SOC 29-9021.00Bright outlook

    Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars

    Apply knowledge of healthcare and information systems to assist in the design, development, and continued modification and analysis of computerized healthcare systems.

    Median pay
    $68,020
    Growth
    +15.9%
    Much faster than average
    Openings a year
    3,000
    Typical education
    Associate's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $39,830
    Median
    $68,020
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $117,420
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    38,100 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Health information technologists and medical registrars manage computerized healthcare systems and analyze patient data. They earn a median annual pay of $68,020, with employment in this field projected to grow much faster than average.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What health information technologists and medical registrars do

    Job Zone 3: Medium preparation

    Apply knowledge of healthcare and information systems to assist in the design, development, and continued modification and analysis of computerized healthcare systems. Abstract, collect, and analyze treatment and followup information of patients. May educate staff and assist in problem solving to promote the implementation of the healthcare information system. May design, develop, test, and implement databases with complete history, diagnosis, treatment, and health status to help monitor diseases.

    Usually vocational training, an associate degree or related experience.

    What the work is like

    These professionals work at the intersection of healthcare and information technology. Their daily responsibilities include designing, developing, and modifying computerized healthcare systems. They gather, abstract, and review patient treatment and follow-up data to help monitor diseases. Some workers design and test databases that track complete patient histories, diagnoses, and health statuses. They also educate medical staff on system implementation and assist with technical troubleshooting.

    Succeeding in this role requires a conventional interest area, meaning a preference for structured, detail-oriented tasks. Workers must show strong attention to detail, dependability, and integrity. Because they handle sensitive medical records, they must practice cautiousness and maintain high ethical standards. Adaptability, intellectual curiosity, and cooperation are also essential as they collaborate with clinical staff to improve data systems and solve technical problems.

    How to get there

    To enter this field, individuals typically need an associate's degree. The occupation falls under a medium preparation category, where vocational training, an associate degree, or related work experience is standard. Students preparing for this career often major in health and medical administrative services or medical illustration and informatics.

    Depending on the employer and location, professionals may seek voluntary certifications to demonstrate their expertise. Available credentials include the Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems, Certified COBRA Specialist, Certified Coding Specialist, Certified Health Data Analyst, Certified Inpatient Coder, and Certified Medical Compliance Officer. Additionally, some states list licensing requirements for this profession.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual wage for health information technologists and medical registrars is $68,020. Earnings vary based on experience and location, with the lowest 10% earning less than $39,830 and the highest 10% earning more than $117,420.

    There are 38,100 people employed in this occupation. The field is projected to grow by 15.9% from 2025 to 2035, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is expected to generate approximately 3,000 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    26 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    70 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    3 / 100
    Social (S)
    47 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    20 / 100
    Conventional (C) · strongest
    83 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code CIS. Compare it with yours

    Skills and strengths

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Integrity
    • Cautiousness
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Cooperation
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Adaptability
    • Initiative
    • Stress Tolerance

    Also called

    Applications Analyst · Cancer Registrar · Cancer Tumor Registrar · Certified Cancer Registrar · Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) · Clinical Analyst · Clinical Data Specialist · Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist (CDIS) · Compliance Coordinator · Data Integrity Specialist

    Career pathway

    From your interests to health information technologists and medical registrars

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars$68,020 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Georgetown University-DC logo
      Georgetown University-DC

      Washington, DC · Health and Medical Administrative Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $143,686
      Median debt
      $11,000
    2. 2University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus logo
      University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus

      Chapel Hill, NC · Health and Medical Administrative Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $44,456
      4 yrs after
      $110,204
      Median debt
      Not reported
    3. 3
      George Washington University

      Washington, DC · Health and Medical Administrative Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $92,810
      Median debt
      Not reported
    4. 4
      Baptist Health System School of Health Professions

      San Antonio, TX · Health and Medical Administrative Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $60,194
      4 yrs after
      $85,145
      Median debt
      Not reported
    5. 5Stonehill College logo
      Stonehill College

      Easton, MA · Health and Medical Administrative Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $82,254
      Median debt
      Not reported
    6. 6Loyola University Chicago logo
      Loyola University Chicago

      Chicago, IL · Health and Medical Administrative Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $59,113
      4 yrs after
      $82,040
      Median debt
      $25,000
    7. 7CUNY Graduate School and University Center logo
      CUNY Graduate School and University Center

      New York, NY · Health and Medical Administrative Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $61,698
      4 yrs after
      $81,184
      Median debt
      $15,460
    8. 8Oregon Institute of Technology logo
      Oregon Institute of Technology

      Klamath Falls, OR · Health and Medical Administrative Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $80,944
      Median debt
      $27,820

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What health information technologists and medical registrars may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work. Showing 12 of 26.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Disease Registry Data Management
    • Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator
    • Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician
    • Healthcare Information Privacy Assurance and Security
    • Medical Informatics
    • Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    42 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about health information technologists and medical registrars

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some common job titles for this career?

    Workers in this field are known by several titles, including applications analyst, clinical analyst, and clinical data specialist. They may also be called cancer registrars, data integrity specialists, or clinical documentation improvement specialists.

    What certifications are available for these professionals?

    Several organizations offer certifications, such as the Certified Health Data Analyst and Certified Coding Specialist credentials from the American Health Information Management Association. Other options include the Certified Inpatient Coder and the Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems.

    What other careers are similar to this one?

    Related occupations that share similar duties include medical records specialists, clinical data managers, and health informatics specialists. Other related roles are patient representatives, document management specialists, and statistical assistants.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.