Career
Medical records specialists
Keep patient health records accurate and coded.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Protect the security of medical records to ensure that confidentiality is maintained.
- Review records for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with regulations.
- Scan patients' health records into electronic formats.
- Release information to persons or agencies according to regulations.
- Enter data, such as demographic characteristics, history and extent of disease, diagnostic procedures, or treatment into computer.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
AI
BLS now cites artificial intelligence in this occupation's outlook: “share increases as the demand for health care services and complexity of medical coding grow. This demand for medical records specialists will be partially offset by the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools that make the medical coding process more efficient.”
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on information & systems, then ideas & analysis?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Protect the security of medical records to ensure that confidentiality is maintained.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Writing.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
Under 2 years of education after high school (postsecondary nondegree award), for a median of $51,140 a year and 14,000 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Health AdministrationSee the degree →
- Health Information/Medical Records Administration/AdministratorCIP 51.0706
- Health Information/Medical Records Technology/TechnicianCIP 51.0707
- Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/CoderCIP 51.0713
- Disease Registry Data ManagementCIP 51.0721
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Medical Transcriptionists$40,410 · -4.4%
- Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars$68,020 · +15.9%
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants$45,930 · +4.8%
- Medical Assistants$45,690 · +12.9%
- File Clerks$43,600 · -15.8%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.