Are coder job opportunities growing or declining?

Are jobs in this industry on the rise? Are there any sub-sectors that are growing?

Where are the jobs? Which places have the most coder opportunities?

I AM LOOKING FOR A CODING JOB. I WOULD LIKE YOUR ADVICE WHAT NEXT TO DO IS IT A GOOD FEEL TO BE IN IS THE FIELD DECLING.

Presently,am certified coder form AAPC CPC-H credentials since 2007.I have not found a coding position.The biggest problem is the managers wants coding experience.Trust me I have completed both
internship/externship and also volunteer for eighteen months in HIM dept for inpatient coding where am presently employed another field altogther.

My advised is to get into another field ie nursing,nurses are always in demand and its a secured job.
Probaly you are wondering why I did not go into nursing,I am certified nurse form England and Wales
not in USA. In this corporate world we live in its not what I know is who you know.

PS:Do not waste time like me on this field.Think it over and make nursing your field

Good Luck.

yes, agree. I do not understand why so many of these colleges encourage coding either.

rosie alley in Camden, New Jersey said: Presently,am certified coder form AAPC CPC-H credentials since 2007.I have not found a coding position.The biggest problem is the managers wants coding experience.Trust me I have completed both
internship/externship and also volunteer for eighteen months in HIM dept for inpatient coding where am presently employed another field altogther.

My advised is to get into another field ie nursing,nurses are always in demand and its a secured job.
Probaly you are wondering why I did not go into nursing,I am certified nurse form England and Wales
not in USA. In this corporate world we live in its not what I know is who you know.

PS:Do not waste time like me on this field.Think it over and make nursing your field

Good Luck.

Hi Rosie,

I read your post and I understand how you feel. I passed my exam last week and is looking forward to working in the coding field. I work in a hospital but not in coding. They are asking for experience which I dont have but if I have to leave this hospital and go elsewhere then i may do that. It is said you should take a postion in the medical field even though it doesnt pertain to coding because u never know. I did my classes in Linden NJ off the GSP. My teacher already send me a lead for a job at NYU in NY. You must be aggresive.

Rosie I have to disagree, and I agree with Vanessa. It's a very slim chance that anyone will hire you for a coding position right out of school, especially if you didn't graduate from an AHIMA accredited school. You have to start out at the bottom doing front desk or patient registration positions, then leverage yourself into a coding position. It's hard for manager to trust new graduates because you are talking about the doctor's being paid back by insurance, and you are likely to make mistakes without experience, even from the internship. I also advise volunteering. That is a great way to get your foot in the door and get to know everyone, then when a position is open they will consider you. I agree, you have to be aggressive and network. Networking is really the key to finding a position, and the willing to accept an entry-level position for a little while until you get a coding position.

Rosie - to clarify I didn't agree with your waste of time comment. This field is not a waste of time if you work hard and network. Yes it's very hard to get into, but what I hear from everyone is once you do you will be glad that you did. Everyone seems to advise getting an entry-level job like patient registration or front desk, learning the ropes, then leveraging yourself into a coding position later.

Good luck to all. I received my CPC certification this past September and although I work in a hospital for the past 10 years, I am yet to get an interview. It is frustrating but I would not give up. I am looking into working as a Registrar with the hope I can move to the coding eventually. At this point if I have to move to another hospital I will if I know the position i would take would lead me to a coding position eventually.

Rosie did you do your internship at one of the externship sites in NJ, and if so, how was it? Which office you did the intership at? i am in NY and sometimes spend time in Irvington, NJ.

What can you tell us about the internship. What you did on a daily basis? Did you code a chart first and then have the coder you were assigned to code the chart also, allowing you to see and ask questions about proper coding.

Thanks Vanessa

Did anyone did an internship lately, if so, could you share some insights on what your day to day internship was like. Did you get to code the first day, or did you work on collections? Did they use the 1500 forms, and did you have to fill it out for the different insurances? In short, what knowledge you left the company with in term of preparing you for a coding position, and do you think you learned enough to be confident and get a coding position?