Medical Records Specialists Salary
The median pay for a medical records specialists in California is $61,810/year ($29.71/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $102K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $58,234 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 61.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $62K get you in California?
About medical records specialists
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What this looks like in California
California sits well above the national pay line for medical records specialists, local pay runs about 21% higher than the U.S. median of $51K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 59.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level medical records specialists (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $102K or more, a $59K spread from bottom to top.
Medical Records Specialists salary by metro in California
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $87K | +41% | 920 |
| Vallejo | $82K | +33% | 130 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $75K | +22% | 1,340 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $74K | +20% | 1,880 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $63K | +2% | 280 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $62K | +0% | 210 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $62K | -0% | 170 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $61K | -1% | 1,600 |
| El Centro | $61K | -2% | 60 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $61K | -2% | 100 |
| Redding | $60K | -4% | 120 |
| Visalia | $59K | -4% | 200 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $59K | -4% | 7,240 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $59K | -5% | 1,350 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $59K | -5% | 60 |
| Napa | $59K | -5% | 60 |
| Fresno | $58K | -6% | 430 |
| Merced | $58K | -6% | 70 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $58K | -6% | 290 |
| Salinas | $58K | -6% | 190 |
| Chico | $57K | -7% | 120 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $55K | -11% | 310 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $54K | -13% | 70 |
| Yuba City | $51K | -18% | 60 |
| Modesto | $48K | -22% | 210 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a medical records specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 59.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for medical records specialists in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical records specialists typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,628/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 94% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is medical records specialist a high-paying job in California?
Local pay is 21% above the national median — $62K here vs. $51K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does California compare to the national average for medical records specialists?
California pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s +21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do medical records specialists make in California?
The median is $61,810 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,800, and experienced medical records specialists can clear $102,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,138/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 59.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a medical records specialists salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median medical records specialists salary is worth about $58,234 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do medical records specialists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.