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.
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