Medical coding and billing salary in California

In California, medical coders have an average annual salary of $66,218, which is a good deal more than the Pacific region’s average of $62,812. 

Thanks to a combination of cost of living and strong employment prospects, California’s high average salary figure has seen a steady increase in recent years. Within California, major cities for coders range from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Corona and Fresno.

Most of the highest-paid Californians in this industry hold one or more of these AAPC certifications: CEMC, COC, CPC, CPC-I, CPMA, or CRC. Although these top earners were most commonly employed at a health system, which was also the most common type of employment statewide, hospitals (inpatient and outpatient settings) and large group practices (50+ physicians) ranked next in terms of quantity of employees.

More than 80% of medical coders in California worked remotely, and they made $70,975 on average. This indicates that remote positions are typically filled by veteran coders with years of experience and possibly multiple certifications.

AAPC is the nation’s largest professional organization for medical coders, billers, and others involved in the business of healthcare. AAPC’s products and services span a broad spectrum of certifications, code books, exam study guides and additional preparation materials, local chapters, distance learning classes, and other resources.

AAPC annually reviews salaries of healthcare business professionals based on location, education, experience, credential, and many other data points. These statistics are all based on the most recent survey, which resulted in nearly 20,000 responses. For additional information, view the overall survey analysis or the Salary Survey Calculator.

California salaries by certification

California salaries by education level

California salaries by experience