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Medical Insurance Coding Specialist

A program that prepares individuals to perform specialized data entry, classification, and record-keeping procedures related to medical diagnostic, treatment, billing, and insurance documentation. Includes instruction in medical records and insurance software applications, basic anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, fundamentals of medical science and treatment procedures, data classification and coding, data entry skills, and regulations relating to Medicare and insurance documentation.

Types of Degrees Medical Insurance Coding Specialist Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Medical Insurance Coding Specialist can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	6,065
Associate’s Degree	1,540
Master’s Degree	2,392

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Medical Insurance Coding Specialist professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
3M Encoder	Categorization or classification software	—
Scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Microsoft Exchange	Electronic mail software	—
Encoder software	Transaction security and virus protection software	—
Purkinje Dossier	Data base user interface and query software	—
NextGen Healthcare Information Systems EMR	Medical software	—
SoftMed ChartReserve	Document management software	—
MicroStrategy	Business intelligence and data analysis software	—
Epic Systems	Medical software	✓
Electronic medical record EMR software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
IBM Lotus 1-2-3	Spreadsheet software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Medical Insurance Coding Specialist graduates include:

• Health Information Specialist
• Medical Records Clerk
• Health Information Management Specialist
• Applications Analyst
• Cancer Registrar
• Health Information Management Technician (Health Information Management Tech)
• Digital Health Technologist
• Compliance Coordinator
• Certified Cancer Registrar
• Clinical Analyst
• Health Data Analyst
• Medical Information Specialist
• Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR)
• Health Information Technician
• ROI Specialist (Release of Information Specialist)

Who Is Earning a Degree in Medical Insurance Coding Specialist?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 93.5% of Medical Insurance Coding Specialist degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	9,511	93.5%
Men	660	6.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Medical Insurance Coding Specialist graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4,531	44.5%
Asian	296	2.9%
Hispanic or Latino	1,943	19.1%
Black or African American	1,930	19.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	149	1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	68	0.7%
Two or More Races	295	2.9%
Race Unknown	923	9.1%
International Students	36	0.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Medical Insurance Coding Specialist Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Medical Insurance Coding Specialist graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$36,041
4 years	$36,054
5 years	$40,847

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $40,847 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Medical Insurance Coding Specialist Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Medical Insurance Coding Specialist. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	34	20

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Medical Insurance Coding Specialist Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Medical Insurance Coding Specialist graduates earn a median of $36,054 four years after completion — about 5% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Health and Medical Administrative Services	90,166
Health/Health Care Administration/Management	28,347
Medical Insurance Specialist/Medical Biller	11,963
Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician	11,828
Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary	7,771
Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management	3,494
Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other	3,168
Medical Informatics	3,054
Medical Office Management/Administration	2,900
Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator	2,781
Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist	1,195
Medical Reception/Receptionist	844

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.