---

Health Information Management

Types of Degrees Health Information Management Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Health Information Management have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	141
Associate’s Degree	240
Bachelor’s Degree	1,273
Master’s Degree	1,125

What Health Information Management Majors Need to Know

Programs in Health Information Management build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Health Information Management graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Health Information Management emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Administration and Management — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Personnel and Human Resources — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Health Information Management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Management of Personnel Resources — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Health Information Management careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Health Information Management graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.6 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.5 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others	4.3 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Health Information Management professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft SQL Server	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
SAP Business Objects	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
eClinicalWorks EHR software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Electronic medical record EMR software	Medical software	—
Epic Systems	Medical software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
SAP Crystal Reports	Data base reporting software	—
Qlik Tech QlikView	Business intelligence and data analysis software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Health Information Management graduates include:

• Medical Records Director
• Health Information Specialist
• Medical Records Clerk
• Health Information Technology Specialist
• Applications Analyst
• Certified Cancer Registrar
• Medical Data Analyst
• Severity of Illness Coordinator
• Health Information Technician
• Health Information Administrator
• Public Health Registrar
• Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist (CDIS)
• Healthcare Data Analyst
• Cancer Registrar
• Health Records Technician (Health Records Tech)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Health Information Management graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	46.4%
Master’s degree	21.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10.7%
Postsecondary certificate	7.1%
First professional degree	3.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.6%
Some college courses	3.6%
Post-doctoral training	3.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Health Information Management?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 85.4% of Health Information Management degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,374	85.4%
Men	407	14.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Health Information Management graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,223	44.0%
Asian	275	9.9%
Hispanic or Latino	383	13.8%
Black or African American	645	23.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	23	0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.1%
Two or More Races	76	2.7%
Race Unknown	117	4.2%
International Students	36	1.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Health Information Management Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Health Information Management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$36,041
4 years	$36,054
5 years	$40,847

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $40,847 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Health Information Management Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Health Information Management. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	15	11
Bachelor’s	44	29
Master’s	23	1
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Health Information Management Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Health Information Management graduates earn a median of $36,054 four years after completion — about 5% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Health and Medical Administrative Services	51.07
Clinical Research Coordinator	51.0719
Disease Registry Data Management	51.0721
Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other	51.0799
Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician	51.0707
Health Unit Coordinator/Ward Clerk	51.0703
Health Unit Manager/Ward Supervisor	51.0704
Health/Health Care Administration/Management	51.0701
Health/Medical Claims Examiner	51.0715
Healthcare Information Privacy Assurance and Security	51.0723
Healthcare Innovation	51.0722
Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management	51.0702

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.