Your work. Your records.
Medical Records Specialist Workplace Guide
A medical records specialist may be assessed on accuracy, turnaround and confidentiality at the same time. For an employment concern, explain the assignment and review process without using patient records as a personal evidence collection.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Queue assignment
Identify whether the work was new, reassigned or awaiting information before it reached you.
Review feedback
Record the stated reason for a correction without including diagnoses or patient identifiers.
Access restriction
Note when you reported a permission problem and how it affected your assigned work.
Start with the work you actually do
Compile, process, and maintain medical records of hospital and clinic patients in a manner consistent with medical, administrative, ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements of the healthcare system. Classify medical and healthcare concepts, including diagnosis, procedures, medical services, and equipment, into the healthcare industry's numerical coding system. Includes medical coders.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Medical Records Specialists (29-2072.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Protect the security of medical records to ensure that confidentiality is maintained.Source task 22886 · updated 08/2026
- Review records for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with regulations.Source task 22890 · updated 08/2026
- Scan patients' health records into electronic formats.Source task 22891 · updated 08/2026
- Release information to persons or agencies according to regulations.Source task 22887 · updated 08/2026
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Medical Records Specialists (SOC 29-2072). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $17.39 | $21.06 | $25.02 | $43,810 |
| Alaska | $24.54 | $29.37 | $35.00 | $61,090 |
| Arizona | $19.30 | $22.90 | $29.50 | $47,630 |
| Arkansas | $17.57 | $20.07 | $24.73 | $41,740 |
| Connecticut | $23.44 | $29.30 | $36.62 | $60,940 |
| Delaware | $20.53 | $26.95 | $32.29 | $56,060 |
| Florida | $17.98 | $22.00 | $28.48 | $45,760 |
| Georgia | $21.06 | $24.78 | $31.17 | $51,550 |
| Hawaii | $24.36 | $30.37 | $37.49 | $63,180 |
| Idaho | $22.33 | $25.70 | $30.99 | $53,460 |
| Indiana | $19.26 | $22.92 | $29.24 | $47,670 |
| Iowa | $21.40 | $24.35 | $29.77 | $50,640 |
| Kansas | $19.65 | $23.15 | $28.43 | $48,160 |
| Kentucky | $19.50 | $23.28 | $29.67 | $48,410 |
| Louisiana | $17.71 | $21.45 | $29.40 | $44,610 |
| Maine | $22.28 | $25.04 | $29.71 | $52,090 |
| Michigan | $19.89 | $23.13 | $29.55 | $48,120 |
| Minnesota | $23.89 | $29.58 | $33.69 | $61,530 |
| Mississippi | $16.70 | $19.95 | $24.28 | $41,500 |
| Missouri | $22.12 | $24.40 | $30.36 | $50,750 |
| Montana | $21.14 | $24.13 | $28.73 | $50,190 |
| Nebraska | $21.45 | $24.84 | $30.27 | $51,670 |
| New Hampshire | $21.20 | $23.66 | $29.35 | $49,210 |
| New Mexico | $20.90 | $27.63 | $31.85 | $57,470 |
| New York | $23.56 | $29.67 | $38.04 | $61,720 |
| North Carolina | $19.95 | $23.86 | $31.15 | $49,620 |
| North Dakota | $19.39 | $22.25 | $29.26 | $46,280 |
| Ohio | $21.88 | $24.52 | $30.54 | $50,990 |
| Oklahoma | $19.81 | $25.70 | $29.38 | $53,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $20.52 | $22.52 | $29.09 | $46,840 |
| Rhode Island | $24.54 | $30.75 | $34.09 | $63,960 |
| South Dakota | $21.57 | $24.81 | $30.35 | $51,610 |
| Tennessee | $19.64 | $23.45 | $30.25 | $48,780 |
| Texas | $18.98 | $23.49 | $30.76 | $48,860 |
| Utah | $20.21 | $25.42 | $31.43 | $52,870 |
| Vermont | $22.76 | $27.67 | $30.09 | $57,560 |
| Virginia | $21.73 | $25.62 | $31.23 | $53,290 |
| West Virginia | $18.31 | $22.77 | $28.82 | $47,360 |
| Wisconsin | $23.80 | $28.98 | $31.80 | $60,280 |
| Wyoming | $20.56 | $26.06 | $31.63 | $54,210 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Describe the work queue
Note the date, type of review or coding work assigned and whether a backlog was inherited. If productivity expectations changed, identify the instruction and when it applied. Keep counts you are permitted to retain separate from individual patient information.
Trace corrections and permissions
Record who requested a correction or release, the approval steps you understood and when you raised an uncertainty. Distinguish a missing document from a coding disagreement or an access problem; each can explain a different kind of delay.
Leave health records in their system
Do not download charts, coding screens, release forms or audit trails for an employment file. Describe the system, approximate time and authorized custodian of a relevant record. Preserve only employment materials you may lawfully possess.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
Call now(800) 800-5555Current service-state coverage
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