Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
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Medical Records Technicians
Medical Records Technicians compile, process, and maintain medical records of hospital and clinic patients in a manner consistent with medical, administrative, ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements of the health care system. Process, maintain, compile, and report patient information for health requirements and standards in a manner consistent with the healthcare industry's numerical coding system.
Table of contents
What they do
Medical Records Technicians compile, process, and maintain medical records of hospital and clinic patients in a manner consistent with medical, administrative, ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements of the health care system. Process, maintain, compile, and report patient information for health requirements and standards in a manner consistent with the healthcare industry's numerical coding system.
- Assign the patient to diagnosis-related groups (DRGs), using appropriate computer software.
- Protect the security of medical records to ensure that confidentiality is maintained.
- Review records for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with regulations.
- Process patient admission or discharge documents.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Medical Records Technicians manage the department or supervise clerical workers, directing or controlling activities of personnel in the medical records department. They protect the security of medical records to ensure that confidentiality is maintained.
- Plan, develop, maintain, or operate a variety of health record indexes or storage and retrieval systems to collect, classify, store, or analyze information.
- Assign the patient to diagnosis-related groups (DRGs), using appropriate computer software.
- Compile and maintain patients’ medical records to document condition and treatment and to provide data for research or cost control and care improvement efforts.
- Identify, compile, abstract, and code patient data, using standard classification systems.
- Review records for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with regulations.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Medical Records Technicians also prepare statistical reports, narrative reports, or graphic presentations of information, such as tumor registry data for use by hospital staff, researchers, or other users. They may also process and prepare business or government forms.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Medical Records Technicians release information to persons or agencies according to regulations. They might also develop in-service educational materials.
In addition, they consult classification manuals to locate information about disease processes.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them compile medical care and census data for statistical reports on diseases treated, surgery performed, or use of hospital beds.
To some Medical Records Technicians, it is also their responsibility to retrieve patient medical records for physicians, technicians, or other medical personnel.
What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
71% said they were satisfied with their job and 58% said they found their job meaningful.
I’m a Clinical Documentation Integrity Nurse. I work remotely for an acute care hospital doing chart reviews.
My typical day
8 hours days, 5 days a week. Reviewing charts for physician documentation and quality.
Pros
- I absolutely love the commute, bed to desk takes about 5 minutes with a pit stop for coffee. I am also able to save thousands of dollars and time now that I don’t have a commute. There is nothing better than working in a home office with your dog all day. I love that at the end of my day I close my computer and I’m already home.
Cons
- Sedentary work. When I worked in the ER I was used to never sitting down and constantly being on the move, it’s been quite an adjustment being strapped to a desk for my current role. I’ve had to be better about intentionally getting out for walks and mountain bike rides.
- Sometimes I miss direct patient care, but I’m building an entirely different skill set in my new role. I know if I ever return to the bedside I will be a better nurse for the knowledge I’ve gained.
- Isolation. It gets lonely sometimes working from home, especially since I was used to a busy and loud unit. Luckily, I’m fairly introverted and am content to work by myself most days.
Pros
Suitable for people who like to follow routines.
Suitable for people who value relationships between co-workers and customers and want to work in a friendly non-competitive environment.
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
It is not too difficult to get into this career. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Normal working hours (40 hours per week).
Cons
Not suitable for people who like to work with designs.
Salary is below average.
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Medical Records Technicians with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $28,800 to $34,810 per year or $14 to $17 per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $73,370 | $35 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $57,840 | $28 |
| Median | $44,090 | $21 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $34,810 | $17 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $28,800 | $14 |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Medical Records Technicians based on their average annual salary.
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Colleges | $89220 | $42.90 |
| Federal Executive Branch | $57690 | $27.74 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | $56010 | $26.93 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $55950 | $26.90 |
| Insurance Carriers | $54970 | $26.43 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $54950 | $26.42 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $52700 | $25.34 |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $52410 | $25.20 |
| Educational Support Services | $51650 | $24.83 |
| Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services | $51490 | $24.75 |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Medical Records Technicians work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Medical Records Technicians including the average salary in that industry.
| Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 108650 | $50940 | $24.49 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 51750 | $44850 | $21.56 |
| Offices of Physicians | 46220 | $43080 | $20.71 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 15030 | $52700 | $25.34 |
| Federal Executive Branch | 9810 | $57690 | $27.74 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 9330 | $42810 | $20.58 |
| Office Administrative Services | 8850 | $47600 | $22.89 |
| Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | 6220 | $44850 | $21.56 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 5280 | $48010 | $23.08 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 4720 | $55950 | $26.90 |
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What is the work day like
Working hours
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Telephone
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Group discussions
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Public speaking
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What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
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Relevant majors
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On The Job Training
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Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.
They also like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk-taking and often deal with business.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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