Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars: Career Overview
Apply knowledge of healthcare and information systems to assist in the design, development, and continued modification and analysis of computerized healthcare systems. Abstract, collect, and analyze treatment and followup information of patients. May educate staff and assist in problem solving to promote the implementation of the healthcare information system. May design, develop, test, and implement databases with complete history, diagnosis, treatment, and health status to help monitor diseases.
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What Tasks Do Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars Do?
The core tasks performed by health information technologists and medical registrars cover:
- Assign the patient to diagnosis-related groups (DRGs), using appropriate computer software.
- Compile medical care and census data for statistical reports on diseases treated, surgery performed, or use of hospital beds.
- Design databases to support healthcare applications, ensuring security, performance and reliability.
- Develop in-service educational materials.
- Evaluate and recommend upgrades or improvements to existing computerized healthcare systems.
- Facilitate and promote activities, such as lunches, seminars, or tours, to foster healthcare information privacy or security awareness within the organization.
- Identify, compile, abstract, and code patient data, using standard classification systems.
- Manage the department or supervise clerical workers, directing or controlling activities of personnel in the medical records department.
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Applications Analyst
- Cancer Registrar
- Cancer Tumor Registrar
- Certified Cancer Registrar
- Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR)
- Clinical Analyst
- Clinical Data Specialist
- Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist (CDIS)
How Many Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars Are There?
There are roughly 2,299,185 health information technologists and medical registrars working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -4.3% over the projection horizon.
Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $103,058 |
| Hourly median | $49.55 |
| 10th percentile | $57,093 |
| 25th percentile | $80,075 |
| 75th percentile | $126,040 |
| 90th percentile | $149,023 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $95,340 |
| Wyoming | $85,190 |
| Minnesota | $83,000 |
| Oregon | $82,200 |
| Montana | $81,490 |
| Vermont | $80,730 |
| District of Columbia | $80,410 |
| Massachusetts | $79,990 |
| Maryland | $79,100 |
| Texas | $78,060 |
| North Dakota | $77,710 |
| Rhode Island | $77,530 |
| New Hampshire | $76,130 |
| New York | $74,900 |
| Utah | $72,610 |
| Maine | $72,500 |
| Florida | $72,230 |
| Iowa | $71,980 |
| Ohio | $70,620 |
| Delaware | $68,130 |
| Wisconsin | $68,080 |
| Colorado | $67,320 |
| Kansas | $66,520 |
| Arkansas | $65,510 |
| Georgia | $64,550 |
| Michigan | $64,530 |
| Kentucky | $62,630 |
| Tennessee | $62,360 |
| New Jersey | $62,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,450 |
| North Carolina | $61,080 |
| Illinois | $60,760 |
| South Dakota | $60,470 |
| West Virginia | $59,750 |
| Alaska | $58,630 |
| Nevada | $57,260 |
| Connecticut | $57,040 |
| Louisiana | $55,470 |
| Hawaii | $55,000 |
| Alabama | $53,110 |
| Washington | $52,790 |
| Missouri | $51,590 |
| Virginia | $50,010 |
| Arizona | $49,070 |
| Idaho | $48,220 |
| Nebraska | $48,020 |
| Indiana | $44,410 |
| Mississippi | $43,500 |
| Oklahoma | $42,670 |
| New Mexico | $41,240 |
| South Carolina | $38,670 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,650 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for health information technologists and medical registrars vary by region. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $82,386 | 14.3% | 0.89 |
| New England | $74,575 | 4.6% | 1.00 |
| Middle Atlantic | $69,513 | 16.8% | 1.34 |
| Southwest | $65,382 | 11.2% | 0.97 |
| Plains States | $64,934 | 10.8% | 1.75 |
| Great Lakes | $64,323 | 15.2% | 1.40 |
| Southeast | $62,852 | 23.4% | 1.19 |
| Rocky Mountains | $61,800 | 3.3% | 1.94 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $124,110 | 340 |
| St. Cloud, MN | MN | $113,090 | 60 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | CT | $105,900 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | CA | $97,180 | 50 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $96,610 | 350 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $95,000 | 1,290 |
| Worcester, MA | MA | $94,360 | 60 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | NY | $92,110 | 90 |
Top Industries Employing Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars
Most health information technologists and medical registrars work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 26,500 | $62,650 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2,740 | $80,990 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2,230 | $72,610 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1,670 | $74,920 |
| Information | 1,160 | $70,610 |
| Finance and Insurance | 1,100 | $91,490 |
| Educational Services | 890 | $66,550 |
| Manufacturing | 30 | $105,210 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Medical software: eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Medical software: Epic Systems (hot technology)
- Medical software: Henry Schein Dentrix (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft SQL Server (hot technology)
Getting Started in This Career
This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Medical and Health Services Managers (Supplemental)
- Clinical Research Coordinators (Primary-Long)
- Regulatory Affairs Specialists (Supplemental)
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Computer Systems Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Health Informatics Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Database Administrators (Primary-Long)
- Database Architects (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for health information technologists and medical registrars often complete programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
6 programs across 2 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-9021.00 (Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars).
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