Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
Organize and manage medical data in both paper and electronic systems.
Quick Facts
View All Career Information
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Wages & Outlook
Typical Wages
Data not available
Employment
Where do Medical Records and Health Information Technicians most often work?
Current Demand
No data available.
Future Demand
No data available.
On the Job
Medical Records and Health Information Technicians manage health-related records and data. They make sure these records are accurate and complete. They may also use coding systems to classify health data for reimbursement or insurance purposes.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Maintain medical facility records.
- Prepare healthcare training materials.
- Prepare official health documents or records.
- Present medical research reports.
- Record patient medical histories.
- Enter patient or treatment data into computers.
- Maintain medical or professional knowledge.
- Perform clerical work in medical settings.
- Process healthcare paperwork.
- Process medical billing information.
Typical Working Conditions
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.
- Sitting.
- Having face-to-face discussions.
- Working with a group or team.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Education & Credentials
Educational Requirements
Vocational training
Education level attained (national data)
Education Level Attained (national data)| Education Level Attained | Percentage of workers in this occupation |
|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 1.8 |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 19 |
| Some college, no degree | 32.6 |
| Associate degree | 24 |
| Bachelors degree | 17.5 |
| Masters degree | 3.8 |
| Doctoral (Ph.D) or professional degree | 1.3 |
Work Experience and Training Requirements
Nationally, this career typically requires:
- No related work experience for entry.
- Little or no on-the-job training to become competent.
Current Training Opportunities
Related Programs
Majors
Click on any of the Majors listed below to find out more about preparing for this
career.
Transfer Options
Enrolling in a community college can be a great place to start your four-year degree. While all 31 Minnesota State community colleges,
technical colleges and universities offer all or part of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum
(a 40-credit package of general education courses accepted for transfer to other state colleges and universities, the University of Minnesota,
and some private colleges and universities), not all two-year colleges offer degrees intended to transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree.
If you plan to transfer to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, it is important to know which degree path is right for you:
- Associate of Arts (AA) degrees offered at community colleges are designed to transfer into liberal arts four-year majors.
- Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees offered at community and technical colleges transfer into specific four-year majors and will likely require completing additional general education courses at a university.
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees offered at technical and community colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
- Diplomas and certificates offered at technical colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
Talk to a transfer specialist as early as possible to determine the best associate degree for your goals. Be sure to review your Degree Audit Report (DARS) each semester to best prepare for transfer. Get more help understanding transfer using the tools below.
Apprenticeship
A registered apprenticeship is a structured way of learning a skilled occupation, craft, or trade. It combines
on-the-job training and classroom instruction.
View the recent 1 apprenticeship(s) for this occupation.
Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:
- Anatomy
- Chemistry
- Community Health
- Computer Applications
- Human Development
- Medical Ethics
- Nutrition
- Research Methods
- Safety and First Aid/CPR
- Sociology
- Statistics
- World Languages
In Minnesota, your school may have developed a Program of Study in this career area.
A Program of Study is an academic and career plan developed by your high school to help move you towards a career
and college path. A Program of Study can help you:
- Select high school classes that prepare you for college and getting a job
- Understand how the classes you're taking in high school lead to a career
- Identify extra-curricular activities that are related to your career interest
- See what classes at your school offer early college credit that will save you time and money towards your college expenses
- Graduate from high school prepared for your next step toward the career you choose
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Skills & Knowledge
Most Important Skills for Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
- Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing—Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Managing Time—Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Solving Complex Problems—Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Understanding How People Learn—Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
- Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Public Safety and Security—Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Law and Government—Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
- Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Communications and Media—Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
- Mathematics—Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
- Conventional—Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
- Enterprising—Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Learn more about your interests. Take the MnCareers Interest Assessment.
Describe Your Skills
People who have worked in this career typically perform the following tasks.
These statements can help a prospective employer understand what you can do, on a resume or during an interview.
- Collecting information from different sources.
- Compiling, calculating, tabulating, or otherwise processing information.
- Documenting or recording information.
- Using computers.
- Organizing, planning, and prioritizing work.
- Communicating with supervisors, co-workers, or people that work under you.
- Keeping up-to-date with new knowledge.
- Creating and maintaining interpersonal relationships.
Careers that Use Similar Skills
The following careers use skills, knowledge, and abilities that are similar to those used for Medical Records and Health Information Technicians.
View more careers in the Health Science cluster
View more careers in the Health Informatics pathway
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
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Jobs
Real-time job data provided by Gartner TalentNeuron
Job Title Examples
Coder,
Health Information Clerk,
Medical Records Clerk,
File Clerk,
Medical Records Analyst,
Medical Records Coordinator,
Medical Records Director,
Medical Records Technician,
Office Manager,
Receptionist
Where Do Medical Records and Health Information Technicians Work?
Medical Records and Health Information Technicians often work in the following industries.
Similar Careers
Below are careers that use skill sets that are similar to Medical Records and Health Information Technicians.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.
