Medical coders spend substantial time working with health-related documents.
Medical coders belong to the class of health care workers who manage health information and medical records. Sometimes called coding specialists, they use codes and coding systems to classify procedures and diagnoses mentioned in health records. The codes help identify potential reimbursement amounts from insurance programs. As of May 2010, medical coders employed in Georgia earned a median salary of $14.23 an hour, or $29,600 per year, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Occupation Features
The United States had about 172,500 health information and medical records technicians in 2008, with most employed in hospitals. The remainder held jobs in settings such as the offices of medical doctors and outpatient care centers. Approximately 4,640 worked in Georgia as of May 2010. The occupation will grow at a fast pace of about 20 percent through 2018, and the best positions will require an aptitude for computer software and technology, predicts the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Statewide Salary
The average salary for all medical coders employed in Georgia was $15.51 per hour, or $32,250 a year, as of May 2010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The statewide average in Georgia was lower than the national average for the occupation, which was $16.83 per hour, or $35,010 a year. Medical coders with the highest income in Georgia made more than $23.73 per hour, or $49,360 a year. Those with the lowest income in the state made less than $9.73 per hour, or $20,250 a year.
Highest Salary
As of May 2010, employers in Clarke County, including its county seat Athens, paid medical coders the highest average salary in the state. Medical coders who worked in the area earned an average income of $16.61 an hour, or $34,540 a year. The highest-paid medical coders in the county earned more than $22.69 an hour, or $47,200 a year. Employers in Atlanta, Marietta and Sandy Springs paid medical coders the second-best average salary in the state, which was $16.52 an hour, or $34,450 a year. Yet, one-tenth of the medical coders employed in the cities received a wage greater than $25.26 an hour, or $52,550 a year.
Lowest Salary
Medical coders employed in Georgia earned the lowest average salary in Gainesville as of May 2010. Employers in the city paid $15.08 per hour on average, or $31,360 per year, but 10 percent of the medical coders who worked in the location made more than $22.29 per hour, or $46,370 a year. Macon had the next-lowest average salary for medical coders, which was $15.20 per hour, or $31,620 per year. The best-paid medical coders in Macon earned more than $28.61 per hour, or $59,520 a year.
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