Certified Coding Specialist Salary in the United States

How much does a Certified Coding Specialist make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Certified Coding Specialist in the United States is $74,345 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $36.

However, a Certified Coding Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $85,069
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $65,888 to $79,958
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $58,188

Key Factors That Influence Certified Coding Specialist Salaries

A Certified Coding Specialist'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 Certified Coding Specialist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Certified Coding Specialist'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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $73,523
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $75,106
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $77,532
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $77,792
  • Expert (over 8 years): $77,965
Levels Salary
Entry Level Certified Coding Specialist$73,523
Intermediate Level Certified Coding Specialist$75,106
Senior Level Certified Coding Specialist$77,532
Specialist Level Certified Coding Specialist$77,792
Expert Level Certified Coding Specialist$77,965

Top Paying Cities for Certified Coding Specialists

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: $93,772
  • San Francisco: $92,745
  • Oakland: $90,790

What Skills Can Increase a Certified Coding Specialist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 2.07% 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.
  • Medical Coding (Mentioned in 3.25% Job Postings): Is the transformation of healthcare diagnosis, procedures, medical services, and equipment into universal medical alphanumeric codes.
  • HIPAA (Mentioned in 1.83% Job Postings): The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge.
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 2.07%
Medical Coding 3.25%
HIPAA 1.83%

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 Certified Coding Specialist's salary.

  • Partnering: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Oral Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
  • Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Partnering $77,319
4%
Oral Communication $76,576
3%
Analysis $76,576
3%

Certified Coding Specialist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Certified Coding Specialist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 55% (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 30% above the average. In contrast, Certified Coding Specialist positions in Insurance or Business Services typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Certified Coding Specialist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Certified Coding Specialist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$96,649$46.030%
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit$78,062$38.05%

How Education impacts a Certified Coding Specialist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Certified Coding Specialists enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Certified Coding Specialist with a Associate's Degree is between $69,602 and $74,687).

Certified Coding Specialist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Certified Coding Specialist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 4.3%
High School 39.4%
Associates 36.2%
Bachelors 16.0%
Masters 4.3%
Doctorate 0.0%

Certified Coding Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Certified Coding Specialist'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 September 01, 2026
$65,888
Average $74,345/year
$79,958
$5,491
Average $6,195/month
$6,663
$1,267
Average $1,430/week
$1,538
$32
Average $36/hour
$38
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $79,958 $6,663 $1,538 $38
Average $74,345 $6,195 $1,430 $36
25th Percentile $65,888 $5,491 $1,267 $32

Most common benefits for Certified Coding Specialist

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

Common company salaries for Certified Coding Specialist

Here are companies hiring for Certified Coding Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Certified Coding Specialist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Certified Coding Specialist?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Certified Coding Specialist roles, with salaries approximately 30% 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.

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