Medical Records Specialists Salary
The median pay for a medical records specialists in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is $65,530/year ($31.51/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $101K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.13), so that salary is closer to $58,967 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,501/month, about 54.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue’s Regional Price Parity (111.13). 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue sits well above the national pay line for medical records specialists, local pay runs about 28% 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 $2,501/month, which is 55.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 11% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.13), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for medical records specialists in metros near Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $57K | $57K |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | $52K | $50K |
| Yakima | $53K | $55K |
| Bellingham | $60K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Entry-level medical records specialists (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $101K or more, a $53K 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a medical records specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 55.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,501/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical records specialists typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,859/month. At HUD’s $2,501/month FMR, rent would take 87% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Local pay is 28% above the national median — $66K here vs. $51K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 11% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue compare to the national average for medical records specialists?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s +28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.13), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do medical records specialists make in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
The median is $65,530 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,650, and experienced medical records specialists can clear $100,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,541/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,501/month, which eats 55.1% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue has a Regional Price Parity of 111.13 (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 $58,967 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.