Average salaries for coders increased slightly in 2010 over 2009 compensation, and coders have a lower rate of employment compared to the rest of the nation, according to the AAPC's 2010 Medical Coding Salary Survey.
From the survey of more than 10,300 professionals, those credentialed reported a 1.5 percent increase in average salary to $45,404 in 2010, up from $44,740 in 2009. Non-credentialed saw a 1.2 percent increase to an average salary of $37,746 in 2010, up from $37,290 in 2009.
On the employment front, 6.8 percent of coders with the CPC credential were unemployed during the last 12 months, while 5.6 percent of coders with the CPC-I credential were unemployed during this period; both were well below the recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report that 9.6 percent of the country's workforce is unemployed.
Other survey highlights include the following:
Coders with the CPC-I credential reported the highest annual salary of any credential at $50,543. Coders with the CEDC credential reported the next highest salary at $50,000.
Coders holding a bachelor's degree earn greater than $10,000 more than those with just a high school degree, when comparing similar coding certifications. Holding a master's degree can mean another $13,000-plus increase for certified coders, but just a $3,500 increase for non-certified coders. Earning a doctorate degree can help increase salary by another $10,000 regardless of certification.
Professionals in the Pacific — Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, and California — earn the highest annual salary at $51,428, while professionals in the East South Central sub-region — Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama — earn the lowest annual salary at $39,926. Coders in California, Maryland, New Jersey and Massachusetts have the highest salaries in individual states.
Read more results of the 2010 Medical Coding Salary Survey from AAPC.
Read more from the AAPC:
- SCODI Code Removed From CPT 2011 Codebook
- AMA Issues Update to 2011 CPT Codebooks
- 3 New CPT Codes for Balloon Sinus Dilation