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Medical Coding Salary

"How much can a medical coder earn?" Most job seekers want to select which jobs to apply for based on how much money they can earn. However, we noticed that most of the job advertisements, either in the newspaper, or on job boards online are posted without salary figures included... astonishingly, nearly 50% of job offers do not advertise the vacant position's salary. Also, on the flip site, it is very uncommon for a job seeker to post their salary expectations right into their ad. What does this mean? It means that when you are applying for a new job, salary negotiations will be& an important part of the job interview and discussed during the hiring process.

Medical Coder/Medical Biller's Salary Range

A survey by American Academy of Professional Coders - AAPC Salary Survey - from 2008 revealed that the average annual wage for a credentialed medical coder is $43,100, compared to only $36,500 for a non-credentialed coder.

"Why do so many employers feel they need to hide their salary range in their advertisements? Probably because they want to make sure your main focus in not so much on the money but on a long term commitment, and being happy."

Steven French, a recruitment consultant at Uteach Recruitment reminds us: "The salary that you want to earn in the new job should not be a fixed figure because the total cost involved may not be clear in the very beginning. Rather than a fixed figure, the salary should be within a range." According to Steven, the expected figure should be disclosed to the prospective employer after fully understanding all the implications of the new job, which may include out of pocket contributions for your employee's health insurance plan, dress code requirements, commuting and transportation expenses, how much overtime is involved, and perks.

Discounts and Perks

Perks can come in form of reimbursement of tuition expenses, flexible working hours, 401(k) contribution, on-site daycare and health clubs, company paid training, mobile phone and/or laptop computer, paid professional membership to associations and institutes, vacation and personal holidays, paid sick-days, car parking expenses, tax deductible expenses, and the possibility of working from home. Many of these factors are intangible benefits - depending on your situation they may be very important, for example the option of working from home for a mother having small kids or a disabled family member to look after.

When responding to a post for possible employment remember that you also want to also ask about...

Happy, Happy, Happy

And last but not least it is important to be HAPPY! No situation is more miserable and unhealthy than leaving the house feeling frustrated, and arriving at the work place anxious! So other than salary, HAPPY is the very next important thing, which cannot be calculated in dollars! It's like one famous credit card commercial puts it so well: having a well paid job = great, being happy at it = priceless.

1. On Promotion and Pay