Orthopedic Coding Alert

Our second annual salary survey shows that experience, education and certification can help you earn more If you-ve ever wondered which orthopedic coding professionals bring in the most income, we-ve got the answers. The results of our second annual salary survey reveal some interesting information that could help kick your coding career into high gear.

Our Coders- Salary Survey found that the average salary among our 416 orthopedic respondents is in the $35,000-$45,000 range. Spine surgery, hand surgery and sports medicine coders earned slightly higher salaries than general orthopedic coders. Coders at ambulatory care or hospital facilities brought in more money than office-based and home-based coders.

Fact: 41 percent of hospital-based orthopedic coders tell us that their employers required certification before the hospital would hire them. On the other hand, only 29 percent of physician office-based coders say that their employers required certification. Certifications Offer a Boost For the second year in a row, our survey shows that certified coders have earning power, with the average coder who holds either a CHBME or CMBA certification earning more than $70,000.

Respondents who held an RHIT or RHIA certification average salaries in the $50,000-$65,000 range, while those who held a CPC or CPC-H earned an average of $35,000 to $45,000. Uncertified orthopedic coders averaged $30,000 to $35,000.
 
Education Pays Our survey shows that coders with a high-school diploma average a salary in the $35,000-45,000 range, but with every additional degree, the salaries rise. On average, bachelor's degree holders earn upward of $50,000, while those with master's or doctorate level degrees earn over $70,000.

Our results also speak to the importance of staying on the job. Those with less than one year of experience average less than $25,000 annually, but coders with 11 or more years coding earn more than $70,000.

And which titles carry the most financial weight? Our study shows that consultants, administrators, CEOs, CFOs, COOs and vice presidents earn the most, whereas coders with the title of -collection professional- earned less than $25,000 on average.

Often, the term -collection professional- refers to staff members who send out statements or perform filing work, and perhaps don't have in-depth coding skills as a certified coder might, so the salary reflects that, says Annette Grady, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, OS, an officer on the American Academy of Professional Coder's (AAPC-s) National Advisory Board.

If you-re thinking about a move in the near future, note that the highest-paid orthopedic coders that we surveyed live in California, followed by Texas and Illinois. Your Least-Favorite Payer? It's Not Medicare For the second year in a row, respondents to our survey indicated that Medicaid -- not Medicare --  was their least-favorite payer.

There are several reasons to explain why Medicaid would be less favored than Medicare, says [...]