Salary AI Book a Demo
upper level job

Hourly Wage for Medical Records Coding Technician I Salary in the United States

How much does a Medical Records Coding Technician I make hourly?

As of August 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Medical Records Coding Technician I in the United States is $20, which translates to an annual salary of about $41,062.

However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $24 per hour
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $18 to $22 per hour
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $17 per hour
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Medical Records Coding Technician I Salaries

A Medical Records Coding Technician I'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 Coding Technician I Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Medical Records Coding Technician I'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 Coding Technician I (0-1 years): $41,062
  • Medical Records Coding Technician II (1-3 years): $50,435
  • Medical Records Coding Technician III (3-5 years): $66,389
  • Medical Records Coding Manager (5+ years): $80,972
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Medical Records Coding Technician I0-1 years$41,062
Medical Records Coding Technician II1-3 years$50,435
Medical Records Coding Technician III3-5 years$66,389
Medical Records Coding Manager5+ years$80,972
View as Graph

How Do Medical Records Coding Technician Is Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Medical Records Coding Technician Is. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $45,464.
  • California: $45,291.
  • Massachusetts: $44,688.

Top Paying Cities for Medical Records Coding Technician I

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: $51,792
  • San Francisco: $51,224
  • Oakland: $50,145

What Skills Can Increase a Medical Records Coding Technician I's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 12.14% 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 3.61% 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 2.55% 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 12.14%
Health Information Management 3.61%
EHR 2.55%
See More Skills

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 Coding Technician I's salary.

  • McKesson: Can increase your salary by up to 18%.
  • Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
  • Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
McKesson $48,453
18%
Innovation $48,043
17%
Collaboration $46,811
14%
Get Latest Data

Medical Records Coding Technician I Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Medical Records Coding Technician I salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $44,235. While startup companies pay approximate $37,543.

Medical Records Coding Technician I Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $37,543
Growth Stage 51~500 $39,678
Established 501~5000 $42,743
Enterprise 5000+ $44,235

Medical Records Coding Technician I Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Medical Records Coding Technician I roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 100% (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 Coding Technician positions in Insurance or Business Services typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Medical Records Coding Technician I as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Medical Records Coding Technician I

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$61,593$30.050%
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit$49,274$24.020%

How Education impacts an Medical Records Coding Technician I's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Medical Records Coding Technician I 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 Coding Technician I with a Bachelor's Degree is between $41,603 and $44,406.

Medical Records Coding Technician I Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Medical Records Coding Technician I
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.1%
High School 35.1%
Associates 44.1%
Bachelors 19.1%
Masters 0.5%
Doctorate 0.0%
View as Graph

Medical Records Coding Technician I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Medical Records Coding Technician I'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
$37,546
Average $41,062/year
$45,432
$3,129
Average $3,422/month
$3,786
$722
Average $790/week
$874
$18
Average $20/hour
$22
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $45,432 $3,786 $874 $22
Average $41,062 $3,422 $790 $20
25th Percentile $37,546 $3,129 $722 $18

Most common benefits for Medical Records Coding Technician I

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

Common company salaries for Medical Records Coding Technician I

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

Find Your Next Medical Records Coding Technician I Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Medical Records Coding Technician I 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 Coding Technician I

1. What are the responsibilities of Medical Records Coding Technician I?

Abstracts clinical information from medical records and assigns the appropriate ICD or CPT codes using industry-standard coding guidelines. Assigns required DRG (diagnosis-related grouping) codes. Works with coding databases and software to input and maintain data according to standard procedures. Performs quality audits of work. Maintains and up-to-date knowledge of coding and documentation requirements. Does not require a medical coding certification. Requires a high school diploma. Typically reports to a supervisor or manager. Works under the close direction of senior personnel in the functional area. Possesses a moderate understanding of general aspects of the job. May require 0-1 year of general work experience.

2. What are the skills of Medical Records Coding Technician I

Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.

1.)

Customer Service: 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.

2.)

Health Information Management: 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".

3.)

EHR: 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

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine 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