If you were one of the nearly 3,600 readers who stopped by our Web site to take our 2008 Salary Survey, you might have noticed some changes from previous years. This year, ADVANCE proudly unveiled a new surveying gadget, and we're offering you a deeper look into salaries across the HIM spectrum than in years past.

With that in mind, you'll also notice some changes in the way the data is presented this year. Because we had a more comprehensive look at salaries, we've put summaries of the data into PDF documents that you can click on at the end of this document and throughout it. Another difference is that we could slice and dice how data was presented, and this year, unless otherwise noted, the salaries are for full-time HIM professionals (88 percent of respondents) only, so keep that in mind. We didn't forget you part-time workers--you're still included in some of the data, and if you check out the PDF documents, you'll get a glance at even more information that will show how you measure up.

This year, the survey included 22 professions across the HIM field, and that number will grow even more for next year as HIM professionals branch out and trickle into even more job titles. Even with the changes to our survey format, one thing remained constant--most respondents fell into four categories. HIM directors, MTs/editors, cancer registrars and coders made up 61 percent of the respondents. To see a summary of general results, click here.

Whatever your title, there was good news across the board--salaries for every single job title were up this year, even though the economy is currently in the dumps. Average salaries for all credentials scooted upward as well from last year. As for where you'll find HIM professionals across the country, as usual, most are working in a hospital setting. However, from last year to this year the number of HIM professionals working from home doubled, from 12 percent to 24 percent.

Whether at home, in a hospital or somewhere else entirely, most HIM professionals should be pleased to see the pay bump across the profession this year. For a more in-depth look at the data we collected, see the summaries in PDF form at the end of this article and in the links above. Again, keep in mind as you take in the results that most are for full-timers only, unless noted, and that some questions had multiple answer options, and percents might not add up to 100.

 Coders See a Spike

Last year, the average salary for coders included both full-time and part-time employees and came to $34,400. In 2008, with both full-time and part-time coders combined, the average salary was $41,500--quite an increase, at 21 percent. Full-time coders raked in an average of $42,400 nationwide. According to SAM! Farrell, group president, Kforce Professional Staffing, Tampa, FL, it's a sign of the times. She said the numbers garnered by the 2008 survey are similar to what she's seeing in the industry. "I really believe there has been a heightened focus on revenue cycle and improving efficiencies within hospitals, and I think high-level folks are starting to understand the roles coders and HIM professionals play in that," Farrell said.

Out of the 892 coders polled, 822 were full-time, and of those, 26 percent reported having no credential in the HIM field. Those without a credential grossed less than their credentialed colleagues by at least $2,000 per year. Of the coders who responded, nearly 80 percent reported having at least some college education, with 56 percent holding at least an associate degree. Farrell said those with only a high school education or GED (7 percent) or a trade school certificate (10 percent) are likely people who started off in the industry many years ago and received on-the-job training.