Becoming a Medical Informatics Specialist via Online Education?

At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths. Kaplan University, one of the highest ranking online schools, is a US school (accredited) offering medical informatics courses to train individuals to become top-notch medical informatics specialists, medical assistants, medical billing specialists, medical secretaries, medical informatics workers, etc. Currently, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 170,580 people employed as medical records and health information technicians alone in America, and their average annual salary is $33,880. Medical and clinical laboratory technicians make on average $37,860 per year and there are about 152,420 of them employed today. Colleges and universities like Kaplan University that provide online education are successfully launching workers into this field.

Typical Work Locations for a Medical Informatics Specialist
  • hospital
  • doctors office
  • lab
  • other healthcare providers
  • pharmaceutical company
  • medical software company
  • public health organization
  • government/non-government agency
  • insurance company
  • a university
Potential Advantages and Benefits of Working as a Medical Informatics Specialist
  • get to work in a variety of different settings
  • good pay
  • get to help others
  • good medical benefits
  • work in an "on demand" job
  • get to work with great people who share your passion
  • provides stability for retirement
  • leadership roles available
  • rewarding career that helps you grow as a person
  • communicate with researchers to find out new information
Potential Drawbacks
  • you have to know different languages
  • you have to be patient with visitors
  • you are responsible for information that you give out
  • a complicated job
  • work late
  • you have to be on time
  • it is not a flexible job
  • low salary
  • stress
  • long hours
Related Professions to Consider
  • Clinical Informatics Analyst
  • Director of Informatics
  • Infection Prevention Consultant
  • Nursing Informatics Specialist
  • Systems Analyst / Trainer
  • Medical Assistant
  • PharmNet Specialist
  • Clinical Informatics Specialist
  • Medical Imaging Systems Specialist
  • Branch Chief
Possible Interview Questions When Applying to be a Medical Informatics Specialist
  • What are the licensure requirements for your position?
  • What do you like most about your work?
  • What do you like least about your work?
  • What educational background have you had that has prepared you for your current role?
  • What contributions did elvis make to the world?
  • What is the point of a second interview?
  • What is your favorite area of informatics?
  • Give me some example of experience in your previous job that was satisfying?
  • Tell us about how you deal with information overload?
  • What would your co-workers say about you?
Common Collaborating Professions
  • RN- Informatics/ Labor & Delivery
  • Technical Support Specialist
  • Clinic Informatics Specialist
  • Advanced Clinical Product Specialist
  • Nursing Informatics Specialist
  • Informatics Nurse Specialist
  • EMR Training Specialist
  • Medical Informatics Specialist
  • Program Coordinator-Clinical Informatics Specialist
  • Nursing Informatics Specialist
Medical Informatics Specialist Training books Medical Informatics Specialist (More) Popular books Potential Companies to Work For Common College Majors
  • medical administration
  • medical coding
  • occupational safety
  • public health
  • medical informatics
  • medical office management
  • medical assistant
  • nursing
  • insurance coding
  • science

Medical Informatics Specialist Salary Information

Category: Medical and clinical laboratory technicians

Total # Employed in the US 152,420
Average Hourly Wage: $18.2/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$11.46 $13.83 $17.32 $21.84 $26.55
Average Yearly Salary $37,860
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$23,850 $28,770 $36,030 $45,420 $55,210
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
1.4% 10.8% 18.2% 17.2% 44.4% 5.4% 2.5%
Medical and clinical laboratory technicians — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Virginia $26.68/hr $55,490
Mississippi $22.05/hr $45,870
Delaware $21.82/hr $45,380
Alaska $21.12/hr $43,920
Oklahoma $21.01/hr $43,690
North Dakota $20.79/hr $43,230
Puerto Rico $20.62/hr $42,890
Colorado $20.35/hr $42,320
Indiana $20.09/hr $41,790
Nebraska $20.06/hr $41,730
District of Columbia $19.93/hr $41,450
Florida $19.72/hr $41,010
Kansas $19.53/hr $40,620
New Jersey $19.49/hr $40,540
Missouri $19.28/hr $40,090
Utah $19.2/hr $39,940
Tennessee $19/hr $39,510
Kentucky $18.74/hr $38,990
North Carolina $18.73/hr $38,960
Michigan $18.63/hr $38,760
South Carolina $18.47/hr $38,420
Arkansas $18.37/hr $38,210
Ohio $17.98/hr $37,400
Iowa $17.72/hr $36,860
Louisiana $17.63/hr $36,670
Connecticut $17.56/hr $36,530
Oregon $17.55/hr $36,490
Hawaii $17.26/hr $35,910
Washington $17.08/hr $35,530
Maryland $16.99/hr $35,340
New York $16.69/hr $34,720
Wyoming $16.52/hr $34,370
Wisconsin $16.34/hr $33,990
Montana $16.34/hr $33,990
New Hampshire $16.01/hr $33,300
California $15.95/hr $33,170
New Mexico $15.92/hr $33,120
Pennsylvania $15.74/hr $32,730
West Virginia $15.71/hr $32,670
Massachusetts $15.67/hr $32,590
Alabama $15.57/hr $32,390
Idaho $15.42/hr $32,060
South Dakota $15.27/hr $31,770
Maine $15.27/hr $31,770
Nevada $15.03/hr $31,260
Guam $14.51/hr $30,180


Category: Medical records and health information technicians

Total # Employed in the US 170,580
Average Hourly Wage: $16.29/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$10.03 $11.96 $15.04 $19.49 $24.76
Average Yearly Salary $33,880
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$20,850 $24,870 $31,290 $40,540 $51,510
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
3.7% 34.2% 31.6% 16.1% 12.3% 1.3% 0.8%
Medical records and health information technicians — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
North Dakota $21.99/hr $45,750
Indiana $19.88/hr $41,340
Florida $19.85/hr $41,290
Alaska $18.99/hr $39,490
Mississippi $18.91/hr $39,330
Missouri $18.9/hr $39,310
Colorado $18.53/hr $38,550
Oklahoma $18.33/hr $38,130
Connecticut $18.15/hr $37,750
Nebraska $18.09/hr $37,630
Virginia $17.67/hr $36,760
Delaware $17.47/hr $36,350
New York $17.23/hr $35,850
Tennessee $16.81/hr $34,970
Montana $16.49/hr $34,290
Kansas $16.33/hr $33,960
Arkansas $16.15/hr $33,590
Puerto Rico $15.79/hr $32,840
North Carolina $15.69/hr $32,630
New Mexico $15.47/hr $32,180
Utah $15.46/hr $32,150
Wyoming $15.46/hr $32,150
Hawaii $15.45/hr $32,130
Iowa $15.33/hr $31,880
District of Columbia $15.31/hr $31,840
South Carolina $15.31/hr $31,840
Washington $15.27/hr $31,770
New Hampshire $15.21/hr $31,630
Maryland $15.12/hr $31,440
Maine $15.07/hr $31,350
West Virginia $15.05/hr $31,310
Michigan $15/hr $31,210
Louisiana $14.94/hr $31,080
Kentucky $14.9/hr $30,990
Guam $14.87/hr $30,930
Ohio $14.85/hr $30,890
New Jersey $14.81/hr $30,800
Oregon $14.78/hr $30,750
Wisconsin $14.76/hr $30,710
California $14.66/hr $30,500
Pennsylvania $14.61/hr $30,380
South Dakota $14.51/hr $30,190
Idaho $14.32/hr $29,790
Alabama $13.85/hr $28,800
Massachusetts $13.73/hr $28,550
Nevada $12.72/hr $26,460


Category: Informatics Nurse Specialists

Total # Employed in the US 512,720
Average Hourly Wage: $38.67/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$22.66 $28.88 $37.06 $46.73 $57.29
Average Yearly Salary $80,430
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$47,130 $60,070 $77,080 $97,200 $119,170
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
0.6% 6.4% 17.0% 10.5% 44.3% 18.7% 2.5%


Medical Informatics Programs by State & City