California · BLS SOC 29-2072
Health Information Technician salary in California
Median $56,280 · Top 10% earn $91,230+ · Roughly 22,444 workers in California. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2024.
- California median
- $56,280
- $27.06/hr
- Top 10%
- $91,230
- 90th percentile
- Bottom 10%
- $35,220
- Entry-level range
- Real pay
- $49,455
- CoL-adjusted (RPP 113.8)
California pays meaningfully above the U.S. median for health information technicians — $56,280 versus the national median of $50,250. After adjusting for California's high cost of living, real purchasing power is actually below the U.S. average — the headline number is misleading. The state employs roughly 22,444 health information technicians.
What drives health information technician pay in California
California HIT and medical coder pay is solid but not at the top of the U.S. — non-expansion states with academic medical centers (NJ, MD, MA) actually pay HIT specialists more.
Top-paying metros in California
California-area metropolitan areas with the highest health information technician medians.
California metros
10 highest-paying metropolitan areas. Source: BLS OEWS metro tables, May 2024.
| Rank | Metro | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | $78,900 |
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $60,900 |
California ranks #11 of 50 states
Where California sits in the national distribution for health information technician pay, and the closest comparable states above and below.
| Rank | State | Median | vs. California |
|---|---|---|---|
| #10 | Connecticut | $56,780 | +$500 |
| #9 | Hawaii | $56,780 | +$500 |
| #8 | Oregon | $57,280 | +$1,000 |
| #11 | California (this page) | $56,280 | — |
| #12 | Minnesota | $53,770 | −$2,510 |
| #13 | Colorado | $53,270 | −$3,010 |
| #14 | Rhode Island | $52,760 | −$3,520 |
Find Health Information Technician programs near you
We surface accredited programs by state — community college, online, and accelerated. Compare tuition, length, and start dates.
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Education path for California
The typical path is a postsecondary nondegree certificate or associate degree, taking about 12 months. Tuition ranges from $1,500 (community college) to $18,000 (private accelerated). On the California median of $56,280, payback periods are typically 0.7 years or less from a starting income near minimum wage.
For full credentialing detail and the realistic career outlook, see the Health Information Technician salary overview. To run your own numbers, use the ROI calculator with California selected.
Health Information Technician salary in California — FAQ
What is the average health information technician salary in California?
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Methodology note
California-level wage data sourced from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 release (SOC 29-2072: Medical Records Specialists), with state pay indexes from BLS area-comparison tables. Cost-of-living adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parities, 2023 release, where California's RPP is 113.8 (U.S. = 100). Last reviewed: May 2026.