List of Medical Coding Jobs in California, USA: 25 Career Options for 2026

Last updated: August 14, 2026

Medical coding jobs in California are available across hospitals, physician groups, health plans, community clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, government agencies, and revenue-cycle companies. Depending on your training and experience, you may work with professional-fee claims, inpatient records, outpatient encounters, risk-adjustment data, denials, audits, or clinical documentation.

This guide lists 25 medical coding career paths to search for in California, explains the credentials employers commonly request, and shows where to find onsite, hybrid, and remote opportunities.

Quick answer: Common California medical coding job titles include professional-fee coder, inpatient coder, outpatient coder, risk-adjustment coder, HCC coder, coding auditor, coding compliance specialist, revenue integrity analyst, denial coder, and health information technician.

Employers commonly look for ICD-10-CM, CPT, HCPCS Level II, medical terminology, reimbursement, EHR, and payer-policy knowledge. CPC, CCS, COC, CIC, CRC, CPMA, CCS-P, CCA, and RHIT are among the credentials that may appear in job descriptions.

California Medical Coding Job-Market Snapshot

Medical coding is included within the broader U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation called medical records specialists. These professionals review health information, assign diagnosis and procedure codes, maintain records, and support reimbursement and data reporting.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of medical records specialists to grow 7% from 2024 through 2034, faster than the 3% average for all occupations. It projects about 14,200 openings per year nationwide, including openings created when workers change occupations or leave the workforce.

California demand is visible across large health systems, community providers, payers, physician practices, government facilities, and coding vendors. At the time of this update, the AAPC Healthcare Careers California search displayed hundreds of listings across coding, billing, auditing, compliance, and related revenue-cycle functions. Job-board totals change daily and may include related positions or syndicated listings, so always confirm an opening on the employer's official careers page.

25 Medical Coding Jobs in California

Use the exact titles below as search terms on employer career pages and reputable job boards. Employers do not always use the same title for the same duties, so try several related titles.

1. Professional-Fee Medical Coder

A professional-fee coder assigns diagnosis and procedure codes for physician and other qualified healthcare professional services. Employers may advertise this role as pro-fee coder, physician coder, or professional services coder.

2. Outpatient Facility Coder

Outpatient coders work with hospital clinic, emergency department, observation, surgery, radiology, laboratory, and other same-day encounters. These jobs often require strong ICD-10-CM, CPT, HCPCS, modifier, and outpatient reimbursement knowledge.

3. Inpatient Medical Coder

Inpatient coders review complete hospital stays and assign ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes and ICD-10-PCS procedure codes. Many employers prefer prior hospital coding experience and a CCS, CIC, RHIT, or RHIA credential for this advanced role.

4. Ambulatory Surgery Center Coder

ASC coders handle same-day surgical procedures and must understand operative reports, procedure coding, modifiers, implants, and payer-specific billing rules. Knowledge of specialties such as orthopedics, pain management, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, and general surgery can be valuable.

5. Emergency Department Coder

Emergency department coders assign codes for diagnoses, procedures, injections, infusions, supplies, and facility or professional services. Accuracy, speed, and a solid understanding of E/M guidelines are important.

6. Evaluation and Management Coder

An E/M coder focuses on office, hospital, emergency, nursing-facility, critical-care, and other visit services. The role may include validating time, medical decision making, place of service, and modifier use.

7. Risk-Adjustment Coder

Risk-adjustment coders review documentation for reportable diagnoses used in risk models. California health plans, medical groups, accountable care organizations, and vendors may seek coders with HCC, Medicare Advantage, documentation, and audit experience.

8. HCC Coding Specialist

HCC coders validate chronic-condition documentation and code assignment while following the applicable model and coding guidelines. Some employers combine this work with provider education, prospective review, retrospective review, or quality audits.

9. Surgical Medical Coder

Surgical coders review operative reports and assign complex procedure codes. Search for general surgery coder, orthopedic coder, cardiovascular coder, neurosurgery coder, urology coder, or multispecialty surgical coder.

10. Specialty Medical Coder

Specialty coders build deeper knowledge in one clinical area, such as cardiology, radiology, anesthesia, oncology, dermatology, gastroenterology, OB/GYN, pediatrics, behavioral health, or wound care. Specialty experience can help candidates qualify for senior-level positions.

11. Medical Coding Auditor

Coding auditors compare coded claims with documentation, official guidelines, payer policies, and organizational standards. They identify overcoding, undercoding, unsupported services, modifier problems, and education opportunities.

12. Coding Compliance Specialist

A coding compliance specialist supports internal monitoring, policy development, investigations, corrective action, and regulatory readiness. Job descriptions may request experience with government payer rules, compliance plans, sampling, and written audit reports.

13. Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialist

CDI specialists work with providers and coding teams to improve the completeness and clarity of clinical documentation. Some positions focus on inpatient MS-DRG accuracy, while others focus on outpatient diagnoses, risk adjustment, quality measures, or medical necessity.

14. DRG Validation Specialist

DRG validators review inpatient code assignment, principal diagnosis selection, procedures, complications and comorbidities, and clinical support. These roles are common within hospitals, health plans, consulting firms, and payment-integrity companies.

15. Denial Coding Specialist

A denial coding specialist reviews coding-related rejections and denials, determines the root cause, recommends corrections, and supports appeals. Useful knowledge includes claim edits, medical necessity, modifiers, bundling, payer policies, and timely filing.

16. Coding Appeals Specialist

Coding appeals specialists prepare evidence-based responses to payer disputes. They may analyze medical records, coding guidelines, contracts, remittance details, and audit findings before drafting or supporting an appeal.

17. Claims Edit or Coding Edit Specialist

This role resolves claim edits before submission or after payer response. Search for coding edit specialist, claim scrubber, charge review coder, prebill auditor, or coding validation specialist.

18. Revenue Integrity Analyst

Revenue integrity analysts connect clinical documentation, charge capture, coding, billing, and reimbursement. They may review charge master logic, missing charges, claim edits, coding trends, and department workflows.

19. Charge Capture Specialist

Charge capture specialists ensure that documented services, procedures, drugs, and supplies are entered accurately and on time. Employers may prefer candidates who understand HCPCS codes, units, modifiers, EHR work queues, and department-specific charging.

20. Medical Coder and Biller

Smaller practices often combine coding and billing in one position. Duties may include code assignment, charge entry, claim submission, payment posting, insurance follow-up, patient balances, denials, and appeals.

21. FQHC or Community Health Coder

Federally Qualified Health Center and community-clinic coders may work with medical, behavioral health, dental, preventive, and enabling services. California employers may value knowledge of Medi-Cal, Medicare, managed care, encounter reporting, and prospective payment requirements.

22. Home Health or Hospice Coder

Home health and hospice coding requires close review of plans of care, diagnoses, clinical documentation, and setting-specific guidelines. Employers may seek candidates with dedicated home health, OASIS, hospice, or quality-review experience.

23. Behavioral Health Coder

Behavioral health coders support psychiatry, psychology, substance-use treatment, therapy, and community behavioral-health programs. Familiarity with behavioral-health documentation, E/M services, psychotherapy coding, telehealth, and payer rules can be helpful.

24. Coding Quality Analyst or Coding Educator

Quality analysts monitor accuracy, productivity, and recurring error patterns. Educators create training, coach coders or clinicians, explain guideline changes, and help teams meet quality standards.

25. Health Information or Medical Records Technician

This broader HIM role may include coding, record analysis, chart completion, data quality, release of information, and EHR maintenance. California state and local government employers may use titles such as Health Record Technician or Medical Record Technician.

For example, the California Health Record Technician I examination bulletin describes duties that include detailed coding of diagnoses and procedures with systems such as ICD-10-CM and CPT. The City and County of San Francisco Medical Record Technician classification also includes analyzing and coding medical records.

Credentials Commonly Requested for California Coding Jobs

California employers set their own education, credential, and experience requirements. Certification is not identical to a state occupational license; read each posting carefully to learn what that employer requires or prefers.

Credential	Often Relevant To
CPC	Physician and professional-fee coding
CPC-A	Newly certified or apprentice-level candidates
COC	Hospital outpatient facility coding
CIC	Hospital inpatient coding
CRC	Risk adjustment and HCC coding
CPMA	Medical coding audits and compliance
CCA	Early-career coding across healthcare settings
CCS	Hospital and complex facility coding
CCS-P	Physician-based coding
RHIT or RHIA	Health information management, coding, data quality, and leadership

The AHIMA certification overview explains the CCA, CCS, CCS-P, RHIT, RHIA, and related pathways. Review the official issuing organization's current eligibility requirements before registering for an exam.

Best California Locations to Search for Medical Coding Jobs

Medical coding opportunities are not limited to one city. Search the following major healthcare markets and nearby communities:

Los Angeles County: Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena, Burbank, Torrance, and surrounding communities
San Diego County: San Diego, Chula Vista, La Mesa, Escondido, Carlsbad, and San Marcos
San Francisco Bay Area: San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Daly City, Redwood City, and San Mateo
Silicon Valley and South Bay: San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and nearby cities
Sacramento Region: Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom, and surrounding areas
Orange County: Orange, Anaheim, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, and Newport Beach
Inland Empire: Riverside, San Bernardino, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, and nearby communities
Central Valley: Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton, Modesto, and Visalia

Do not search only for “medical coder.” Add the city, setting, specialty, or credential—for example, inpatient coder San Diego, CPC jobs Los Angeles, remote risk adjustment coder California, or medical coding auditor Sacramento.

Remote Medical Coding Jobs in California

Remote and hybrid coding jobs are available, but “remote” does not always mean “work from any location.” A posting may require California residency, residence within commuting distance, occasional onsite meetings, a specific work schedule, or authorization to work in the United States.

Current California employer searches show remote or flexible roles in areas such as inpatient coding, outpatient coding, risk adjustment, auditing, and professional-fee coding. For example, the Kaiser Permanente medical records careers search has displayed California coding roles with remote or flexible work settings. Availability can change at any time.

Before applying to a remote coding job, check:

Which states the employer allows employees to work from
Whether the position is fully remote, hybrid, or temporarily remote
Whether training or quarterly meetings are onsite
Required coding credentials and years of experience
Productivity and accuracy standards
Required equipment, internet speed, privacy, and workspace conditions
Employee, contract, temporary, or per-diem classification

Scam warning: Verify the vacancy on the employer's official website. A legitimate employer should not require you to pay for an interview, buy equipment through an unknown payment method, or send banking details before a verified offer and formal onboarding process.

Entry-Level Medical Coding Jobs in California

Getting the first coding job can be difficult because many employers request prior production-coding experience. Candidates can widen the search by looking for roles that build relevant experience rather than applying only to positions titled “medical coder.”

Entry-level search terms to try

Coding assistant
Coding trainee
CPC-A medical coder
Medical records technician
Health information technician
Charge entry specialist
Claims edit specialist
Patient account representative
Medical billing specialist
Denial follow-up representative
Prior authorization specialist
Release of information specialist

An onsite or hybrid position may provide faster access to mentoring, EHR training, and internal promotion than a fully remote entry-level search. Highlight practicum work, internship experience, coding assessments, specialty knowledge, billing experience, and measurable accuracy—not only the credential abbreviation.

Medical Coding Salary and Job Outlook

The BLS reports that the national median annual wage for medical records specialists was $50,250 in May 2024. The lowest 10% earned less than $35,780, while the highest 10% earned more than $80,950. These national occupational figures cover a broader category and should not be treated as a guaranteed California medical coder salary.

Actual pay varies by location, inpatient or outpatient setting, specialty, credential, experience, union status, shift, productivity expectations, and whether the position includes auditing, education, compliance, or management duties. Use the California EDD Medical Records Specialists occupation profile to review state wage and employment information, and compare it with the range in the actual job posting.

California's pay-transparency rules can make comparisons easier. According to the California Department of Industrial Relations, an employer with 15 or more employees must include the pay scale in a job posting when the position may be filled in California, including eligible remote positions.

Where to Find Legitimate California Medical Coding Openings

Hospital and health-system career pages: Search directly for coder, coding, HIM, revenue integrity, risk adjustment, and compliance.
AAPC Healthcare Careers: Filter California roles by credential, city, and job type.
AHIMA Career Assist—California: Search coding, HIM, data quality, CDI, privacy, and revenue-cycle opportunities.
CalCareers: Search California state classifications and vacancies.
County and city career portals: Look for health record technician, medical record technician, coder, or HIM positions.
Health-plan and medical-group career pages: Search risk adjustment, coding validation, claims, policy, payment integrity, and provider education.
Community health centers and FQHCs: Search coding, billing, compliance, and revenue-cycle roles.
Reputable staffing and consulting companies: Confirm the recruiter's identity and verify the employer before sharing sensitive information.

Smart search strings

“medical coding jobs in California”
“remote medical coder California”
“CPC jobs California”
“CPC-A jobs California”
“inpatient coder California CCS”
“outpatient coder California remote”
“risk adjustment coder California CRC”
“medical coding auditor California”
“health record technician California”
“revenue integrity analyst California”

Medical Coding Resume and Application Checklist

Before submitting an application, tailor the resume to the exact setting and responsibilities in the posting.

Place active coding or HIM credentials near your name and in a certification section.
List the code sets you use: ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, CPT, and HCPCS Level II, as applicable.
Name relevant settings: professional fee, inpatient, outpatient, emergency, ASC, risk adjustment, or specialty practice.
Include EHR, encoder, claim-edit, and billing systems you have actually used.
Quantify accuracy, productivity, denial reduction, audit results, or accounts worked when you can document those results.
Mention payer experience such as Medicare, Medi-Cal, managed care, commercial insurance, or workers' compensation only when accurate.
Show knowledge of privacy, compliance, documentation, and official coding guidelines.
Use keywords naturally; never claim a credential, software skill, or specialty you do not have.
Check the employer's location and remote-work eligibility before applying.
Prepare for a timed coding assessment or documentation-review exercise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are medical coding jobs in demand in California?

Medical coding remains part of an expanding health-information workforce. Nationally, BLS projects 7% growth for medical records specialists from 2024 to 2034. California candidates can find opportunities across hospitals, clinics, medical groups, health plans, government agencies, and vendors, although demand varies by location, specialty, and experience level.

Can I get a medical coding job in California with no experience?

It is possible, but many direct coding positions request experience. Search for coding trainee, coding assistant, CPC-A, health information technician, medical records technician, charge entry, claims edits, billing, and denial-support roles that can help you build relevant experience.

Which certification is best for a California medical coder?

The best credential depends on the job setting. CPC is commonly associated with professional-fee coding; COC with outpatient facility coding; CIC or CCS with inpatient coding; CRC with risk adjustment; and CCA with early-career coding. Employers decide which credentials they accept.

Are there remote medical coding jobs in California?

Yes. Remote and hybrid roles appear in inpatient, outpatient, professional-fee, risk-adjustment, audit, and coding-quality work. Some remote jobs still require California residency, local training, onsite meetings, or a specific work schedule.

How much do medical coders earn in California?

Pay varies widely by city, employer, specialty, experience, credential, and work setting. BLS reported a national median of $50,250 for medical records specialists in May 2024. For California comparisons, review the job's posted pay scale and the California EDD occupation profile rather than relying on a single advertised average.

Which California cities have medical coding jobs?

Search Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton, and nearby communities. Remote positions may also be tied to a specific California region.

What skills should I list for a medical coding job?

List only skills you can demonstrate. Depending on the role, these may include ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, CPT, HCPCS Level II, medical terminology, anatomy, reimbursement, modifiers, E/M coding, DRG assignment, risk adjustment, auditing, denials, EHR systems, encoders, payer policies, and written communication.

Final Takeaway

The California medical coding market is broader than one job title. Candidates can pursue professional-fee, inpatient, outpatient, risk-adjustment, auditing, compliance, denials, CDI, revenue integrity, billing, and health-information roles. Choose a target setting, match your credential and experience to that setting, search several related titles, and verify every vacancy through the employer's official career page.