A career in medical billing and coding offers flexibility, strong job security, and a meaningful role in keeping the healthcare system running.
The job, at its core, is translation. Taking what happened during a patient visit and turning that into standardized codes which insurers, government programs, and healthcare organizations rely on to process payments and track public health trends.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of medical records and health information specialists to grow 7% from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations, with roughly 14,200 openings projected each year.1
If you’re ready to enter this growing field, here’s everything you need to know about earning your medical billing and coding certification.
What Are the Medical Billing and Coding Certification Options?
Nearly all of the major credentials in this field come from a single organization: the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
AHIMA offers several different certifications, from entry-level coding all the way up to advanced specializations. Choosing the right certification depends on where you are in your career, your educational background, and the type of work you want to do.
Here’s a breakdown of the eight most recognized AHIMA credentials:
CCA — Certified Coding Associate
The CCA is AHIMA’s entry-level coding credential, and it’s the natural starting point for anyone new to the field.
As a CCA, you’ll read through medical records in settings that range from hospitals to small doctor’s offices and assign the ICD and CPT codes that tell insurers what happened and what it should cost.
The CCA requires a high school diploma. While prior experience is not required, AHIMA recommends either six months of hands-on coding experience or the completion of a coding training program that covers anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, and basic ICD/CPT coding before sitting for the exam.
Exam details:
- Computer-based, administered at Pearson VUE testing centers
- 105 questions, 90 scored and 15 pretest items
- Two hours given to complete
- Passing scaled score of 300
- Retake waiting period is 30 days
- $199 for AHIMA members and $299 for non-members (re-take fees are the same as the cost of the exam)
- Candidates must bring current-year code books to the testing center (2026 books are required on or after May 1, 2026; those who show up with the incorrect books forfeit their testing fee and are not allowed to test)
- As of December 31, 2025, there were 7,753 active CCA-certified professionals
Click here for the exam content breakdown. It’s important to note that the CCA credential is superseded once you pass the CCS or CCS-P exam, at which point the CCA is replaced by the more advanced credential.
CCS — Certified Coding Specialist
The CCS is AHIMA’s advanced coding credential and is seen as the natural next step for those with a CCA.
CCS professionals code both inpatient and outpatient medical records, making sure the data is accurate enough for hospitals and health systems to get properly reimbursed by insurance companies and programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
Researchers and public health officials also rely on this coded data to monitor trends and evaluate interventions.
The AHIMA recommends (but does not require) the following before taking this exam:
- Complete coursework in core subjects like anatomy, medical terminology, and ICD/CPT coding, plus one year of coding experience; or
- Two or more years of hands-on coding experience; or
- A CCA credential plus one year of coding experience; or
- Any other coding credential plus one year of coding experience; or
- A CCS-P, RHIT, or RHIA credential
Click here for the exam content breakdown.
Exam details:
- Computer-based, administered at Pearson VUE testing centers
- 107 questions, 97 scored and 10 pretest items
- Four hours given to complete
- Passing scaled score of 300
- Code books required at the testing center (same date-based rules as CCA above)
- Retake waiting period is 30 days
- $299 for AHIMA members and $399 for non-members (re-take fees are the same as the cost of the exam)
- As of December 31, 2025, there were 36,925 certified CCS-certified professionals
CCS-P — Certified Coding Specialist – Physician-based
The CCS-P is basically the physician-office counterpart to the hospital-focused CCS.
CCS-P holders work in doctor’s offices, group practices, and specialty clinics, handling the coding that ensures providers get reimbursed correctly by insurance companies and government payers. The focus is on CPT coding and outpatient documentation rather than the inpatient records that CCS professionals typically work with.
The AHIMA recommends (but does not require) the following before taking this exam:
- Complete coursework in core subjects like anatomy, medical terminology, and ICD/CPT coding, plus one year of multi-specialty coding experience; or
- Two or more years of hands-on multi-specialty coding experience; or
- A CCA credential plus one year of multi-specialty coding experience; or
- Any other coding credential plus one year of multi-specialty coding experience; or
- A CCS, RHIT, or RHIA credential
Click here for the exam content breakdown.
Exam details:
- Computer-based, administered at Pearson VUE testing centers
- 121 questions, 97 scored and 24 pretest items
- Four hours given to complete
- Passing scaled score of 300
- Code books required at the testing center (same date-based rules as CCA above
- Retake waiting period is 30 days
- $299 for AHIMA members and $399 for non-members (re-take fees are the same as the cost of the exam)
- As of December 31, 2025, there were 3,927 certified CCS-P professionals
RHIT — Registered Health Information Technician
The RHIT credential moves beyond pure coding into the broader realm of health information quality and management.
RHIT professionals make sure medical records are complete, accurate, and properly entered into health information systems. It’s a role that exists almost anywhere patient data does, like hospitals, nursing homes, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical firms — even law offices!
Candidates must meet one of the following eligibility requirements to sit for the RHIT examination:
- Complete an accredited associate degree in Health Information Management (HIM) accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM); or
- Graduate from an HIM program approved by a foreign association with which AHIMA has a reciprocity agreement
CAHIIM accreditation signifies that a program meets rigorous national standards for curriculum, faculty, resources, and student outcomes, ensuring graduates are well-prepared for the demands of the healthcare industry.
Bryan University’s Associate Degree in Health Information Management and Support Services is CAHIIM-accredited and a Program of Distinction — that means CAHIIM recognizes the program as one that has “demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment as early adopters of the HIM Future Education Model (FEM).”
Exam details:
- Computer-based, administered at Pearson VUE testing centers
- 150 questions, 130 scored and 20 pretest items
- Three-and-a-half hours given to complete
- Passing scaled score of 300
- No books required on exam day
- Retake waiting period is 30 days
- $299 for AHIMA members and $399 for non-members (re-take fees are the same as the cost of the exam)
- As of December 31, 2025, there were 26,128 certified RHIT professionals
Click here for the exam content outline.
Note: The RHIT is superseded once you earn the RHIA. At that point, the RHIT credential is replaced by the higher-level designation.
RHIA — Registered Health Information Administrator
The RHIA is the senior-level health information management credential, positioning holders as managers and leaders of the health information world.
RHIAs understand not just the clinical side of healthcare data, but the administrative, legal, and privacy requirements that govern it. They use that knowledge to lead teams, guide decisions, and keep organizations compliant. You’ll find them everywhere from hospitals and clinics to insurance companies, government agencies, and consulting firms.
Eligibility:
- Successfully complete the Master’s-level academic requirements of an HIM program accredited by the CAHIIM; or
- Successfully complete the academic requirements of an HIM Certificate of the Degree (Post-Baccalaureate) program approved by the CAHIIM; or
- Graduate from an HIM program approved by a foreign association with which AHIMA has a reciprocity agreement
Exam details:
- Computer-based, administered at Pearson VUE testing centers
- 150 questions, 130 scored and 20 pretest items
- Three-and-a-half hours given to complete
- Passing scaled score of 300
- No books required on exam day
- Retake waiting period is 30 days
- $299 for AHIMA members and $399 for non-members (re-take fees are the same as the cost of the exam)
- As of December 31, 2025, there were 13,848 certified RHIA professionals
Click here for the exam content outline.
CDIP — Certified Documentation Integrity Practitioner
The CDIP credential recognizes expertise in Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) — in plain terms, making sure a physician’s notes fully and accurately capture how sick a patient was and what was done to treat them.
When a physician’s notes don’t fully capture how complex a patient’s condition was or what was actually done, it creates problems down the line; for coding, billing, and the accuracy of health records overall. CDIP holders are the ones who catch and fix those gaps, and the credential is respected enough that it’s held not just by HIM professionals, but by nurses and physicians too.
Eligibility:
- Hold an associate’s degree or higher; or
- Successfully complete the academic requirements of an HIM Certificate of the Degree (Post-Baccalaureate) program approved by the CAHIIM; or
- Hold a CCS, CCS-P, RHIT, or RHIA credential
Additionally, AHIMA recommends having at least two years of clinical documentation integrity experience, an associate’s degree or higher in a health care or allied health care discipline, and completion of coursework in medical terminology, human anatomy and physiology, pathology and pharmacology.
Exam details:
- Computer-based, administered at Pearson VUE testing centers or via OnVue remote proctoring for at home testing
- 140 questions, 106 scored and 34 pretest items
- Three hours given to complete
- Passing scaled score of 300
- No books required on exam day
- Retake waiting period is 30 days
- $259 for AHIMA members and $329 for non-members (re-take fees are the same as the cost of the exam)
- As of December 31, 2025, there were 2,913 certified CDIP professionals
Click here for the exam content outline.
CHDA — Certified Health Data Analyst
The CHDA demonstrates mastery in acquiring, managing, analyzing, interpreting, and transforming healthcare data into accurate, actionable information.
CHDA holders can take raw healthcare data and turn it into something decision-makers can actually use. That means knowing how to gather, analyze, and interpret data, but also how to communicate what it means to people at every level of an organization, from clinical teams to the C-suite.
Eligibility:
- Hold an RHIT or RHIA credential; or
- Bachelor’s degree or higher degree from an accredited college or university
AHIMA also recommends, but doesn’t require, a minimum of three years of healthcare data experience and experience in data acquisition, data analysis, data management, data interpretation and reporting, and data governance.
Exam details:
- Computer-based, administered at Pearson VUE testing centers or via OnVue remote proctoring for at home testing
- 142 questions, 121 scored and 21 pretest items
- Three-and-a-half hours given to complete
- Passing scaled score of 300
- No books required on exam day
- Retake waiting period is 90 days
- $259 for AHIMA members and $329 for non-members (re-take fees are the same as the cost of the exam)
- As of December 31, 2025, there were 356 certified CHDA professionals
Click here for the exam content outline.
CHPS — Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security
The CHPS credential validates expertise in designing, implementing, and administering privacy and security programs within healthcare organizations.
CHPS holders are professionals who specialize in keeping patient data safe and making sure healthcare organizations stay on the right side of privacy laws like HIPAA. That means assessing risks, building security policies, and leading the kind of work that prevents data breaches before they happen. It’s a credential that tends to lead to senior roles, think Chief Privacy Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, or Compliance Director.
Eligibility:
- High School or General Education Degree (GED) and a minimum of six years of experience in healthcare privacy or security; or
- Associate degree in a relevant field (e.g., Health Information Management, Health Informatics, or Information Technology, etc.) and a minimum of four years of experience in healthcare privacy or security; or
- CCA or CCS or CCS-P or RHIT and a minimum of four years of experience in healthcare privacy or security; or
- Baccalaureate degree in a relevant field (e.g., Health Information Management, Health Informatics, or Information Technology, etc.) and a minimum of two years of experience in healthcare privacy or security; or
- RHIA and a minimum of two years of experience in healthcare privacy or security; or
- Master’s Degree or higher (e.g., JD, MD, or PhD) in a relevant field (e.g., Health Information Management, Health Informatics, or Information Technology, etc.) and a minimum of one year of experience in healthcare privacy or security
Exam details:
- Computer-based, administered at Pearson VUE testing centers or via OnVue remote proctoring for at home testing
- 150 questions, 125 scored and 25 pretest items
- Three-and-a-half hours given to complete
- Passing scaled score of 300
- No books required on exam day
- Retake waiting period is 90 days
- $259 for AHIMA members and $329 for non-members (re-take fees are the same as the cost of the exam)
- As of December 31, 2025, there were 715 certified CHPS professionals
Click here for the exam content outline.
Certification Comparison at a Glance
| Credential | Full Name | Level | Focus | Minimum Education | Active Holders (12/31/2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCA® | Certified Coding Associate | Entry | Coding (all settings) | High school diploma | 7,753 |
| CCS® | Certified Coding Specialist | Advanced | Hospital inpatient/outpatient coding | Experience or training | 36,925 |
| CCS-P® | Certified Coding Specialist – Physician-based | Advanced | Physician-office/outpatient coding | Experience or training | 3,927 |
| RHIT® | Registered Health Information Technician | Mid-level | HIM quality & records management | Associate degree (CAHIIM) | 26,128 |
| RHIA® | Registered Health Information Administrator | Senior | HIM leadership & administration | Bachelor’s degree (CAHIIM) | 13,848 |
| CDIP® | Certified Documentation Integrity Practitioner | Specialty | Clinical documentation integrity | Bachelor’s degree or HIM credential | 2,913 |
| CHDA® | Certified Health Data Analyst | Specialty | Health data analytics | HIM experience/credentials | 356 |
| CHPS® | Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security | Specialty | Healthcare privacy & security | Experience-based | 715 |
How to Get a Medical Billing and Coding Certification: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Earn Your High School Diploma or GED
A high school diploma or GED is the minimum requirement to begin most certification pathways, including the entry-level CCA. For credentials like the RHIT, RHIA, or CDIP, you’ll need to complete accredited degree programs at the associate or bachelor’s level.
Step 2: Choose Your Certification Pathway
If you’re new to the field with no prior experience, the CCA is the logical entry point.
If you’re already working in a doctor’s office with coding experience, the CCS-P may be the better direct target.
If you want to move into health information management, records quality, or leadership, the RHIT (associate degree) or RHIA (bachelor’s degree) track could be the right path.
Advanced specialty credentials like the CDIP, CHDA, and CHPS are typically earned after establishing a foundation with one of the core credentials.
Step 3: Complete an Accredited Training Program or Degree
Depending on your target credential, you’ll need to enroll in the right type of program:
CCA: A coding training program or six months of hands-on coding experience.
CCS / CCS-P: Relevant coursework plus work experience, or an existing coding credential.
RHIT: An accredited associate degree in Health Information Management (typically two years).
RHIA: An accredited bachelor’s or master’s degree in Health Information Management (typically four years).
CDIP / CHDA / CHPS: An existing HIM or coding credential, plus relevant work experience.
Step 4: Apply and Sit for Your Certification Exam
Once you’ve met the eligibility requirements, you can apply through AHIMA at ahima.org, pay your exam fee, and receive your Authorization to Test (ATT) letter from Pearson VUE.
You then have a 120-day window to schedule and sit for your exam. Most AHIMA exams are available at Pearson VUE testing centers nationwide; the CDIP, CHDA, and CHPS are also available as online-proctored exams via OnVUE for U.S.-based candidates.
For exams that require code books (CCA, CCS, CCS-P), make sure you bring the correct edition for your test date. Starting May 1, 2026, the 2026 code books are required; exams before that date require the 2025 editions. Arriving without the correct books means not taking the exam and forfeiting your exam fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a certified medical biller and coder?
It depends on your path. The CCA can be pursued with a training program of a several months to a year. The RHIT requires completing a two-year associate degree program, and the RHIA requires a four-year bachelor’s degree (though students can sometimes accelerate with transfer credits). Specialty credentials like the CDIP and CHPS require years of relevant work experience and are typically pursued mid-career.
Do I need experience to take the CCA exam?
Not technically. The CCA requires only a high school diploma, though AHIMA recommends either six months of coding experience or completion of a training program. The CCS and CCS-P have stronger experience requirements, typically one to two years of coding experience, or an existing credential.
Is medical billing and coding a good career in 2026?
Yes. With 7% projected growth from 2024 to 2034 and approximately 14,200 annual openings, demand is steady across hospitals, physician practices, insurance carriers, government agencies, and consulting firms.
The expansion of remote work options has also made this field increasingly attractive; many experienced coders work from home. AI-assisted coding is reshaping some routine tasks, but demand for certified professionals who can validate, audit, and ensure compliance continues to grow.
Is certification worth it?
Yes. According to NHA industry data, 83% of employers say they would hire a candidate with a nationally recognized certification over one without, and 65% require certification for billing and coding roles. Certification is associated with higher starting pay, expanded job responsibilities, and faster advancement.2
What score do I need to pass the CCA or CCS exam?
Both the CCA and CCS use a scaled scoring system with a passing scaled score of 300. All AHIMA exams provide score reports immediately upon exam completion, broken down by domain so you can see where you performed well and where you may want to focus if a retake is needed.
Can I retake the exam if I fail?
Yes. For the CCA, CCS, RHIT, and RHIA, you must wait at least 30 days before reapplying. For the CCS-P, CDIP, CHDA, and CHPS, the waiting period is 90 days.
A new application and exam fee are required for each retake attempt.
What is the difference between AHIMA and AAPC certifications?
AHIMA and the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) are the two major certifying bodies in this field.
Many employers accept both, but it’s worth researching the job listings in your target market to see which credential appears most frequently before committing to a study path.