Most medical coders earn around $51,140 a year. Where you live, whether you're certified and where you work all make a big difference.
Below you'll find pay at every level, what beginners make, whether coders or billers earn more, and pay in every state.
How much money do you make as a medical coder?
Most medical coders earn around $51,140 a year. In pay data, coders are grouped with other health records workers under the title "medical records specialists."
How much can a beginner coder make?
Expect to start somewhere around $37,000 to $43,500 a year. New workers usually earn less than the typical coder.
A few things can move your starting pay up:
- Where you live. Starting pay in a high-wage state can be higher than typical pay in a low-wage state. See the state table below.
- Getting certified. Many employers prefer or require a certification such as the CPC. If you pass without work experience, you start as a CPC-A (apprentice), which some employers hire specifically.
- Starting in a related job. Many coders begin in billing, patient registration or the front desk, then move into coding at the same employer.
If you're still deciding how to train, our guide on 4-week vs. 4-month medical billing and coding courses compares the time and total cost of each path.
What pays more, medical coding or billing?
Coding usually pays a little more:
| Job | Per year |
|---|---|
| Medical records specialists (includes medical coders) | $51,140 |
| Billing and posting clerks (includes medical billers) | $48,500 |
Two things to keep in mind:
- The billing number isn't only medical. The "billing and posting clerks" group includes billing jobs in every industry, not just healthcare.
- Many jobs do both. In smaller medical offices, one person often codes visits and sends the claims. Job titles like "medical billing and coding specialist" are common, and they usually pay in the coder range.
Certification shows a similar pattern. AAPC members with the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) credential averaged $67,147 in 2025.
Medical coding salary by state
Pay varies a lot by state. These states pay medical coders the most:
| State | Per year |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $72,040 |
| Rhode Island | $63,960 |
| Hawaii | $63,180 |
| Washington | $62,270 |
| California | $61,810 |
| New York | $61,720 |
| Minnesota | $61,530 |
| Alaska | $61,090 |
| Connecticut | $60,940 |
| Massachusetts | $60,350 |
Higher pay often comes with a higher cost of living, so a top-paying state isn't always the best deal. Remote jobs are worth knowing about too: some employers set pay by the company's location, and others adjust it to where you live.
Pay in every state
This table shows typical pay in every state for medical coders and for medical billers.
| State | Coders: typical pay per year | Billers: typical pay per year | Number of coding jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $43,810 | $39,520 | 2,330 |
| Alaska | $61,090 | $52,170 | 1,070 |
| Arizona | $47,630 | $47,730 | 3,750 |
| Arkansas | $41,740 | $38,780 | 1,920 |
| California | $61,810 | $56,260 | 18,700 |
| Colorado | $59,020 | $52,670 | 1,780 |
| Connecticut | $60,940 | $52,000 | 1,120 |
| Delaware | $56,060 | $52,110 | 610 |
| District of Columbia | $72,040 | $64,330 | 270 |
| Florida | $45,760 | $46,540 | 21,490 |
| Georgia | $51,550 | $47,390 | 5,930 |
| Hawaii | $63,180 | $51,240 | 400 |
| Idaho | $53,460 | $46,440 | 1,490 |
| Illinois | $56,440 | $49,730 | 5,740 |
| Indiana | $47,670 | $46,400 | 5,860 |
| Iowa | $50,640 | $47,110 | 2,250 |
| Kansas | $48,160 | $46,420 | 2,030 |
| Kentucky | $48,410 | $45,590 | 4,210 |
| Louisiana | $44,610 | $43,170 | 2,600 |
| Maine | $52,090 | $47,840 | 1,000 |
| Maryland | $54,220 | $52,210 | 2,440 |
| Massachusetts | $60,350 | $56,110 | 3,500 |
| Michigan | $48,120 | $46,890 | 4,890 |
| Minnesota | $61,530 | $55,810 | 3,150 |
| Mississippi | $41,500 | $41,190 | 2,310 |
| Missouri | $50,750 | $46,760 | 3,890 |
| Montana | $50,190 | $46,730 | 820 |
| Nebraska | $51,670 | $47,410 | 1,640 |
| Nevada | $50,300 | $47,430 | 2,350 |
| New Hampshire | $49,210 | $50,710 | 930 |
| New Jersey | $50,240 | $51,750 | 4,450 |
| New Mexico | $57,470 | $46,120 | 1,400 |
| New York | $61,720 | $53,320 | 9,080 |
| North Carolina | $49,620 | $47,160 | 6,760 |
| North Dakota | $46,280 | $48,550 | 520 |
| Ohio | $50,990 | $46,390 | 7,440 |
| Oklahoma | $53,460 | $45,120 | 2,480 |
| Oregon | $59,000 | $51,860 | 2,560 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,840 | $46,890 | 6,970 |
| Rhode Island | $63,960 | $52,910 | 650 |
| South Carolina | $54,280 | $45,250 | 2,750 |
| South Dakota | $51,610 | $46,180 | 900 |
| Tennessee | $48,780 | $46,330 | 4,440 |
| Texas | $48,860 | $45,910 | 17,210 |
| Utah | $52,870 | $46,470 | 1,910 |
| Vermont | $57,560 | $50,730 | Not published |
| Virginia | $53,290 | $47,580 | 4,630 |
| Washington | $62,270 | $56,090 | 5,010 |
| West Virginia | $47,360 | $39,300 | 1,260 |
| Wisconsin | $60,280 | $48,230 | 2,870 |
| Wyoming | $54,210 | $44,880 | 280 |
What raises your pay
Certification. This is the biggest factor most people can control. Certified AAPC members averaged $67,260, compared with $55,721 for members without a certification.
Members with two AAPC certifications averaged $74,557, and those with three or more averaged $81,227.
These AAPC members tend to have more experience than most coders, so their pay runs higher. Use these numbers to compare, not as a starting salary.
Experience and specialty. After a few years, coders often move into specialty coding, auditing or compliance, which usually pay more.
Location. Moving to a higher-paying state or landing a remote job based in one can raise your pay, though higher costs of living can eat into it.
Do medical coders get paid well?
Medical coding pays close to the middle of the U.S. job market. Coders earn about $51,140 a year, just above the $50,980 typical for all U.S. jobs.
What makes it attractive is the mix. You can train in months rather than years, there's no state license, and experienced, certified coders can earn much more.
Demand looks steady too. Jobs for medical records specialists are expected to grow about 8 percent from 2025 to 2035.
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Frequently asked questions
How much money do you make as a medical coder?
Most medical coders earn around $51,140 a year across the U.S. Pay is higher in some states and for certified coders.
How much can a beginner medical coder make?
New coders usually start around $37,000 to $43,500 a year. Getting certified and where you live can help you start higher.
Who gets paid more, a medical biller or a medical coder?
Coders usually earn a little more: about $51,140 a year, compared with about $48,500 for billers. Many jobs combine both tasks.
Do medical coders get paid well?
Medical coding pays close to the middle of the U.S. job market, about $51,140 a year. Certified AAPC members averaged $67,260, compared with $55,721 for members without a certification.
Which state pays medical coders the most?
The District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Washington and California pay the most, all above $61,000 a year.