Medical records specialists
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Medical records specialists in the United States earn a median salary of $51,140 per year — about $25 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 195K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +7%.
AI & Automation Risk
This occupation is almost entirely digital, involving the processing, classification, and entry of data into electronic systems. AI is already highly capable of natural language processing and automated medical coding, which directly automates the core tasks of reviewing records and assigning clinical codes, significantly reducing the need for human intervention.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CABEST VALUE | $86,890 | Above avg (110.4) | $78,688 |
| Vallejo, CA | $82,230 | Above avg (108.5) | $75,803 |
| Iowa City, IA | $66,340 | Below avg (91.5) | $72,496 |
| Greenville, NC | $62,570 | Below avg (88.4) | $70,779 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $75,150 | Above avg (106.7) | $70,451 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $64,590 | Below avg (91.8) | $70,383 |
| Topeka, KS | $62,470 | Below avg (88.8) | $70,333 |
| St. Cloud, MN | $60,490 | Below avg (87.6) | $69,027 |
| Appleton, WI | $63,510 | Below avg (92.4) | $68,720 |
| Columbia, MO | $60,960 | Below avg (89.4) | $68,159 |
| Cheyenne, WY | $65,680 | Below avg (96.5) | $68,069 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $62,590 | Below avg (92.0) | $68,001 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $65,730 | Below avg (96.9) | $67,807 |
| Columbia, SC | $62,650 | Below avg (93.7) | $66,889 |
| Jackson, TN | $57,150 | Below avg (85.5) | $66,825 |