Career profile ยท SOC 29-2072
How to Become a Medical Records Specialist in 2026
Median pay
$51,140
Typical entry
Postsecondary certificate or associate degree
Employed nationally
194,720
What does a medical records specialist do?
A medical records specialist the BLS occupation title covering coders and records staff, and the source of the wage figures on this site.
This is the occupational title the federal data uses for most of the field, which is why its wage figures appear across this site as the benchmark. In an actual organisation the job is custody of the record itself: making sure it is complete, accurate and released only to people entitled to see it. Coding often sits inside the same role, particularly in smaller organisations, which is part of why the BLS category contains so many people who would describe themselves as coders.
The people who hire for this role are:
- Hospitals and health systems
- Physician practices
- Long-term care and rehabilitation facilities
- Government health agencies
What does a medical records specialist do day to day?
Day to day, a medical records specialist spends the time on four things:
- Maintaining the accuracy and completeness of the health record itself
- Processing release-of-information requests, which carry real legal weight
- Coding, in many organisations, since this is the BLS umbrella that contains coders
- Auditing records for missing signatures, dates and documentation
The part people underestimate
Breadth of responsibility for the record itself. Release of information in particular carries privacy exposure that a pure coding role does not.
How much does a medical records specialist make?
A medical records specialist makes a median of $51,140 a year. Federal data counts this work under Medical Records Specialists (SOC 29-2072), with 194,720 employed nationally and 8% projected growth.
| Bottom 10% | 25th | Median | 75th | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $37,000 | $43,490 | $51,140 | $64,820 | $81,150 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. The tenth percentile is the more useful number if you are costing out a first job.
Which states pay medical records specialists the most?
Rhode Island pays medical records specialists the most, at a median of $63,960, against $41,500 in Mississippi. That is a spread of $22,460, wider than most people expect and worth weighing if you can choose where to work.
| State | Median | Bottom 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $63,960 | $44,650 | 650 |
| Hawaii | $63,180 | $45,700 | 400 |
| Washington | $62,270 | $45,500 | 5,010 |
| California | $61,810 | $43,800 | 18,700 |
| New York | $61,720 | $40,730 | 9,080 |
| Mississippi | $41,500 | $31,010 | 2,310 |
| Arkansas | $41,740 | $33,920 | 1,920 |
| Alabama | $43,810 | $30,250 | 2,330 |
Highest five and lowest three of 50 states, May 2025 OEWS. No cost-of-living adjustment is applied, so compare against local rents before moving for a median.
How do you become a medical records specialist?
To become a medical records specialist, a certificate or associate degree. This is the BLS occupational title that coding jobs are counted under, so it is the wage benchmark for the field.
A certificate is enough to enter, and an associate degree opens more of the ladder. Release of information is the part of the job worth understanding before you start, because it carries genuine legal exposure: a disclosure to the wrong requester is a privacy incident, not a clerical error. Employers know this, and it is one of the reasons they favour candidates who can show formal training over ones who cannot.
Our ranked list of medical coding programs scores every programme we can price. See the rankings and the accreditation guide.
Which certifications do medical records specialists hold?
Medical Records Specialists most often hold RHIT, CCA, CCS. Employers rarely accept all of them interchangeably, so check postings before you pick.
The RHIT is the credential that matters most for progression here, and it is the one a coding certificate cannot reach: AHIMA accepts only HIM degree programmes for eligibility. The CCA and CCS cover the coding portion of the work and are quicker to obtain. If you expect to stay in records rather than move into coding, the degree route to the RHIT is the one that pays off.
AHIMA
RHIT
Registered Health Information Technician
AHIMA
CCA
Certified Coding Associate
AHIMA
CCS
Certified Coding Specialist
Where does a medical records specialist go next?
A medical records specialist usually goes next into health information technician roles, or supervision, both of which usually want the RHIT.
Both of those moves run through the RHIT, and that is the constraint worth planning around early, because it means enrolling in a CAHIIM-accredited associate degree rather than adding another short certificate. People who postpone that decision often find they have accumulated several certificates and still cannot sit the exam that the supervisory postings ask for. See the coding to HIM degree guide for what transfers.
Common questions about working as a medical records specialist
How much does a medical records specialist make?
What qualifications do you need to be a medical records specialist?
What is the hardest part of being a medical records specialist?
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: national and state wages, employment and percentiles for SOC 29-2072.
- State figures from the same release, state rollup. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state rollup, cross-industry.
- Credential detail from each issuing body, cited on the certification pages.
The description of the work above is our own characterisation of the role rather than a quotation. Every wage and employment figure is federal and linked.