Medical Records Specialists Salary
The median pay for a medical records specialists in Cedar Rapids, IA is $49,710/year ($23.9/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.96), which stretches that salary to about $55,879 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $956/month, or 28.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $50K get you in Cedar Rapids?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cedar Rapids’s Regional Price Parity (88.96). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About medical records specialists
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What this looks like in Cedar Rapids
Medical records specialists pay in Cedar Rapids tracks closely to the national median, $50K locally vs. $51K nationwide, a 3% difference. Rent runs $956/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.96 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for medical records specialists in metros near Cedar Rapids, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $54K | $59K |
| Iowa City | $66K | $72K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $46K | $51K |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $48K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cedar Rapids, IA
Entry-level medical records specialists (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $34K spread from bottom to top.
Medical Records Specialists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Medical Records Specialists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $72K | +41% | 270 |
| Rhode Island | $64K | +25% | 650 |
| Hawaii | $63K | +24% | 400 |
| Washington | $62K | +22% | 5,010 |
| California | $62K | +21% | 18,700 |
| New York | $62K | +21% | 9,080 |
| Minnesota | $62K | +20% | 3,150 |
| Alaska | $61K | +19% | 1,070 |
| Connecticut | $61K | +19% | 1,120 |
| Massachusetts | $60K | +18% | 3,500 |
| Wisconsin | $60K | +18% | 2,870 |
| Colorado | $59K | +15% | 1,780 |
| Oregon | $59K | +15% | 2,560 |
| Vermont | $58K | +13% | N/A |
| New Mexico | $57K | +12% | 1,400 |
| Illinois | $56K | +10% | 5,740 |
| Delaware | $56K | +10% | 610 |
| South Carolina | $54K | +6% | 2,750 |
| Maryland | $54K | +6% | 2,440 |
| Wyoming | $54K | +6% | 280 |
| Idaho | $53K | +5% | 1,490 |
| Oklahoma | $53K | +5% | 2,480 |
| Virginia | $53K | +4% | 4,630 |
| Utah | $53K | +3% | 1,910 |
| Maine | $52K | +2% | 1,000 |
| Nebraska | $52K | +1% | 1,640 |
| South Dakota | $52K | +1% | 900 |
| Georgia | $52K | +1% | 5,930 |
| Ohio | $51K | -0% | 7,440 |
| Missouri | $51K | -1% | 3,890 |
| Iowa | $51K | -1% | 2,250 |
| Nevada | $50K | -2% | 2,350 |
| New Jersey | $50K | -2% | 4,450 |
| Montana | $50K | -2% | 820 |
| North Carolina | $50K | -3% | 6,760 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | -4% | 930 |
| Texas | $49K | -4% | 17,210 |
| Tennessee | $49K | -5% | 4,440 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -5% | 4,210 |
| Kansas | $48K | -6% | 2,030 |
| Michigan | $48K | -6% | 4,890 |
| Indiana | $48K | -7% | 5,860 |
| Arizona | $48K | -7% | 3,750 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -7% | 1,260 |
| Pennsylvania | $47K | -8% | 6,970 |
| North Dakota | $46K | -10% | 520 |
| Florida | $46K | -11% | 21,490 |
| Louisiana | $45K | -13% | 2,600 |
| Alabama | $44K | -14% | 2,330 |
| Arkansas | $42K | -18% | 1,920 |
| Mississippi | $42K | -19% | 2,310 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track medical records specialists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Cedar Rapids numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a medical records specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cedar Rapids?
Yes — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 29% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $956/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for medical records specialists in Cedar Rapids?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical records specialists typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,406/month. At HUD’s $956/month FMR, rent would take 40% 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 Cedar Rapids?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $50K locally vs. $51K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Cedar Rapids compare to the national average for medical records specialists?
Cedar Rapids pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do medical records specialists make in Cedar Rapids, IA?
The median is $49,710 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,100, and experienced medical records specialists can clear $74,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Cedar Rapids?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,298/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $956/month, which eats 29% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a medical records specialists salary go in Cedar Rapids?
Cedar Rapids has a Regional Price Parity of 88.96 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median medical records specialists salary is worth about $55,879 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.