Medical Records Specialists Salary
The median pay for a medical records specialists in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is $54,270/year ($26.09/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $71K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $59,182 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 37% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines
Medical records specialists pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines tracks closely to the national median, $54K locally vs. $51K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,318/month, which is 36.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa City | $66K | $72K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $46K | $51K |
| Cedar Rapids | $50K | $56K |
| 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, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level medical records specialists (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $71K or more, a $28K 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a medical records specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 36.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical records specialists typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,549/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 52% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $54K locally vs. $51K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for medical records specialists?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do medical records specialists make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $54,270 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,490, and experienced medical records specialists can clear $70,570. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,581/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 36.8% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (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 $59,182 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.