Is medical coding future proof?

Asked by: Roxane Jacobi  |  Last update: April 27, 2025
Score: 4.3/5 (5 votes)

Job Security in a Growing Industry Healthcare is a cornerstone of society, making medical coding a recession-proof career. As long as there are patients and healthcare providers, the need for accurate coding and billing will remain critical.

Is there a future for medical coders?

Future roles for medical coders might include: AI Trainers and Auditors: Who better to train and refine AI systems than those who understand the intricacies of medical coding? Complex Case Specialists: Focusing on the challenging cases that AI struggles to handle accurately.

Is medical coding best for the future?

Medical coding is indeed a promising career path, especially in today's healthcare landscape where the demand for efficient and accurate medical record-keeping is high. Growing Demand: The healthcare industry is expanding globally, and with it, the need for medical coders is on the rise.

Will medical coders be replaced by AI?

The Future of Medical Billing and Coding Professionals

Given these potential impacts and challenges, what does the future hold for medical billing and coding professionals? While AI is likely to significantly transform the field, it's unlikely to completely replace human coders in the near future.

Is medical billing and coding a dying field?

The health care industry isn't going anywhere, and each office visit requires billing and insurance coding through a billing and coding professional. Positions in this field require specialized skills; having those skills can create great opportunities for growth and a career you can be proud of.

Will Medical Coding Become Obsolete? Will AI Replace Medical Coders?

23 related questions found

What is the downside of medical coding?

You may find the work repetitive.

Medical billing and coding can be mundane. You may enter the same patient details into different systems multiple times during the day. Although there would be other work, most of your days will be spent on the computer doing repetitive tasks.

What pays more billing or coding?

You Can Earn a Good Salary

According to the BLS, the median range for medical billing specialists in 2023 was $48,780. Entry level billing and coding specialists may earn less than that, but the highest 10% of all coders earned about $77,810 in May 2023.

Is there a shortage of medical coders?

Unfortunately, the lack of medical coders may only worsen. By 2033, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the demand for medical coders and other medical records specialists will grow nine percent which is much faster than average for all occupations. That's about 15,000 openings each year.

Will medical coding get automated?

So we start with the premise that medical coding by people is not going away and there are additional opportunities to gain efficiency through automation. In some cases, the specialty to autonomously code charts means they are directly billed without human intervention.

Will coding jobs become obsolete with AI?

Although AI is becoming integral to product development, this does not necessarily mean human programmers are becoming obsolete. McKinsey Global Institute is optimistic, with AI anticipated to create 9 million new jobs in the United States by 2030.

Is medical coding a stable career?

Medical billing and coding jobs are on the rise and expected to grow at 8% through 2029. This is double the national average job growth according to the BLS.

Do coders have future?

Yes, coding is a good career for the future. The technology industry is one that will define progress across the commercial sector. That makes coding a future-proof job profile where candidates will be able to find open roles across industries.

Do most medical coders work from home?

Because many healthcare organizations now offer more remote opportunities due to the rise of telehealth services, it's easier to work from home as a medical coder. This setup offers flexibility in managing your schedule and work environment as long as you have a reliable internet connection and a dedicated workspace.

Is medical coding a good career in 2024?

The aging population and expanded access to healthcare services explain this trend. Moreover, medical billing and coding jobs are relatively stable because people always need healthcare services. Even if times get tough economically, the need for healthcare services does not disappear and often does not even slow.

Can you make six figures as a medical coder?

The best Medical Coder jobs can pay up to $122,000 per year.

Medical coders transfer healthcare claims into universal medical codes for insurance reimbursement.

Is it hard to get hired as a medical coder?

Once you've completed your training in medical billing and coding, it's time to venture out into the job market. A word of warning: because medical billing and coding is expanding so rapidly, many young coders often find the job market saturated. It can be tough to get a coding or billing job right away.

Are medical coders being phased out?

Answer: While AI is increasingly being used in medical coding to automate routine tasks and improve accuracy, it is not expected to replace medical coding jobs entirely. Instead, AI will complement the work of medical coding specialists, allowing them to focus on more complex cases, quality assurance, and oversight.

Do all coders work from home?

But the best part about coding careers, as I mentioned, is that the vast majority of them are remote jobs. You can work from anywhere with a decent internet connection, including your home office. Ready to see what a coding career actually looks like?

Is medical coding oversaturated?

The short answer for those in the medical coding and medical billing fields is “no.” The fact is, a coder continues to be in high demand – especially those who have completed a Medical Coding Certification program. That's because nearly every healthcare provider uses coded documentation and records.

Where do medical coders make the most money?

AAPC's 2025 Medical Coding and Billing Salary Report shows annual income averages for medical records specialists across the 50 states and territories differ by up to 31.5 percent, with the highest in California at $80,189, and the lowest in Mississippi at $56,166.

What is the future outlook for medical coding?

The job outlook for medical billing and coding professionals in California is promising. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a growth rate of 8% (faster than average) from 2022 to 2032 for medical records and health information specialists, which includes billers and coders.

Which type of coder makes the most money?

18 highest paying coding jobs
  1. Chief technology officer. ...
  2. Software engineering manager. ...
  3. Machine learning engineer. ...
  4. Enterprise architect. ...
  5. Site reliability engineer. ...
  6. Software architect. ...
  7. Data warehouse architect. ...
  8. Technical program manager.

Do medical coders talk on the phone?

Although medical coders work behind the scenes and interact directly with healthcare providers and insurance companies, they have to interact with patients. Hence, the answer to your question, “do medical coders have to talk on the phone?” is yes.

Is there a 4 week online course for medical billing and coding?

Currently, there is only one 4-week online medical billing and coding program. It is offered by Medicalbillingcourse.com. The next shortest program available is roughly 16 weeks in length.