The AAPC 2015 Salary Survey, released by the American Academy of Professional Coders, is based on responses from nearly 18,000 AAPC members. Here are five points to note from the survey:
1. Overall, there was a slight increase in unemployment from 2014; however, medical coders holding a degree saw an unemployment rate decrease of 0.5 percent, while those without a degree saw a rate increase of 0.7 percent compared to 2014.
2. A coder with more credentials gets paid more. On average, in 2015:
• Coders with one AAPC credential received $46,899
• Coders with more than two AAPC credentials received $58,399
• Coders with more than three AAPC credentials received $65,643
3. The three AAPC credentials that saw the greatest salary increases in 2015 were:
• Certified Physician Practice Manager: 6.7 percent
• Certified Professional Coder: 2.8 percent
• Certified Outpatient Coding: 2 percent
4. In 2015, medical coders earned the most when working in a health system. Here is medical coder pay according to workplace setting:
• Health system: $51,389
• Hospital, inpatient setting: $50,925
• Large group practice (50+ physicians): $48,033
• Hospital, outpatient setting: $47,773
• Solo practice/small group practice (2 to 10 physicians): $45,722
• Medium group practice (11 to 49 physicians): $44,870
5. Medical coder pay also differed based on location in 2015. Coders living in the East North Central region of the country (Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio) saw a 2.2 percent increase in salaries from last year. However, coders living in the Pacific region (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington) earned the most, with an average salary of $57,021.