Medical Records Specialists Salary
The median pay for a medical records specialists in Louisiana is $44,610/year ($21.45/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $51,111 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,191/month, about 39.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Louisiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $45K actually covers in Louisiana, month by month
About medical records specialists
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What this looks like in Louisiana
Pay for medical records specialists in Louisiana runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $51K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,191/month, which is 39.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.28 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for medical records specialists.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisiana
Entry-level medical records specialists (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $44K spread from bottom to top.
Medical Records Specialists salary by metro in Louisiana
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $48K | +8% | 310 |
| Hammond | $48K | +8% | 70 |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $47K | +5% | 750 |
| Baton Rouge | $47K | +4% | 600 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $43K | -3% | 120 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $40K | -10% | 90 |
| Monroe | $39K | -12% | 130 |
| Alexandria | $38K | -16% | 60 |
| Lafayette | $37K | -16% | 130 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Louisiana numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a medical records specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 39.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,191/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 Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical records specialists typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,294/month. At HUD’s $1,191/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 Louisiana?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $45K here vs. $51K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for medical records specialists?
Louisiana pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — below the national median.
How much do medical records specialists make in Louisiana?
The median is $44,610 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,900, and experienced medical records specialists can clear $77,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,044/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 39.1% 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 Louisiana?
Louisiana has a Regional Price Parity of 87.28 (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 $51,111 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.