Medical Records Specialists Salary
The median pay for a medical records specialists in Decatur, AL is $44,340/year ($21.32/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.21), which stretches that salary to about $50,843 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $961/month, about 31.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $44K get you in Decatur?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Decatur’s Regional Price Parity (87.21). 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 Decatur
Pay for medical records specialists in Decatur runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $51K. Rent runs $961/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.21 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for medical records specialists in metros near Decatur, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $46K | $51K |
| Huntsville | $38K | $41K |
| Montgomery | $45K | $50K |
| Mobile | $43K | $49K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Decatur, AL
Entry-level medical records specialists (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $29K 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 Decatur numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a medical records specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Decatur?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 32.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $961/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Decatur?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical records specialists typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,813/month. At HUD’s $961/month FMR, rent would take 53% 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 Decatur?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $44K here vs. $51K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Decatur compare to the national average for medical records specialists?
Decatur pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — below the national median.
How much do medical records specialists make in Decatur, AL?
The median is $44,340 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,210, and experienced medical records specialists can clear $59,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Decatur?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,968/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $961/month, which eats 32.4% 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 Decatur?
Decatur has a Regional Price Parity of 87.21 (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 $50,843 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.