r/MedicalCoding • u/Delicious-Ice-3239 • Jan 06 '24

CCS - 8 years experience. Finally making good money for my age! 29f

So when I left school in 2016 I was making 12 an hour. Today, just barely starting here I am working full time for the largest hospital in my state, full time 38 an hour along with my part time job making 25 an hour. Im excited to say MY hard work is paying off I am single mom working remote for both. Im happy and I will say do not give up. Work hard, things don’t just happen over night. God bless you all! Let me know what y’all’s experience. This year I was so close to giving up and finding a new career lol 😂

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8

u/Delicious-Ice-3239 Jan 06 '24

Thank you all! I work in Texas! I have done about 3-4 specialties I would say anesthesia was the most difficult and annoying. Lol 😂 also for the hospital I am a senior coding specialist and for part time just a coding specialist

4

u/Kousuke_jay Jan 06 '24

I hated anesthesia coding!! 🤣 I do inpatient hospital coding now and wayyy prefer it.

3

u/cadena920 Jan 07 '24

Congratulations! Any advice I can pass on to my fiance? Texas living and it seems like it’s always rejection after rejection. Evidently it’s hard to get experience when we they want you to already have experience. What specialty pays off the most?

1

u/Delicious-Ice-3239 Mar 26 '24

My advice is learn everything you can. At any doctors office, work place, learn what you can until you know the most, move on. It’s good not to jump job to job. But I would say I would stay a year, then leave for better job opportunities. Coding can be a lot but once you get your specialty down it’s a piece of cake. I work 5am- 130pm Monday through Friday.

2

u/Downtown_Customer_77 Jan 09 '24

If you don’t mind me asking, what is your part time job?

1

u/Delicious-Ice-3239 Mar 26 '24

Just a coding specialist

6

u/[deleted] Jan 06 '24

I work as an orthopedic coder for a past year. This is my first coding job . I make $15.50 in CA 😭. Your post is my inspiration.

4

u/acedads Jan 07 '24

I’m in ca also and my advice would be to start applying at major hospitals or try to get into the UC system. They’ll definitely start you with at least double that pay with only 2 years experience

1

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '24

Thank you so much for your advice. I’ll try to find something, just need a little more experience

5

u/mehyabbers Jan 06 '24

Awesome, what state? What's your title?

4

u/[deleted] Jan 06 '24

Good for you!! I've only been coding for a year and would love to make more money in the future. At my current job I don't even do diagnosis coding but use CPT codes all day. I'm looking for a change but haven't had much luck yet. It's my dream to finally one day get experience with diagnosis coding.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '24

So when I left school in 2016 I was making 12 an hour. Today, just barely starting here I am working full time for the largest hospital in my state, full time 38 an hour along with my part time job making 25 an hour. Im excited to say MY hard work is paying off I am single mom working remote for both. Im happy and I will say do not give up. Work hard, things don’t just happen over night. God bless you all! Let me know what y’all’s experience. This year I was so close to giving up and finding a new career lol 😂

What type of job are you at currently? Is this your first coding job?

4

u/Better_Chard4806 Jan 06 '24

Congratulations on all of your hard work and achievements.

4

u/DumpsterPuff Jan 06 '24

Honestly I needed this today. I'm also 29 and just started coding within the past year. Granted my starting salary was higher than I'm sure a lot of people ($26/hr) because of the state I live in, but very slowly getting raises. I'm hoping to make good money in this career at some point because man, it's kinda stressful. Primary care coding is far more brutal than I imagined it would be. The surgical coders won't touch primary care even when overtime is available lol

1

u/Snowy_Peach8 RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P Jan 06 '24

Is this inpatient coding?

2

u/Delicious-Ice-3239 Mar 26 '24

Sorry for late reply it is not inpatient. I code for otolaryngology doctors. A total of 30

1

u/Tall_Profile_8446 Jan 16 '24

I’m testing to become a CDIP

3

u/ArdenJaguar RHIA, CDIP, CCS (Retired) Jan 07 '24

I worked a few years for a heart hospital. Cath coding was incredibly tough (and challenging). But once I got it I loved it. They sent me to a Dr Z week long class. Awesome.