Medical billers and coders manage the health records of patients through the use of coding systems. Medical transcriptionists convert the recorded dictation of doctors and other medical professionals into written documents. Both careers require postsecondary certificates that can take from one to two years to complete. And yet, medical transcription vs medical coding salary ranges are different.
Medical Transcriptionists Responsibilities and Pay
At an average $33,380 per year, or $16.05 per hour, as of May 2019, medical transcriptionists made more than medical billers and coders, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest 10% of salaried medical transcriptionists start from less than $22,160 per year, or $10.65 per hour, and the top 10% rise above $51,260 per year, or $24.64 per hour.
Transcriptionists listen to the recorded voices of health professionals and transcribe them into referral letters, diagnostic test results and other medical documents. They use audio playback equipment that usually includes a headset and foot pedal to control playback speed, and enter information into a computer using specialized software. Aspiring medical transcriptionists can receive medical transcriptionist training at an organization such as Penn Foster.
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Transcriptionist Salaries and Duties
Transcriptionists found their best opportunities in business support services and offices of physicians, which provided more than a third of the 58,500 U.S. jobs in 2019. Average salaries for Business Support Services were $29,790 a year while salaries for Offices of Physicians were higher, at $36,570 yearly. The highest pay for medical transcriptionists are at dental offices, with salary averaging $47,790 yearly.
Most jobs were in California, which contained almost 7 percent of the total positions, and offered average pay at $39,560 per year, or $19.02 per hour. The location with the highest paying employers was Minnesota with average yearly salary at $44,720, or $21.50 per hour.
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Medical Coders Salaries
Comparing medical transcriptionist vs medical coding salary, medical coders received higher wages on average. Medical billers and coders received an average $42,630 per year, or $20.50 per hour, as of 2019. Their low was higher than that for medical transcriptionists at $27,820 per year, or $13.38 per hour. In addition, their high was significantly greater at $71,150 per year, or $34.21 per hour. Medical coders are also known as medical records technicians or health information techs because they use different classification systems to organize patient information, typically on a computer. They review patient details for accuracy, protect the confidentiality of health information, and assign classification codes, which are used for billing, reimbursem*nt and analysis.
Medical Coders Employment Breakdown
Medial coders also found their most employment with general medical and surgical hospitals, which had more than a third of the U.S. positions, with average pay at $49,370 per year, or $23.74 per hour. The highest salaries were, surprisingly, in Junior Colleges with annual wages at $91,900 per year, or $44.18 per hour.
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The state with the most jobs for the profession was California, with 40,900 employed medical codes with mean wages of $52,580 per year, or $25.28 per hour. The state with the highest average salaries for medical coder was the District of Colombia with average pay of $59,450 per year, or $21.38 per hour. However it is important to remember if considering the District of Colombia as a potential career destination, that although taxed as one, it is not actually a state but closer to a territory, without the type of Congressional representation available to other citizens.
