Medical billing and coding is an ever growing field with plenty of employment opportunities. The high demand for the billing and coding specialists helps them to earn a promising salary. Even though the salary is not very high, it is good enough to lead a normal lifestyle.

Certificate or degree is not mandatory to work in the medical billing and coding field. However, doctors and other healthcare organizations look to hire people with knowledge in the field of billing and coding. Billing and coding professionals who have a degree or certificate get a better salary than others. Most of the certified billing and coding professionals work as specialists and others who are not certified work as assistants. According to the survey conducted by American Academy of professional coders (AAPC), a non-certified coder earns on average $30,000 per year and a certified coder earns $38000 per year. Studies have shown that 18% of the medical billing and coding positions are not filled due to lack of the skilled professionals.

Experience is another criterion that affects salary. Experienced billing and coding professionals are able to take lots of responsibilities without compromising the quality of work. They also know lots of codes by heart. This saves the time of referring the code book for each case and hence increases the productivity. As the billing and coding professional get experienced, the salary noticeably increases. The salary of an experienced coder goes as high as $50,000 per year.

Medical billing and coding professionals are employed by hospitals, doctor’s office, insurance companies, pharmacies and consulting firms.  All the people who work in these organizations earn a fixed salary. Their salary ranges from $25,000-$50,000 based on their experience, certification and the responsibilities they handle. However, medical billing and coding professional can also work from home. They do so as an independent contractor. Their salary is hourly based. Independent contractors who work from home can take up as many clients as they prefer. But one of the disadvantages of working as an independent contractor is that the job is not guaranteed. They usually earn $10-$12 per hour depending on the certification and experience they have. Working from home is very convenient to those who do not prefer to travel much and enjoy being at home.

People who are searching for a job in the medical billing and coding field should be aware of the scams that are going on. These unscrupulous scammers may appear legit and they also promise high salary which is not practical. They usually charge a hefty sum by giving false promises. Sometimes, they even try to sell their products such as billing software. But, once the candidate hands over the money to them; there is no job and no money. So, before signing any contract with any company, candidates should always check the client list of the company and the references.