How Much Do Medical Coders Make?
Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary medical coders make, you've come to the right place.
Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for medical coders and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of medical coders are offering as compensation.
Keep reading to learn more about how much medical coders can expect to make in the United States.
At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Medical Coders
According to data from 2023, there were about 189,976 positions for medical coders in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for medical coders was reported to be $48,776. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 93,179 job postings related to positions for medical coders.
How Much Money Do Medical Coders Make?
Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money medical coders and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.
Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for medical coders.
Annual Salary for Medical Coders
According to the BLS, the lowest earners for medical coders and related professions earned about $35,090 per year in 2023. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $77,813 annually.
As mentioned previously, the median salary for medical coders in the United States in 2023 was $48,776.
Annual Salary Range For Medical Coders In 2023
Hourly Salary for Medical Coders
The BLS also breaks down compensation for medical coders by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for medical coders in 2023 was $23. Lowest hourly earners took home $17 while the highest reported hourly salaries for medical coders was $37.
Hourly Salary Range For Medical Coders In 2023
Top Online College For Working Adults
Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 affordable bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.
Degree Options for Medical Coders
Turn patient data into knowledge that improves lives with Franklin’s M.S. in Health Informatics. Finish your master's online in as few as 12 months.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 12
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Advertised Compensation for Medical Coders
Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for medical coders, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for medical coders.
Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™
Annual Salary from Job Postings for Medical Coders
Advertised Annual Salary
During a review of 69,484 job postings related to medical coders, advertised salary was included in 31,739 of them, which was 46%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for medical coders was $46,720 per year.
Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Medical Coders
Advertised Hourly Salary
A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for medical coders. Based on 34% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for medical coders in the United States is about $22.
Salary Trend for Medical Coders
If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for medical coders. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.
Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for medical coders dating back to September 2020, advertised salaries for medical coders have increased 28%.
Advertised Wage Trend For Medical Coders
What's the Job Growth for Medical Coders?
Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for medical coders over the next 10 years.
According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 189,659 jobs for medical coders in the United States in 2023. By 2033, it is expected that about 24,667 jobs will be added. That's a 13% increase over the next 10-year period.
Employment Projections For Medical Coders
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about medical coders? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for medical coders.
What do medical coders do?
Medical Coders: How do you become one?
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.