Medical Records Technician

Types of Degrees Medical Records Technician Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many health information/medical records technology/technician graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate’s Degree	4,339
Undergraduate Certificate	2,413
Basic Certificate	1,783
Bachelor’s Degree	75

What Medical Records Technician Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to health information/medical records technology/technician were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician Majors

Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician Majors

health information/medical records technology/technician majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician Majors

Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

What Can You Do With a Medical Records Technician Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with health information/medical records technology/technician:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Medical Records and Health Information Technicians	13.5%	$40,350

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Medical Records Technician?

The major attracts more women than men. About 93% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of health information/medical records technology/technician majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	242
Black or African American	825
Hispanic or Latino	478
White	2,393
International Students	45
Other Races/Ethnicities	356

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician. About 1.0% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Medical Records Technician Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to health information/medical records technology/technician is $44,010. This median refers to all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Medical Records Technician

Some degrees associated with health information/medical records technology/technician may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to health information/medical records technology/technician have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	48.3%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	11.0%
Some College Courses	20.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	20.0%
Bachelor’s Degree	0.5%

Online Medical Records Technician Programs

In the 2018-2019 academic year, 501 schools offered some type of health information/medical records technology/technician program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	160	37
Certificate (1-2 years)	189	50
Certificate (2-4 Years)	5	0
Associate’s Degree	360	112
Bachelor’s Degree	6	2
Post-Baccalaureate	160	37
Master’s Degree	7	4
Post-Master’s	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Medical Records Technician Worth It?

The median salary for a health information/medical records technology/technician grad is $44,010 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 10% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $82,200 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Medical Records Technician

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to health information/medical records technology/technician.

Major	Number of Grads
Health Care Management	14,779
Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder	8,933
Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant & Medical Secretary	8,765
Medical Insurance Specialist/Medical Biller	7,619
Medical Office Assistant/Specialist	5,301
Medical Office Management/Administration	3,769
Hospital & Health Care Facilities Administration/Management	3,177
Health Information Management	2,233
Other Health & Medical Administrative Services	1,994
Medical/Health Management & Clinical Assistant/Specialist	1,258
Medical Reception/Receptionist	745
Long Term Care Administration/Management	269
Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant	268
Medical Transcription/Transcriptionist	186
Health Unit Coordinator/Ward Clerk	182
Clinical Research Coordinator	101
Medical Staff Services Technology/Technician	28
Health/Medical Claims Examiner	14
Health Unit Manager/Ward Supervisor	4

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.