Medical Billing and Coding Resume Guide

Your medical billing and coding resume should use a reverse-chronological format, with your most recent experience or education listed first. This is the format employers expect and the one that ATS (applicant tracking system) software handles most reliably.

Keep the layout clean and simple. Use a single-column format with standard section headings (Summary, Certifications, Education, Experience, Skills). Avoid tables, text boxes, columns, headers, footers, and decorative graphics. All of these can break ATS parsing and cause your resume to be misread or rejected.

Use a standard font (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, or Garamond) at 10-12 points. Save as .docx for maximum ATS compatibility. PDF works if the employer doesn't specify a preference. One page for new graduates and coders with less than 5 years of experience. Two pages only if every additional line adds value.

If you're a recent graduate with no professional coding experience, structure your resume to highlight education, certification, and any practical training. This is the format that works best when you don't have job history in the field yet.

1. Professional Summary. Two to three sentences describing your certification, training focus, and career goal. Mention specific code sets and any practicum experience.

2. Certifications. List each credential with the issuing organization and date earned. For CPC-A holders, list it as "CPC-A (Certified Professional Coder, Apprentice), AAPC, [date]." Don't try to hide the apprentice designation. It's expected.

3. Education. Include your training program name, institution, completion date, and any relevant coursework or honors. If your program was accredited (CAHIIM, AAPC-approved, AHIMA-approved), note that. If you completed a practicum, list the facility name, hours completed, and any measurable outcomes (charts coded, accuracy rate).

4. Technical Skills. Create a concise skills section listing code sets (ICD-10-CM, CPT, HCPCS Level II), EHR systems you've used or trained on (Epic, Cerner, Meditech), encoder software (3M, Optum360, TruCode, Codify), and Microsoft Office proficiency.

5. Prior Work Experience. If you have work history in other fields, include it but frame it in terms relevant to coding and billing. Data entry speed, insurance claim processing, customer service, healthcare administration, and attention to detail in any context are all transferable. See our entry-level jobs guide for what employers look for.

If you have 2+ years of coding or billing experience, your resume should shift emphasis from education to professional achievements. Lead with your experience section and use bullet points that demonstrate measurable impact.

Quantify everything you can. "Coded an average of 25 outpatient charts per day with 97% accuracy" is far stronger than "Responsible for outpatient coding." Other metrics to include: denial rates for claims you coded, revenue recovered through appeals, audits passed without findings, and number of specialties covered.

Highlight specialty knowledge. If you work in a specific area, like risk adjustment, surgical coding, E/M, or emergency department, make that clear in your job title, summary, and bullet points. Specialty expertise is a premium differentiator, especially for remote positions. See our specializations guide for career track details.

List your credential stack prominently. If you hold multiple certifications (CPC + CRC, CCS + CPMA), list them all after your name and in a dedicated Certifications section. AAPC data shows professionals with two certifications average $74,557 per year, and those with three or more average $81,227.

Most healthcare employers use ATS software to screen resumes before a human reads them. To pass this initial filter, your medical billing and coding resume must contain the keywords the system is looking for. Here are the most important terms to include.

Code systems: ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, CPT, HCPCS, HCPCS Level II, DRG, APR-DRG, MS-DRG, HCC, APC.

Compliance and regulations: HIPAA, CMS, OIG, NCCI edits, medical necessity, compliance, coding guidelines, audit.

Revenue cycle terms: revenue cycle management, claim submission, denial management, claims processing, accounts receivable, payment posting, charge capture, charge entry, appeals, ERA, EOB, remittance.

Software: Epic, Cerner, Oracle Health, Meditech, 3M, Optum360, EncoderPro, TruCode, Codify, Availity, Change Healthcare, athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, Kareo.

The most effective approach is to read each job posting carefully and mirror its language. If a posting says "ICD-10-CM" rather than "ICD-10," use the full term. If it mentions specific software ("Epic experience required"), include that exact software name.

Career changers often underestimate how relevant their prior experience is. Here's how to translate common backgrounds into medical billing and coding resume language.

Insurance or claims background: You already understand payer processes, claim adjudication, and denial resolution. Emphasize your knowledge of insurance workflows, attention to accuracy, and experience with high-volume processing.

Data entry or administrative work: Speed, accuracy, and comfort with software systems transfer directly. Quantify your typing speed and error rate if possible. Data entry experience demonstrates the focus required for production coding.

Healthcare administration or front-office work: If you've worked in patient registration, scheduling, or insurance verification, you already understand the front end of the revenue cycle. This context helps you understand the full billing workflow.

Accounting or finance: Billing work involves financial reconciliation, accounts receivable management, and payment analysis. Accounting skills translate well into the financial side of medical billing.

Burying your certification. Your credential should be in your name line, not hidden at the bottom of the page. Hiring managers scan resumes quickly. Make your CPC, CCS, or CCA impossible to miss.

Using vague bullet points. "Performed medical coding duties" tells the reader nothing. Instead, specify what you coded (outpatient E/M, surgical, inpatient), how much (volume per day), and how well (accuracy rate, denial rate).

Listing duties instead of accomplishments. "Responsible for coding patient charts" is a duty. "Maintained 97% first-pass coding accuracy across 25+ daily outpatient encounters, contributing to a 12% reduction in claim denials" is an accomplishment.

Using creative formatting. Infographic resumes, colored sidebars, and multi-column layouts may look appealing but often fail ATS parsing. Stick to a clean, single-column layout with standard section headings.

Omitting software skills. If you know Epic, Cerner, 3M encoder, or any specific practice management system, list it explicitly. Many job postings filter for specific software experience.

Yes, if the application allows it. A cover letter lets you explain why you're interested in that specific employer, address any gaps (like being a career changer or a new graduate with no experience), and highlight your strongest qualifications in a more conversational format.

Keep it to one page and tailor it to the specific position. Mention the exact job title and location, reference a specific detail about the employer (their EHR system, patient population, or reputation), and connect your skills directly to their needs. Don't just repeat your resume in paragraph form. For interview preparation, see our interview prep guide.