Medical Records Specialists Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for medical records specialistss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $56,790 ≈ $27/hr
National median salary $51,140
Total employment 194,720 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +7.1%
Faster than average
Annual openings 14,200 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 194,800 → 208,600 (+13,800)
Typical entry education Postsecondary nondegree award
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$80,250
- California$68,230
- Washington$67,480
- New York$67,200
- Hawaii$65,590
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$44,380
- Alabama$45,710
- Arkansas$45,880
- Louisiana$50,240
- Florida$50,440
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $80,250 | $72,040 | $39 | +41.3% | 270 |
| 2 | California | $68,230 | $61,810 | $33 | +20.1% | 18,700 |
| 3 | Washington | $67,480 | $62,270 | $32 | +18.8% | 5,010 |
| 4 | New York | $67,200 | $61,720 | $32 | +18.3% | 9,080 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $65,590 | $63,180 | $32 | +15.5% | 400 |
| 6 | Alaska | $64,440 | $61,090 | $31 | +13.5% | 1,070 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $63,970 | $60,940 | $31 | +12.6% | 1,120 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $63,570 | $61,530 | $31 | +11.9% | 3,150 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $63,150 | $63,960 | $30 | +11.2% | 650 |
| 10 | Colorado | $61,810 | $59,020 | $30 | +8.8% | 1,780 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $61,560 | $60,350 | $30 | +8.4% | 3,500 |
| 12 | Oregon | $61,110 | $59,000 | $29 | +7.6% | 2,560 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $60,610 | $60,280 | $29 | +6.7% | 2,870 |
| 14 | Vermont | $57,950 | $57,560 | $28 | +2% | — |
| 15 | Maryland | $57,930 | $54,220 | $28 | +2% | 2,440 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $57,620 | $54,210 | $28 | +1.5% | 280 |
| 17 | Idaho | $57,240 | $53,460 | $28 | +0.8% | 1,490 |
| 18 | Illinois | $57,160 | $56,440 | $27 | +0.7% | 5,740 |
| 19 | Utah | $57,160 | $52,870 | $27 | +0.7% | 1,910 |
| 20 | Virginia | $56,960 | $53,290 | $27 | +0.3% | 4,630 |
| 21 | Georgia | $56,830 | $51,550 | $27 | +0.1% | 5,930 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $56,720 | $51,670 | $27 | -0.1% | 1,640 |
| 23 | Maine | $56,670 | $52,090 | $27 | -0.2% | 1,000 |
| 24 | Ohio | $56,620 | $50,990 | $27 | -0.3% | 7,440 |
| 25 | Delaware | $56,540 | $56,060 | $27 | -0.4% | 610 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $56,380 | $57,470 | $27 | -0.7% | 1,400 |
| 27 | Missouri | $55,950 | $50,750 | $27 | -1.5% | 3,890 |
| 28 | Nevada | $55,730 | $50,300 | $27 | -1.9% | 2,350 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $55,640 | $48,780 | $27 | -2% | 4,440 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $55,510 | $49,620 | $27 | -2.3% | 6,760 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $54,810 | $54,280 | $26 | -3.5% | 2,750 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $54,490 | $50,240 | $26 | -4.1% | 4,450 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $54,380 | $51,610 | $26 | -4.2% | 900 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $54,240 | $53,460 | $26 | -4.5% | 2,480 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $53,520 | $48,410 | $26 | -5.8% | 4,210 |
| 36 | Iowa | $53,470 | $50,640 | $26 | -5.8% | 2,250 |
| 37 | Indiana | $53,370 | $47,670 | $26 | -6% | 5,860 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $53,200 | $49,210 | $26 | -6.3% | 930 |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | $53,050 | $46,840 | $26 | -6.6% | 6,970 |
| 40 | Texas | $52,880 | $48,860 | $25 | -6.9% | 17,210 |
| 41 | Kansas | $52,860 | $48,160 | $25 | -6.9% | 2,030 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $52,850 | $46,280 | $25 | -6.9% | 520 |
| 43 | Montana | $52,720 | $50,190 | $25 | -7.2% | 820 |
| 44 | Arizona | $52,670 | $47,630 | $25 | -7.3% | 3,750 |
| 45 | Michigan | $52,650 | $48,120 | $25 | -7.3% | 4,890 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $50,900 | $47,360 | $24 | -10.4% | 1,260 |
| 47 | Florida | $50,440 | $45,760 | $24 | -11.2% | 21,490 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $50,240 | $44,610 | $24 | -11.5% | 2,600 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $45,880 | $41,740 | $22 | -19.2% | 1,920 |
| 50 | Alabama | $45,710 | $43,810 | $22 | -19.5% | 2,330 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $44,380 | $41,500 | $21 | -21.9% | 2,310 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 501 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $86,890 | $97,430 | 920 |
| 2 | Vallejo, CA | $82,230 | $71,410 | 130 |
| 3 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $75,150 | $76,110 | 1,340 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $74,400 | $75,570 | 1,880 |
| 5 | New Haven, CT | $67,290 | $72,410 | 220 |
| 6 | Iowa City, IA | $66,340 | $62,880 | 330 |
| 7 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $65,730 | $64,610 | 750 |
| 8 | Cheyenne, WY | $65,680 | $63,160 | 60 |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $65,530 | $72,530 | 2,830 |
| 10 | Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $65,470 | $66,840 | 260 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing medical records specialistss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $69,660 | $71,140 | 880 |
| 2 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $69,210 | $70,250 | 430 |
| 3 | Educational Services, Privately Owned | $68,710 | $69,770 | 990 |
| 4 | Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | $66,590 | $78,940 | 40 |
| 5 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, State Government Owned | $66,340 | $74,120 | 2,560 |
| 6 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, State Government Owned | $65,650 | $65,220 | 320 |
| 7 | Hospitals, State Government Owned | $64,820 | $69,820 | 3,480 |
| 8 | Educational Services | $63,970 | $66,220 | 2,630 |
| 9 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $63,970 | $66,820 | 2,470 |
| 10 | Sector 61 - Educational Services | $63,970 | $66,220 | 2,630 |
| 11 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $63,880 | $64,330 | 5,320 |
| 12 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $63,880 | $64,330 | 5,320 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do medical records specialists make in the U.S.?
The median medical records specialists salary in the United States is $51,140 per year (mean $56,790), and about 80% earn between $37,000 and $81,150.
How much do medical records specialists make per hour?
Roughly $27 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $56,790 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays medical records specialists the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for medical records specialists at $80,250 per year (median $72,040).
What is the job outlook for medical records specialists?
Employment is projected to change +7.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 14,200 openings per year.