As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist in the United States is $87,790 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $42.
However, a Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist Salaries by Percentile
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75th Percentile | $96,790 | $8,066 | $1,861 | $47 |
| Average | $87,790 | $7,316 | $1,688 | $42 |
| 25th Percentile | $83,690 | $6,974 | $1,609 | $40 |
A Clinical Documentation Improvement 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 and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
Experience is a primary driver of a Clinical Documentation Improvement 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:
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist | $85,954 |
| Intermediate Level Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist | $86,260 |
| Senior Level Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist | $86,872 |
| Specialist Level Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist | $89,402 |
| Expert Level Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist | $92,491 |
Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $98,698. While startup companies pay approximate $83,802.
| Company Size | Employees | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | 1~50 | $83,802 |
| Growth Stage | 51~500 | $88,544 |
| Established | 501~5000 | $95,384 |
| Enterprise | 5000+ | $98,698 |
Understanding how a Clinical Documentation Improvement 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.
| Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75th Percentile | $96,790 | $8,066 | $1,861 | $47 |
| Average | $87,790 | $7,316 | $1,688 | $42 |
| 25th Percentile | $83,690 | $6,974 | $1,609 | $40 |
For a Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Health Information Records Administration Supervisor role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $58,700 - a projected growth of -33% over your current level.
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The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.
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