upper level job

Medical Records Clerk Salary in the United States

How much does a Medical Records Clerk make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Medical Records Clerk in the United States is $33,600 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $16.

However, a Medical Records Clerk's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $39,263
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $30,174 to $36,564
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $27,055

Key Factors That Influence Medical Records Clerk Salaries

A Medical Records Clerk's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Medical Records Clerk Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Medical Records Clerk's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Medical Records Clerk (1-3 years): $33,600
  • Medical Chart Compliance Auditor (3-5 years): $59,526
  • Medical Records Supervisor (5+ years): $58,617
  • Medical Records Senior Supervisor (5+ years): $83,014
  • Medical Records Manager (5+ years): $101,257
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Medical Records Clerk1-3 years$33,600
Medical Chart Compliance Auditor3-5 years$59,526
Medical Records Supervisor5+ years$58,617
Medical Records Senior Supervisor5+ years$83,014
Medical Records Manager5+ years$101,257

Top Paying Cities for Medical Records Clerk

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $42,380
  • San Francisco: $41,916
  • Oakland: $41,032

What Skills Can Increase a Medical Records Clerk's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 9.63% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • Health Information Management (Mentioned in 3.46% Job Postings): Health information management (HIM) is information management applied to health and health care. It is the practice of acquiring, analyzing and protecting digital and traditional medical information vital to providing quality patient care. With the widespread computerization of health records, traditional (paper-based) records are being replaced with electronic health records (EHRs). The tools of health informatics and health information technology are continually improving to bring greater efficiency to information management in the health care sector. Both hospital information systems and Human Resource for Health Information System (HRHIS) are common implementations of HIM. Health information management professionals plan information systems, develop health policy, and identify current and future information needs. In addition, they may apply the science of informatics to the collection, storage, analysis, use, and transmission of information to meet legal, professional, ethical and administrative records-keeping requirements of health care delivery. They work with clinical, epidemiological, demographic, financial, reference, and coded healthcare data. Health information administrators have been described to "play a critical role in the delivery of healthcare in the United States through their focus on the collection, maintenance and use of quality data to support the information-intensive and information-reliant healthcare system".
  • EHR (Mentioned in 1.96% Job Postings): An electronic health record is the systematized collection of patient and population electronically stored health information in a digital format. These records can be shared across different health care settings
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 9.63%
Health Information Management 3.46%
EHR 1.96%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Medical Records Clerk's salary.

  • Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 34%.
  • Product Quality: Can increase your salary by up to 25%.
  • Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 24%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Commitment $45,024
34%
Product Quality $42,000
25%
Collaboration $41,664
24%

Medical Records Clerk Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Medical Records Clerk salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $36,196. While startup companies pay approximate $30,720.

Medical Records Clerk Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $30,720
Growth Stage 51~500 $32,467
Established 501~5000 $34,976
Enterprise 5000+ $36,196

Medical Records Clerk Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Medical Records Clerk roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 110% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Healthcare and Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average. In contrast, Medical Records Clerk positions in Insurance or Business Services typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Medical Records Clerk as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Medical Records Clerk

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$50,400$24.050%
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit$40,320$19.020%

How Education impacts an Medical Records Clerk's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Medical Records Clerk enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Medical Records Clerk with a Bachelor's Degree is between $38,946 and $41,314.

Medical Records Clerk Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Medical Records Clerk
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.6%
High School 54.9%
Associates 28.3%
Bachelors 14.5%
Masters 1.5%
Doctorate 0.2%

Medical Records Clerk Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Medical Records Clerk's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026
$30,174
Average $33,600/year
$36,564
$2,515
Average $2,800/month
$3,047
$580
Average $646/week
$703
$15
Average $16/hour
$18
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $36,564 $3,047 $703 $18
Average $33,600 $2,800 $646 $16
25th Percentile $30,174 $2,515 $580 $15

Medical Records Clerk Salary Growth & Career Path

For a Medical Records Clerk, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Medical Chart Compliance Auditor role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $59,526 - a projected growth of 77% over your current level.

Most common benefits for Medical Records Clerk

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Medical Records Clerk

Here are companies hiring for Medical Records Clerk and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Medical Records Clerk Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Medical Records Clerk job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Medical Records Clerk

1. Where can a Medical Records Clerk earn the most?

A Medical Records Clerk's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Medical Records Clerk earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Medical Records Clerk is $42,380.

2. What is the highest pay for Medical Records Clerk?

The highest pay for Medical Records Clerk is $39,263.

3. What is the lowest pay for Medical Records Clerk?

The lowest pay for Medical Records Clerk is $27,055.

4. What are the responsibilities of Medical Records Clerk?

Organizes, files, and retrieves patient medical records. Performs data entry, file maintenance, and other clerical processes. Follows established policies and procedures to ensure effective and compliant record management. Fulfills information requests for retrieval and printing of medical records from storage or archives. Ensures the privacy and security of all patient records. Requires a high school diploma. Typically reports to a supervisor. Works under moderate supervision. Gaining or has attained full proficiency in a specific area of discipline. Typically requires 1-3 years of related experience.

5. What industry pays the highest salary for Medical Records Clerk?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Medical Records Clerk roles, with salaries approximately 50% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst