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Medical Records Technician

A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of health information administrators and other professionals, to construct medical records and clinical databases, perform manipulations on retrieved data, control the security and quality of records, and supervise data entry and technical maintenance personnel. Includes instruction in clinical and biomedical science data and information requirements, database management, data coding and validation, information security, quality control, health information content and structure, medical business procedures, and legal requirements.

Types of Degrees Medical Records Technician Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Medical Records Technician may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	5,270
Associate’s Degree	3,354
Bachelor’s Degree	67
Master’s Degree	3,091

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Medical Records Technician professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Corel WordPerfect Office Suite	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Eko	Desktop communications software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Virtual private networking VPN software	Network security and virtual private network VPN equipment software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Tableau	Business intelligence and data analysis software	—
Speech recognition software	Voice recognition software	—
e-MDs topsChart	Medical software	—
Allscripts EHR	Medical software	—
Visionary Medical Systems Visionary OFFICE PM	Medical software	—
SAP Crystal Reports	Data base reporting software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Medical Records Technician graduates include:

• Medical Records Clerk
• Health Information Specialist
• Health Records Technician (Health Records Tech)
• Clinical Data Specialist
• Medical Records Analyst
• Healthcare Data Analyst
• Medical Records Director
• Medical Care Evaluation Specialist
• Cancer Registrar
• ROI Specialist (Release of Information Specialist)
• Severity of Illness Coordinator
• Health Information Administrator
• Applications Analyst
• Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR)
• Compliance Coordinator

Who Is Earning a Degree in Medical Records Technician?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 94.5% of Medical Records Technician degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	11,172	94.5%
Men	656	5.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Medical Records Technician graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,852	49.5%
Asian	374	3.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1,502	12.7%
Black or African American	2,834	24.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	114	1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	36	0.3%
Two or More Races	353	3.0%
Race Unknown	711	6.0%
International Students	52	0.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Medical Records Technician Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Medical Records Technician graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise 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 Records Technician Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Medical Records Technician. 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	115	41
Bachelor’s	4	2
Master’s	3	2

^{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 Records Technician Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Medical Records Technician 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
Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder	10,171
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.