experience with additional certifications and specialty training can compress that timeline.

Where you live (or where your employer is based) affects your medical billing and coding salary significantly. The BLS tracks mean annual wages by state, and the top-paying areas stand well above the national median.

The District of Columbia leads at $76,990 mean annual wage, driven by federal government positions at the VA and DoD. California follows at $68,080, reflecting the state's large healthcare market and high cost of living. Washington comes in at $68,020, with strong demand in the Seattle-Tacoma corridor. Hawaii ($64,690) and New York ($64,550) round out the top five.

On the lower end, states like Mississippi, West Virginia, and Arkansas report mean wages well below the national figure. Keep in mind that cost of living varies dramatically. A $50,000 salary in rural Arkansas stretches further than $68,000 in San Francisco. And with roughly 65% of coders now working remotely (AAPC 2025), your salary doesn't have to match your ZIP code.

Your employer type moves the needle on salary almost as much as your location. The BLS breaks down wages by industry, and the gaps are meaningful.

Insurance carriers pay the highest industry mean at $69,330 (BLS, May 2024). Specialty hospitals come in at $59,260, and management/consulting firms pay $59,060. General medical and surgical hospitals, the largest employer of medical records specialists at 28% of all jobs, pay near the national average. Physician offices employ 22% of the workforce but tend to pay slightly less.

AAPC's 2025 data adds workplace-type detail. Health systems pay an average of $67,657. Individual hospitals average $65,396. Large group practices come in at $65,224. Small practices, as you'd expect, pay the least at $53,246.

Not all certifications pay equally. AAPC's 2025 survey breaks out median salaries by specific credential, and the differences reflect the complexity and demand of each specialization.

The CPCO (Certified Professional Compliance Officer) leads at a median of $81,495. Compliance roles carry more responsibility and typically require several years of coding experience first. The CPC (Certified Professional Coder), the most widely held credential, has a median of $58,895. The CPB (Certified Professional Biller) sits at $56,981.

If you're planning your certification path, the CPC is the standard starting point. From there, adding a specialty credential (like CRC for risk adjustment or CPCO for compliance) is how you push into the $70,000-$80,000+ range. See our certification comparison guide for a full breakdown of costs, eligibility, and career paths.

Remote work is now the default in medical coding. AAPC's 2025 survey reports that 64.8% of medical records specialists work remotely full time, with more in hybrid setups. That's up from roughly 30-33% before 2020.

On pay, remote-exclusive coders average about $54,784 per year (AAPC 2025). That's below the overall AAPC member average of $65,007, but the comparison needs context. Many remote coders live in lower-cost areas by choice. They also save on commuting, work clothes, and meals. Some employers use location-adjusted pay scales, offering less to remote workers in cheaper markets.

If remote work matters to you, focus on total compensation: salary plus the financial value of no commute, flexible scheduling, and lower daily expenses. Remote coders with multiple certifications and specialty experience can match or beat on-site pay. For more on remote positions, see our remote medical coding jobs guide.