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How to Become a Health Information Technician (RHIT)
Discover what it takes to become a health information tech, including a brief job description, educational requirements, and certification info.
Find your career path in HIT
Employment of Health Information Technology (HIT) professionals is expected to increase 16% from 2022-2032, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).* An education in Health Information Management (HIM) helps you prepare to build a career in a rapidly growing field.
You can make an impact behind the scenes in the field of healthcare by managing the complex information systems engineering the business of modern healthcare. Working as a health information technician, technologist, or medical registrar can be a great first step towards a long career in HIM. Here are the general steps to become a health information tech:
1. Understand the role: what does a health information tech do?
The overall role of health information technicians and registrars is to design, develop and maintain health information systems. Technicians work closely with both medical coders and health administrators to maintain, analyze, and optimize these systems.
Health Information Technician (also known as Health Information Management Technician or Medical Records Technician) is a vital professional in the healthcare industry who plays a crucial role in managing and organizing patient health information.
Health Information Technicians are responsible for maintaining and organizing patient medical records. They ensure that all medical records are accurate, complete, and up to date. HITs review medical records for completeness and accuracy, flagging any discrepancies or errors that need correction.
They enter patient information into Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems, ensuring that all data is accurately recorded. They may also assign medical codes to diagnoses and procedures for billing and insurance purposes, using systems like ICD (International Classification of Diseases) and CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes.2
HITs are responsible for upholding patient confidentiality and ensuring the security of sensitive medical information. They must comply with relevant laws and regulations, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
2. Choose your career pathway
The first step towards a career in HIM is earning a degree in health information management.
You’ll need to decide on the level of education you wish to pursue based on your career goals and the positions you aspire to hold. An associate degree in HIM may be enough for entry-level roles, while higher-level positions and leadership roles may require a bachelor's degree (or even master's degree, in some cases).
Our HIM program courses include medical terminology, health data management, healthcare coding systems, healthcare ethics, and health information technology.
You may also choose to pursue the longer-term managerial track and consider a bachelor’s degree program. Graduate a from our HIM bachelor’s degree program and you can qualify for the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) exam.
3. Earn an education
Once you’ve determined your short and long-term career goals, you’re ready to take the first step. The associate degree is designed to completely transfer into the bachelor’s degree—so you can start the shorter associate degree path today and potentially advance to a bachelor’s in the future.
To get started, review each of our online health information management programs:
- Program length: 20 months
- Credits to graduate: 63
- Aligned certification: RHIT
- Program length: 36 months
- Credits to graduate: 124
- Aligned certification: RHIA
Waived Enrollment Fee
Discover the educational pathway designed to maximize your career potential. Reach for greater heights with Herzing University.
4. Get certified1
After graduating with an associate degree in HIM, you’ll be eligible and ready to sit for the RHIT certification exam.
Passing the RHIT exam is an extremely important step! Getting certified shows employers you’re capable of succeeding at the job and can potentially impact your salary. According to a 2019 survey from AHIMA, 31% of respondents identified certification level as a key influencer for promotion, the most popular choice after experience and education level.
Is the RHIT certification exam hard?
The test is designed to be challenging enough to ensure you’ve got the skills and knowledge to excel at the job. According to AHIMA, among 1,709 first time testers in 2022, 71% achieved passing scores.
Graduating from our CAHIIM-accredited associate degree HIM program makes you fully eligible to sit for the RHIT exam and ready to pass.
5. Find your first job
Earn RHIT certification and you’ll be highly qualified for a job as a health information technician. It’s time to polish your resume and get ready to interview! Here are some common job roles and settings where HITs can work:
- Health Information Technician
- Medical Coder
- Health Data Analyst
- Quality Improvement Coordinator
- Health Information Management Supervisor/Manager
- Health Information System Administrator
- Health Informatics Specialist
HITs can find employment opportunities in various healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, physician offices, nursing homes, insurance companies, government agencies, consulting firms, and healthcare software companies.
We are here to help you every step of the way. We want to help you discover a fulfilling, rewarding career in the field of HIM. You are possible with Herzing University.
Learn more about our HIM program options
1. Certification enhances employment opportunities but is not a state specific requirement.
2. The medical billing and coding pathway aligns with different certifications and will not qualify you to sit for the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
* Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics 2023 / Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.