AAPC announces results from 2012 health care salary survey

AAPC (www.aapc.com), the leader in enabling the business side of medicine, announced the results from the 2012 AAPC Health Care Salary Survey. The survey is open to all members of the health care community, including medical billers and coders, practice managers, auditors, and physicians. This year nearly 20,000 health care professionals responded to the survey.

The survey found the average salary for a Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) was $47,796 (up nearly $900 from 2011) and more than 25 percent of respondents also reported they have decision-making powers at work in 2012, up from last year at under 20 percent, meaning more professionals are sharing their knowledge and expertise than before.

Some of the additional survey highlights include:

• The average medical coder's salary (certified and non-certified) was $47,870.
• Respondents with the CPC-H credential earned an average of $56,466 and the CPC-P was $55,255 (up $1,800 and $3,800 respectively from 2011).
• AAPC credentialed respondents reported a 2% salary increase in 2012 to $48,033.
• Respondents with a Bachelor's degree earned 21% more than those without a degree or an associate degree. Those with a Master's degree earned 46% more than those with a Bachelor's.
• When broken down by regions in the US, the Pacific region (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington) earn the most income with an average of $54,980.

The full results of the salary survey are online and in the October issue of Coding Edge magazine.