Duties, pay, training, and certifications compared so you can pick the right path
Medical billing and coding turns a patient visit into diagnosis and procedure codes that insurers can pay. Health information management (HIM) covers that work plus the larger job of protecting, organizing, and governing the records behind it. Job postings blur the two constantly, so a "records specialist" and an HIM manager can look alike on a listing while differing sharply in scope, training, and pay ceiling.
A coding certificate can take months and cost a few thousand dollars. Management-track HIM usually means an accredited degree and AHIMA credentials. Which one is better depends on your goals and your budget.
One path is a single job function, the other is a whole department. No, health information management (HIM) and medical billing and coding are not the same. They overlap, but HIM is the broader field that manages patient data, and billing and coding is a narrower set of tasks inside or beside it.
Coding is one function within HIM. Coders translate diagnoses and procedures into standardized codes. Billing is a revenue-cycle function: it takes those codes, builds claims, submits them to insurers, and follows up on payment and denials. Some employers combine the two roles, which is why people blur them together.
HIM covers more ground. It includes record integrity, privacy and release of information, data quality, and compliance with rules like HIPAA.
Largely yes. An HIM coder uses the same ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, and CPT skills as any medical coder. The difference is context. HIM coders typically work inside a wider data-governance setting, such as a hospital records department, where coded data feeds audits, quality reporting, and analytics.
Think of HIM as the whole records department, and coding as one desk in it.
Health information management and medical billing and coding share the same patient data universe, but the day-to-day work diverges quickly. Use the table below to compare duties, skill strengths, common employers, and remote options.
| Aspect | Health Information Management (HIM) | Medical Billing and Coding |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Manages the full life cycle of patient health information, including data quality, privacy, release of information, and health record integrity. | Assigns standardized diagnosis and procedure codes, enters charges, and prepares clean claims for reimbursement. |
| Typical tasks | Audits clinical documentation, coordinates release of information requests, supports EHR data governance, and ensures compliance with privacy and retention rules. | Reviews patient encounters to select ICD, CPT, and HCPCS codes, verifies insurance eligibility, and works denials or claim edits. |
| Key skills and aptitudes | Strong attention to detail for record accuracy, knowledge of privacy regulations, data analysis, and cross-department communication. | Detail orientation for code selection, understanding of payer rules and medical terminology, and comfort with billing software and claim scrubbers. |
| Common certifications | RHIT or RHIA for registered health information technicians or administrators, often paired with AHIMA membership. | CPC or CCS for medical coding, and CPB or a similar credential for medical billing. |
| Remote work prevalence | Remote roles exist, but AAPC and AHIMA public workforce data do not report a single fully remote share for all HIM professionals. | 64.8% of medical coders, billers, and other healthcare business professionals worked fully remote in 2026; another AAPC survey found 80.2% of medical records specialists worked entirely or partly remotely in 2025. |
| Common employer types | Hospital providers, non-hospital providers, payers, and revenue cycle vendors are common HIM employer settings. | Hospitals, physician practices, coding outsource companies, payers, public health departments, health IT vendors, and consulting companies. |
| Employer mix for remote roles | AHIMA health information professionals are represented across hospital providers, non-hospital providers, payers, and revenue cycle vendors, with no single remote employer split reported. | Among remote coders, health systems represent 24.4%, hospital outpatient 11.1%, billing companies 9.3%, large group practices with 50 or more physicians 9.2%, and payers or health plans 8.6%. |
| Workforce understaffing signal | 66% of AHIMA health information professionals reported understaffing at their organizations within the previous two years, according to a 2023 NORC survey. | No directly comparable understaffing figure is provided in the AAPC coding salary and remote-work sources cited here. |
As electronic health records have become the backbone of every clinic and hospital, health information management (HIM) has shifted from a records-room job into a data governance role that touches privacy, compliance, and strategy.
HIM professionals are responsible for the accuracy, security, and usability of patient health data across its full life cycle. That work typically includes:
Coding lives inside HIM, but HIM reaches well beyond it into management, policy, and data strategy.
The field spans entry-level to executive roles: HIM technician, clinical documentation specialist, compliance analyst, data analyst, and HIM director (or director of health information). Titles and pay climb as responsibility shifts from handling records to managing people and systems.
A mid-level HIM professional might open the day reviewing an audit report flagging incomplete discharge documentation, then meet with nursing leadership to close those gaps. Mid-morning often brings release-of-information requests to process and a privacy question from the compliance team to answer. Afternoons tend toward cross-department work: pulling a data report for quality improvement, sitting in on an EHR optimization meeting, or coaching a newer technician. The day balances hands-on record work with the coordination that keeps data accurate and compliant across the whole organization.
Use the 2025 BLS rows below as broad national benchmarks; these occupational categories are not specific to any one school or program. Medical records specialists are the closest occupational match to a medical biller or coder, while health information technologists and medical registrars sit between coding and HIM work. Separate from the BLS figures, AAPC's 2026 salary survey, which reports 2025 participant data, shows certified medical records specialists average $67,260 versus $55,721 for non-certified respondents, and average pay rises from about $45,400 for new entrants to about $80,500 for the most experienced; reliable credential-specific averages for CPC, CCS, RHIT, and RHIA were not established, so treat secondary credential ranges cautiously.
| Occupation (BLS 2025) | 25th percentile pay | Median annual pay | 75th percentile pay | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Records Specialists | $43,490 | $51,140 | $64,820 | $56,790 |
| Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars | $48,940 | $68,020 | $95,630 | $74,970 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $94,700 | $123,860 | $166,100 | $140,970 |
Certification requirements are shifting in small but important ways, especially around AHIMA renewal rules, so treat current details as something to verify before enrolling or paying fees.
All four credentials renew every two years. RHIT requires 20 CEUs, RHIA requires 30 CEUs, and CCS requires 20 CEUs.2 CPC requires 36 CEUs for a single credential. For multiple AAPC credentials, the requirement runs from 40 CEUs for two credentials up to 52 for five or more, and AAPC membership must stay active.
AHIMA's 2026 nonmember recertification fee is listed at $249 per cycle, but member pricing was not established in the sources reviewed. There is also unresolved confusion about whether a minimum share of continuing education must come from AHIMA; one 2026 source reports that a proposed 40 percent rule was withdrawn, so check the official policy before relying on it.
Think of RHIT as the HIM operations credential and RHIA as the HIM management and analytics credential. CCS is the stronger fit for hospital inpatient coding, while CPC is built around outpatient physician office coding. If you are deciding between HIM and billing and coding, let the credential path follow the day-to-day work you actually want. That usually points to RHIT or RHIA for broader health information work and CCS or CPC for coding-focused billing roles.
The short answer is yes: a billing and coding certificate can get you into HIM at entry level, but management usually requires a bachelor's degree and the RHIA credential.
Choosing between health information management and medical billing and coding often comes down to how much leadership and data responsibility you want. Both fields support accurate health records, but the everyday work and entry requirements differ.
