Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 29-2072

Medical Records Specialists

Median pay sits 85% below the mid peer in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations (neighbors include Surgeons, All Other, Orthodontists, Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Emergency Medicine Physicians).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Medical Records Specialists: Surgeons, All Other ($414K) , Orthodontists ($289K) , Obstetricians and Gynecologists ($293K) , Emergency Medicine Physicians ($336K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Medical Records Specialists publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 29-2072 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Assign the patient to diagnosis-related groups (DRGs), using appropriate computer software
  2. 2. Compile and maintain patients' medical records to document condition and treatment and to provide data for research or cost control and c…
  3. 3. Consult classification manuals to locate information about disease processes
  4. 4. Enter data, such as demographic characteristics, history and extent of disease, diagnostic procedures, or treatment into computer
  5. 5. Identify, compile, abstract, and code patient data, using standard classification systems
  6. 6. Maintain or operate a variety of health record indexes or storage and retrieval systems to collect, classify, store, or analyze information
  7. 7. Post medical insurance billings
  8. 8. Process and prepare business or government forms
  9. 9. Process patient admission or discharge documents
  10. 10. Protect the security of medical records to ensure that confidentiality is maintained
  11. 11. Release information to persons or agencies according to regulations
  12. 12. Resolve or clarify codes or diagnoses with conflicting, missing, or unclear information by consulting with doctors or others or by partic…
Pay vs Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations peers
-85%
vs mid peer median $335,550
This role $51,140/yr
$51K
National median
↑ +7%
Growth 2024-2034
14,200
Annual openings
194,720
Estimated US jobs
Surgeons, All Other
Highest-pay peer · $414K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Postsecondary nondegree award

Top Paying States for Medical Records Specialists

1. California $61,810
2. Rhode Island $63,960
3. Washington $62,270
4. New York $61,720
5. Massachusetts $60,350
6. Hawaii $63,180
7. District of Columbia $72,040
8. Connecticut $60,940
9. Minnesota $61,530
10. Alaska $61,090

Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations titles

  1. 1. Obstetricians and Gynecologists $292,910
  2. 2. Surgeons, All Other $414,010
  3. 3. Orthodontists $289,140
  4. 4. Emergency Medicine Physicians $335,550
  5. 5. Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $300,080
  6. 6. Physicians, Pathologists $312,400

Among Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations peers on this card, Medical Records Specialists sits 85% below the mid peer median ($335,550). Its own median is $51,140.

Employment Projections expect +7% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 14,200 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: California at $61,810. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Surgeons, All Other at $414,010. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Medical Records Specialists pay-rank #63 in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

On the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations median table (71 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Medical Records Specialists lands at #63, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Medical Records Specialists pays 85% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Medical Records Specialists salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 29-2072

California · top state for Medical Records Specialists

$62K published median

Rhode Island · #2 state pay

$64K · behind California

Surgeons, All Other

Highest-pay peer vs Medical Records Specialists · $414K

Orthodontists

Lower-pay peer beside Medical Records Specialists · $289K

Compare Medical Records Specialists

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Medical Records Specialists with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Medical Records Specialists

Against another occupation

Surgeons, All Other card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Medical Records Specialists land on the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations median table? ▼
Medical Records Specialists is pay-rank #63 of 71 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other ($50K), Veterinary Technologists and Technicians ($47K), Opticians, Dispensing ($47K), Pharmacy Technicians ($46K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do medical records specialists do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Medical Records Specialists. Leading ones include: Assign the patient to diagnosis-related groups (DRGs), using appropriate computer software; Compile and maintain patients' medical records to document condition and treatment and to provide data for research or cost control and c…; Consult classification manuals to locate information about disease processes; Enter data, such as demographic characteristics, history and extent of disease, diagnostic procedures, or treatment into computer. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
What is the OEWS national median for Medical Records Specialists? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $51,140 as the national median for Medical Records Specialists. The published 10th-90th range is $37,000 to $81,150. Beside Surgeons, All Other ($414,010), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Medical Records Specialists? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Medical Records Specialists is +7%. Projected annual openings: about 14,200. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Medical Records Specialists? ▼
BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Medical Records Specialists. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Medical Records Specialists? ▼
California ($61,810), Rhode Island ($63,960), Washington ($62,270) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Medical Records Specialists card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 29-2072. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Medical Records Specialists. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics