While medical billing and coding jobs are continually growing in demand and pay, intentionally focusing your efforts can lead to higher pay and career advances. Use this guide to get into the highest paying medical coding and billing jobs, so you get the most from your career.
Workplace
There are many factors to consider to get you to the highest paying positions, the first of which is the type of workplace for which you are employed. The American Academy of Professional Coders’ salary surveys from 2017 – 2013 have consistently shown that the best places to work are:
- Hospital Inpatient
- Health System
- Large Group Practices
Location
Geography plays a big part in how much you’ll make as well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, areas with the highest annual mean wage as of May 2016, are
- The West Coast (Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada)
- The East Coast (New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maryland)
- Minnesota
- Colorado
- Alaska
If you would like to be placed in a medical coding or billing specialist job, please fill out the form below or call us at 602-468-6300.
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Certification
AAPC’s annual salary survey consistently has shown that credentials result in higher income. The 2017 salary survey reports that having just one credential can raise one’s annual pay by an average of $6,442.
AAPC and other organizations offer certifications for medical coders and billers. Here are some of the highest paying medical coding certifications, based on reviewing the AAPC’s salary surveys from 2014 – 2017:
CPC-I
People with this certification have earned an average yearly salary of $75,000 over the last four years. CPC-I means you are an AAPC Certified Instructor and you can teach at licensed schools or businesses. Do you think that teaching might be right for you? If so, you’ll need to have at least five years of medical coding experience, and you’ll need to have certifications in the area(s) within which you wish to teach. It is also advisable to have at least a year of experience with compliance audit work. Learn more at the AAPC website.
CPCO
CPCO certified medical coders earned an average salary of $73,500 over the past four years. CPCOs are compliance officers who develop, implement and monitor a healthcare compliance program based on governmental regulatory guidelines. If you wish to become employed as a CPCO, you will likely be asked to have at least five years of medical coding and auditing experience.
CPPM
CPPM certified medical coders have earned an average of $65,250 per year over the last four years. With this certification, you are likely going to manage a physician’s practice and are knowledgeable in compliance, EMR, health care reform issues, and other areas that relate to the general business processes of a physician’s office.
CPMA
Medical coders with this certification have earned an average yearly salary of $64,000 over the last four years, according to the AAPC’s salary surveys. A CPMA is an auditor. For this certification, you will need to be proficient in coding, coding risk analysis, and medical documentation that is in line with governmental guidelines. You’ll need to be comfortable communicating audit conclusions in report form as well as verbally. You’ll likely develop auditing programs and work closely with management to ensure compliance programs are in place and are effective to keep in compliance with standards such as iec 61508 and others at all times.
You can learn more about this certification at the AAPC’s website.
Years of Experience
The more experience you have as a medical coder or biller, the more money you are likely to make. It is a consistent finding of the AAPC’s salary surveys that those with more years of experience make more money than those who are just starting out in the profession. How much more? In the 2017 Salary Survey, $38,011 was the average salary reported for those with 0 – 1 years of experience. In comparison, those who had 10 – 15 years of experience made an average yearly salary of $55,793.
Hiring Agency
Have you ever heard someone say that they were offered a job before it was ever advertised? Or that they were recruited for a new position that was perfect for them when they weren’t even looking for a new job? These things happen, and it has everything to do with letting the right people know your skills, experience, and career goals.
Working with an agency that specializes in healthcare and has long-term relationships with healthcare employers is an excellent shortcut to the best jobs available.
We have found that our approach, which is free for the person seeking a medical job, ends up getting people placed quicker and in better positions than when someone searches on their own. Our success is because all we do is employ people within the healthcare industry and we’ve been doing it for over two decades, so we have relationships with employers who come to us first to find employees for them.
Are You Looking for a Medical Coding or Billing Job?
Desert Medical Careers has a high demand for medical coding and billing jobs throughout the United States. We place full-time and part-time positions. With over 20 years’ experience working with healthcare employees, DMC is an expert at matching healthcare workers with their ideal work environment. Contact DMC today at (602) 468-6300.