Medical records specialists
SOC Code: 29-2072
Medical records specialists carries a 62% AI exposure score (Very High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $50,250 and +7.1% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 194,800 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 62% AI exposure, Medical records specialists sits 25 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 95% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
45/100
Medical records specialists, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $50,250
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A +7.1%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 62% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Medical records specialists in the Very High band.
Credential × growth standing
Associate / award entry with a named growth shelf
Entry credential Associate / award covers 99 of 832 occupations; BLS places this one in Average (378/832). Mid-credential standing - thicker than graduate shelves, thinner than HS-dominated mass.
Where Medical records specialists sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Medical records specialists sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
62% Higher than most higher than 95% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Medical records specialists vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Medical records specialists is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Medical records specialists's Very High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 29-2072) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Medical records specialists be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Medical records specialists. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Assign the patient to diagnosis-related groups (DRGs), using appropriate computer software.
- 2. Compile and maintain patients' medical records to document condition and treatment and to provide data for research or cost control and care improvement efforts.
- 3. Consult classification manuals to locate information about disease processes.
- 4. Enter data, such as demographic characteristics, history and extent of disease, diagnostic procedures, or treatment into computer.
- 5. Identify, compile, abstract, and code patient data, using standard classification systems.
- 6. Maintain or operate a variety of health record indexes or storage and retrieval systems to collect, classify, store, or analyze information.
- 7. Post medical insurance billings.
- 8. Process and prepare business or government forms.
- 9. Process patient admission or discharge documents.
- 10. Protect the security of medical records to ensure that confidentiality is maintained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Medical records specialists?
Medical records specialists has an AI exposure score of 62%, indicating a very high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Medical records specialists?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Medical records specialists is projected to grow by 7.1% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 194,800 workers.
What skills are needed for Medical records specialists?
Medical records specialists requires a combination of technical knowledge and interpersonal skills. Typical education requirement: Postsecondary nondegree award.
How much do Medical records specialists earn?
The median annual wage for Medical records specialists is $50,250, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Medical records specialists?
The typical entry-level education for Medical records specialists is Postsecondary nondegree award. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Medical records specialists?
Medical records specialists roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Very High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A majority of tasks in this occupation are susceptible to AI automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Medical records specialists: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (62% here).
- Business operations specialists, all other · AI exposure 62%
- Statisticians · AI exposure 62%
- Data scientists · AI exposure 61%
- Forensic science technicians · AI exposure 61%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+7.1% here).
- Chefs and head cooks · growth +7.1%
- Magnetic resonance imaging technologists · growth +7.1%
- Curators · growth +7.0%
- Dental hygienists · growth +7.0%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 49 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Medical records specialists' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Medical records specialists side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).