The latest numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics are out for the year 2013 that reveal the occupational outlook from medical billing and coding professionals throughout the United States. There are some notable changes to the figures reported on for the year 2012 in a previous article.
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To start with, 2013 has seen a revision of the total number of employed billing and coding professionals. The most recent statistics show that nationwide there are now 180,760 experts in this field. The nation’s average salary for this occupation is $37,710 – up nearly $1,000 from last year – and those employed in the top-10 percent of the cohort earn an average of $57,320.
Largest Employers
Next are the figures for the largest employers of medical billing and coding professionals:
- Surgical hospitals and general medical hospitals employ the largest amount at 66,790 professionals, or 37 percent of the total workforce
- Physician offices employ 39,750 professionals, or 22 percent of the workforce
- Skilled nursing facilities employ 12,850 professionals, or 7 percent of the workforce
- Outpatient care centers employ 7,380 professionals, or 4 percent of the workforce
- Home health care services employ 5,720 professionals, or 3 percent of the workforce
These five groups of employers account for nearly 75 percent of billing and coding employment in the nation. Compared with last year there are slightly less billing and coding professionals in four of these categories, while this year’s numbers for those employed in outpatient care centers has increased slightly. Billing and coding professionals are found in the greatest concentration in physician offices.
States with the Highest Employment
This year’s top-five states for having the largest numbers of medical billing and coding professionals are:
- Texas – 16,670 professionals or 9.2 percent of the national workforce
- California – 16,560 professionals or 9.2 percent of the national workforce
- Florida – 9,680 professionals or 5.4 percent of the national workforce
- New York – 8,850 professionals or 4.9 percent of the national workforce
- Illinois – 8,100 professionals or 4.5 percent of the national workforce
As could be expected these numbers mostly follow the general population distribution in the United States except for the notable exception of Texas and California; since last year Texas has added enough medical billing and coding jobs to overtake California’s number-one spot.
States with the Highest Concentration
Next and more revealing are the states with the highest concentration of billing and coding professionals:
- Montana – 1,190 total with 2.72 medical billing and coding jobs per every 1,000 occupations
- South Dakota – 1,020 total with 2.52 jobs per every 1,000 occupations
- Oklahoma – 3,480 total with 2.23 jobs per every 1,000 occupations
- Arizona – 5,390 total with 2.18 jobs per every 1,000 occupations
- Mississippi – 2,140 total with 1.97 jobs per every 1,000 occupations
This ranking is similar to last year’s except Washington State has been bumped off the list by Mississippi. Oklahoma has overtaken Arizona’s leading spot from last year by increasing its concentration quotient by the significant amount of .12 percent.
Top 5 States with Highest Average Salary
These figures are some of the most notable changes from last year’s statistics:
- New Jersey – $57,520
- California – $44,330
- Colorado – $43,860
- Connecticut – $42,640
- Alaska – $42,190
The good news is the states on this year’s top-five list all have higher amounts than their counterparts from last year. Last year’s states in order of first to fifth were: New Jersey, DC, Hawaii, California, and Colorado.
Top 10 Highest Average Annual Salary Metropolitan Areas in the Country
While New Jersey held four of last year’s top-10 spots, this year it has picked up one more:
- Newark, NJ – $60,150
- Vineland, NJ – $58,560
- Trenton, NJ – $58,090
- Oakland, CA – $57,100
- Edison, NJ – $56,560
- Camden, NJ – $54,070
- San Francisco, CA – $53,730
- Washington DC – $50,920
- San Jose, CA – $50,640
- New Haven, CT – $49,540
This year DC and Vineland displaced last year’s Jackson, MI and Denver, CO.
Top 5 Highest Average Annual Salary Rural Areas in the Country
As a contrast to the metropolitan areas, the top-five highest average annual salaries in rural areas for medical billing and coding professionals can be found in the following regions:
- North-Central Colorado – $43,570
- Western New Hampshire – $42,430
- Southeast Alaska – $42,250
- Southern Vermont – $42,020
- Mother Lode region of California – $41,420