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Major · Health Professions

Health information and medical records where compliance meets the EHR

This major prepares you to organize patient data, code clinical encounters with ICD-10 and CPT, and keep electronic health records compliant with HIPAA. The work is administrative-clinical, often remote-friendly, and credential-driven as much as degree-driven.

Schools offering
313
Annual completions
3,421
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$50k

About this major

Health information and medical records technology sits at the intersection of clinical data and administrative operations. You learn to translate physician documentation into ICD-10 and CPT codes that drive reimbursement, manage electronic health records so they stay accurate and audit-ready, and apply HIPAA rules that govern who sees what. The CIP definition frames it as preparation to construct medical records and clinical databases, control record security and quality, and supervise data entry and technical maintenance staff — a job description that has only grown as health systems digitize and payers tighten audits.

The major fits students who like structure, attention to detail, and rules-based work, and who want a healthcare paycheck without bedside care. It also fits career-changers, parents returning to work, and people who want a remote-capable role after some on-site seasoning. You do not need to love biology, but you do need to tolerate codebooks, regulation, and the kind of careful work where one wrong digit changes a claim.

A grounded number to anchor the choice: across 313 colleges reporting completions, this CIP produced 3,421 graduates last year, with median earnings five years out of $50,437. That puts it squarely in the middle of healthcare support fields — not a high ceiling, but a steady on-ramp with credential-driven mobility.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Medical records specialists $50k +7.1% Postsecondary nondegree award
Health information technologists and medical registrars $67k +14.7% Associate's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$50k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$41k

Bachelor's

$61k

Who this major is for

Strong fit signals show up when a student likes precise, rules-bound work, can sit with codebooks and policy manuals without losing focus, and wants healthcare exposure without patient care. Comfort with software — EHR systems, query languages, basic spreadsheets — is a real advantage, since modern HIM work is closer to data operations than clerical filing. Students who plan to sit for AHIMA or AAPC credentials early and treat the degree as a vehicle for the certification get the most leverage out of the program.

The caution flags are worth taking seriously. The largest entry-level career, medical records specialist, lists a postsecondary nondegree award as typical education and pays a $50,250 median — which means a coding certificate plus a recognized credential may already clear the bar. The ROI on a full two-year program deserves scrutiny if a coder seat is the only goal. The dataset also shows a sharp split between associate’s ($40,663) and bachelor’s ($60,828) earnings; that gap is mostly explained by bachelor’s holders moving into administrator and analyst roles, so picking the wrong degree level for your career intent is an expensive mistake. Finally, the supply of graduates skews toward for-profit and community-college pipelines — program reputation and CAHIIM accreditation are worth checking before you enroll.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
DeVry University-Illinois Lisle, IL 498 0 498
Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN 111 0 111
Bryan University Tempe, AZ 109 0 109
Ultimate Medical Academy Clearwater, FL 91 0 91
Rasmussen University-Florida Ocala, FL 78 0 78
University of Cincinnati-Clermont College Batavia, OH 75 0 75
Institute of Medical Careers Pittsburgh, PA 71 0 71
Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara, CA 60 0 60
San Diego Mesa College San Diego, CA 27 20 47
Hutchinson Community College Hutchinson, KS 37 0 37
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Health/Health Care Administration/Management

13,592 completions/yr

Medical Insurance Specialist/Medical Biller

5,266 completions/yr

Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary

3,317 completions/yr

Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management

2,279 completions/yr

Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other

1,950 completions/yr

Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder

1,539 completions/yr

Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator

1,511 completions/yr

Medical Office Management/Administration

1,034 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

Do I really need a two-year degree, or is a certificate enough?
For the largest entry-level role — medical records specialist — BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as typical. A coding certificate plus an AHIMA or AAPC credential (CCS, CCA, CPC) can open the same door as an associate’s. The associate’s adds breadth in EHR systems, data quality, and supervision, which matters if you want the health information technologist track ($67,310 median, 14.7% projected growth). The ROI on a full two-year program deserves scrutiny if your only goal is a coder seat.
Associate’s or bachelor’s — does the extra two years pay?
Earnings five years out split sharply: $40,663 for associate’s holders versus $60,828 for bachelor’s holders in this field. The bachelor’s premium tracks the move from coder or records technician into health information administrator, EHR analyst, or feeder roles toward medical and health services management. If you intend to stay on the technical side, the associate’s plus certification is the lean path. If you want a management runway, the bachelor’s is the credential that gets you read for those interviews.
Which certifications matter most?
AHIMA’s RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician) is the standard pairing with an associate’s in this CIP. RHIA goes with the bachelor’s. On the coding side, AHIMA’s CCS and CCA and AAPC’s CPC are the names hiring managers recognize. Many employers list a credential as required, not preferred, so plan to sit for the exam during or right after your program.
Is this a remote-work field?
Coding and remote HIM roles are among the more tele-work-friendly jobs in healthcare. Many coders work fully remote after a year or two of in-house training, and EHR analyst roles often go hybrid. Patient registry, audit, and compliance jobs can also be remote depending on the employer. Treat the remote path as real but not automatic — most employers want you on-site while you learn their systems.
What does the program actually cover?
Expect courses in medical terminology and pathophysiology, ICD-10-CM/PCS and CPT coding, healthcare reimbursement, EHR software, data quality and governance, HIPAA and health law, and supervisory or quality control coursework. Programs accredited by CAHIIM are the ones that feed cleanly into RHIT and RHIA exams.
Where do graduates land?
Hospitals, physician group practices, insurance payers, billing companies, government health agencies, and increasingly remote-coding employers. Of the 313 colleges reporting completions, the largest pipelines are at DeVry University-Illinois (498) and a cluster of for-profit and community college programs — the supply side of this field skews toward career-college pipelines, which is worth noting when you compare program quality and outcomes.