Orthopedic Coding Alert

Picture of a $70,000+ Earner Our Coders- Salary Survey found that out of the 416 orthopedic coders who responded, a healthy 17 percent earned more than $70,000. Even more interesting are the factors that go into the high earners- profiles. Here is a picture of the average $70,000+ earner who responded to our survey:

- 52% hold a bachelor's degree or higher

- 50% have at least one coding certification

- 27% work in a hospital, 23% work in a physician's office

- 86% have over 11 years of experience in the field

- 47% manage 16 or more people, 16% manage no employees

- 82% work 41 hours a week or more

- 32% say they code over 50 operative reports or patient encounters per day
Picture of an Under-$25,000 Earner Just 3 percent of our orthopedic respondents earn less than $25,000 per year, most of whom are new to the coding field. Here's a profile of the average coder who earns less than $25,000 annually:

- 40% hold a bachelor's degree or higher

- 40% have at least one coding certification

- 10% work in a hospital, 30% work in a physician's office

- 20% have over 11 years of experience in the field

- 10% manage 16 or more people, 50% manage no employees

- 30% work 41 hours a week or more

- 30% say they code over 50 operative reports or patient encounters per day.