Medical Records Clerk / Health Information Technician, US Employers

Hospitals, physician groups, outpatient centers, nursing facilities, federal health agencies and the law firms that review medical evidence all hire medical records staff across the United States, full-time and part-time.

What the work involves

Retrieving, scanning and filing inpatient and outpatient charts; logging and fulfilling release-of-information requests under HIPAA; reviewing records for missing or incomplete documentation and chasing the clinician who owes it; maintaining the electronic health record so that coders, billers and auditors can work from it. Where the role extends into coding, it also means abstracting clinical data and assigning ICD and CPT codes.

Requirements

• A high school diploma or GED for the filing end of the work; a postsecondary certificate or an AHIMA credential for the records specialist end, which is where the pay sits
• Working knowledge of medical terminology and anatomy
• Experience with an electronic health record system, most commonly Epic or Cerner
• A practical grasp of HIPAA and of what may and may not be released, to whom, and on what authority
• The right to work in the United States

How the pay works

• National median. BLS reports $51,140 a year, or $24.59 an hour, as of May 2025 for medical records specialists
• What moves it. Whether the job codes or only files, the setting, and whether you hold an AHIMA credential
• Setting. Hospitals pay a $59,120 median against $47,120 in physician offices

Before you apply

Read the duties, not the title. "Medical Records Clerk" is used for two different jobs: one that files and retrieves, and one that abstracts and codes. BLS tracks them as separate occupations with a $7,500 gap between their medians, and only one of the two is growing.

Note: duties, pay and credential requirements are set by employers and by AHIMA — not by JobGader. Confirm the requirements with the employer and with AHIMA before enrolling in a program, booking an exam or accepting an offer.