HIMDegree.com covers 7 health information credentials: RHIA and RHIT from AHIMA as the foundational credentials, CCS and CPC as the coding credentials, CHDA for analytics, CPHIMS from HIMSS for health IT leadership, and CDIP for clinical documentation integrity. Our 2026 survey of 1,127 graduates found 87% of employers required RHIA or RHIT for health information positions, usually enforced automatically before a human reads the application. RHIA and RHIT eligibility runs exclusively through CAHIIM-accredited education with no experience-based alternative. Certification is the largest single compensation variable in this field, ahead of degree level, employer, and geography: uncredentialed professionals typically earn $38,000 to $52,000 while RHIA holders reach $75,000 to $130,000. Each guide covers eligibility, exam content, cost, preparation strategy, and career impact. Last updated August 2026.
Certification is not optional in this field, and treating it as a nice-to-have is a career mistake measured in tens of thousands of dollars a year. 87% of employers require RHIA or RHIT and enforce it automatically. Yet every year people finish an eligible accredited degree and never sit the exam. They have already paid for the hard part and then stop one $299 step short of the thing that makes it count.
All certification guides
RHIA
The credential that decides whether a health information management degree becomes a management career or an expensive records job.
Read the guide → AHIMA · Associate level, technical trackRHIT
The most cost-effective credential in health information, what it unlocks, and the specific point at which it stops being enough.
Read the guide → AHIMA · Advanced coding, hospital inpatient focusCCS
The credential that separates the top of the coding pay range from the middle, and the hardest exam in mainstream health information.
Read the guide → AAPC · Professional coding, physician and outpatient focusCPC
The dominant coding credential in physician and outpatient settings, and the one with a designation quirk that catches new coders out.
Read the guide → AHIMA · Advanced, analytics specializationCHDA
The credential that makes a health information background legible to analytics hiring managers, and what it cannot do on its own.
Read the guide → HIMSS · Senior, health IT and informatics managementCPHIMS
The recognized credential for health IT and informatics leadership, and the specific point in a career where it starts to pay.
Read the guide → AHIMA · Advanced, clinical documentation integrityCDIP
The credential that confirms a clinical documentation integrity career, and why it cannot be used to start one.
Read the guide →Compare every credential
The fastest way to see which credential is available to you and what it opens. Eligibility is usually the binding constraint rather than the exam itself.
| Credential | Issuer | Level | Approx cost | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHIA | AHIMA | Bachelor level, management track | $299 | 30 continuing education units every two years |
| RHIT | AHIMA | Associate level, technical track | $229 | 20 continuing education units every two years |
| CCS | AHIMA | Advanced coding, hospital inpatient focus | $299 | 20 continuing education units every two years |
| CPC | AAPC | Professional coding, physician and outpatient focus | $399 | 36 continuing education units every two years plus AAPC membership |
| CHDA | AHIMA | Advanced, analytics specialization | $299 | 20 continuing education units every two years |
| CPHIMS | HIMSS | Senior, health IT and informatics management | $455 | 45 continuing education hours every three years |
| CDIP | AHIMA | Advanced, clinical documentation integrity | $299 | 30 continuing education units every two years |
What each credential is worth
Certification moves compensation in this field more than degree level, employer, or geography. The mechanism is access rather than a premium for identical work: uncredentialed candidates are excluded from a large share of postings automatically and end up in a lower band of roles.
| Credential | Typical range | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| None | $38,000 to $52,000 | Clerical and entry records roles only |
| RHIT | $55,000 to $80,000 | Hospital specialist roles, coding, small-department supervision |
| CPC | $52,000 to $70,000 | Physician practice and outpatient coding |
| CCS | $62,000 to $92,000 | Hospital inpatient coding, auditing, CDI entry |
| RHIA | $75,000 to $130,000 | Management, compliance, informatics, director track |
| CHDA | $78,000 to $120,000 | Healthcare analytics roles |
| CDIP | $88,000 to $135,000 | Clinical documentation integrity |
| CPHIMS | $100,000 to $145,000 | Health IT and informatics leadership |
The order to take them in
Most people should follow a sequence rather than choose. The foundational credential is determined by your degree, and the specialty credentials mostly carry experience requirements that prevent taking them early.
- First: RHIT or RHIA, determined by whether your accredited degree is at associate or bachelor level. This is a gate, not a choice.
- If you are coding: CCS for hospital inpatient, or CPC for physician and outpatient. Choose by setting, not by exam difficulty.
- If you are moving to analytics: CHDA, paired with a portfolio. The credential opens the screen and the portfolio wins the interview.
- If you are moving to CDI: CDIP or CCDS, after you are already working in documentation integrity, since both require experience.
- If you are moving to health IT leadership: CPHIMS, once you meet its substantial experience requirement.
Frequently asked questions
Which HIM certification should I get first?
Whichever your accredited education makes you eligible for. An accredited associate degree leads to RHIT; an accredited bachelor or master degree leads to RHIA. Both are gates rather than choices, since eligibility is determined by your degree. Specialty credentials such as CCS, CHDA, CDIP, and CPHIMS come later and most carry experience requirements.
Is certification required for health information jobs?
Effectively yes for most roles. Our 2026 survey found 87% of employers required RHIA or RHIT, and the requirement is usually enforced by an applicant tracking system, which means an uncredentialed candidate is filtered out before a human reads the application. It functions as access rather than as a pay premium for identical work.
How much do HIM certifications cost?
RHIT is approximately $229 for AHIMA members, RHIA and CCS and CHDA and CDIP approximately $299, CPC approximately $399 including one retake plus annual AAPC membership, and CPHIMS approximately $455 for HIMSS members. Preparation materials add $75 to $500 depending on the credential. Many employers reimburse, so ask before self funding.
Which HIM certification pays the most?
CPHIMS is associated with the highest band at $100,000 to $145,000, reflecting that it is a senior health IT leadership credential with substantial experience requirements. CDIP and CCDS follow at $88,000 to $135,000, then RHIA at $75,000 to $130,000. Credentials with experience requirements sit higher partly because their holders are further along.
Can you get certified without a degree?
For RHIA and RHIT, no. Eligibility runs exclusively through CAHIIM-accredited education and there is no experience route, which is why non-accredited certificates marketed as alternatives to an accredited degree are the most expensive misunderstanding in this field. CCS and CPC have no mandatory degree requirement, though both recommend prior education and experience.