Have you always wanted to work in healthcare? If you’ve dreamed of working with patients and solving healthcare problems, you don’t need to be a doctor or a nurse – and you don’t need to spend years in medical school or gaining clinical experience.
There’s an easier way to start a career in healthcare: a degree in medical billing. Medical billing is the perfect stepping stone to kickstart your career. And all you need to get started is a degree in this ever-growing field.
A career in healthcare could be just a few steps away. Online colleges offering medical billing degrees are giving students everywhere the chance to jumpstart their careers with programs that can be completed in just a few months. Here’s why you should consider earning a medical billing degree.
The Benefits of a Medical Billing Degree
Medical billing is the perfect field for those who want to work in the healthcare industry but don’t have any background or experience. It’s the ideal first step – medical billing is easy to learn, and you’ll gain experience quickly as your skills grow. And a career in medical billing can lead to plenty of other exciting opportunities.
In addition to career success, medical billing offers countless perks including:
Competitive Pay
As soon as you’ve learned the basics of medical billing, you’ll start earning a highly competitive salary. As a medical records and health information technician – another name for medical billing pros – the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)¹ estimates you’ll earn an average salary of just under $40,000.
Longtime Job Security
With medical billing knowledge, you’ll be perfectly prepared for a career in a field that’s growing at a rapid rate. The BLS² reports that the field is expected to grow by 13 percent through 2026, bringing the total number of jobs to approximately 234,000. And, as the U.S. population continues to age and seniors live longer, the demand for the services offered by medical billing technicians will rise even more, increasing the opportunities for years to come.
Flexible Work Opportunities
Working in the healthcare field can be demanding and inflexible – but that’s only the case for doctors, nurses, and similar medical professionals. Medical billing professionals enjoy greater flexibility. They can work part-time, from home, or with flexible hours. Medical billing is work that can be accomplished from any computer in any location.
No Clinical Experience Is Needed
Don’t want to spend years shadowing doctors and nurses before you can actually start your career? Can’t stand needles, blood, or other common medical situations? Medical billing doesn’t require you to perform any medical procedures – and you don’t even have to leave your office to tackle your workload. You don’t need to gain any on-the-job experience within a hospital or doctor’s office in order to start work.
Start Working Fast
Perhaps the biggest benefit of all, medical billing is easy to learn – and you don’t need an advanced degree, years of postgraduate work, or special certifications. You simply need to complete an accredited training program. And that can be accomplished in as little as three months.
You Can Start Working in Just a Few Months
In years past, anyone interested in becoming a medical billing technician had to seek out community colleges and vocational schools offering such training and attend classes in person. While on-campus diploma, certification, and degree programs are still available, most are now offered as online programs that can be completed even more quickly and easily.
If you’re ready to earn your medical billing degree or diploma, you only need a few months. An online medical billing diploma program takes between three to six months to complete according to Medical Billing & Coding Certification³.
Once you’ve finished the required coursework for your online program or degree, you don’t need to take any further steps to get to work. However, in order to earn a higher salary and gain additional experience that’ll make you more competitive in the job market, you may want to consider earning an associate’s degree, which typically takes two years to complete, or a four-year bachelor’s degree.
There Are Plenty of Medical Billing Job Opportunities
Ready to start your exciting career in medical billing? There’s great news for your future: your degree in this field will make you eligible for plenty of opportunities and career paths available in the healthcare field.
And there’s always a demand for more medical billing professionals. The AAPC⁴ reports that the medical billing and coding field currently employs more than around 206,000 people in the United States – and that figure is expected to rise by 27,800 by 2026, meaning medical billing technicians will remain in high demand for the foreseeable future.
If you’re wondering what kinds of jobs you can apply for with your medical billing degree, consider the following popular options that are both in demand and exciting:
- Medical Transcriptionist: Transcribe doctors’ notes and orders electronically or by hand.
- Medical Assistant: As a medical assistant, you’ll work directly with patients to take labs. You will need to complete a training program that includes labs and clinical experiences.
- Dental Assistant: Dental assistants schedule appointments, provide patient care, and even handle various aspects of recordkeeping. You’ll just need a year of additional training to get started.
- Pharmacy Technician: Many who start out in medical billing move into pharmaceutical careers like pharmacy technician, an entry-level position.
- Medical and Health Services Manager: Plan, direct, and coordinate medical services in many different settings.
How to Get Started in Medical Billing
Are you ready to take charge of your career and reach new heights? Medical billing could be the answer – and earning an online degree in this field could help you start the healthcare career you’ve been longing for. Medical billing degrees open so many opportunities, whether you hope to one day work with patients or if you’d love to find a flexible, in-demand job with solid pay.
No matter your future goals, an online medical billing degree is a smart, affordable investment. It’ll introduce you to the healthcare industry, help you build experience, and teach you the necessary skills you’ll need to advance and progress.
To become a medical billing and coding technician, you’ll need to earn your diploma, certificate or degree. And online programs offer great flexibility, letting you learn at your own pace and at any time. Start the process by searching for online medical billing programs that offer the degrees or diplomas you want. An online search will let you compare your options and select a program that gives you the flexibility you need. Before you know it, you’ll be applying for medical billing jobs.