The most current occupational employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put the number of medical records specialists at work in the United States at more than 187,700 as of May 2022. With just over 14,300 medical records specialists employed at that time, the seven-state Great Plains region accounted for about 7.6% of medical records specialist employment in the United States.  Although Minnesota was rated as the 9th best state in the nation for medical records specialist annual mean wages, the region overall was a rather weak one nationally for medical records specialist pay.  Nearly 78% of the region's medical records specialists were employed in one of the other six states in the region, all of which had annual mean wage levels for the profession that were below the national average of $51,090. From May 2022 BLS data, here is a closer look at medical records specialist pay in the Great Plains region:

Medical Records Specialist Pay in the Great Plains Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IA	2,420	$47,180	35th
KS	1,840	$44,970	45th
MN	3,190	$57,320	9th
MO	3,520	$49,020	23rd
NE	1,770	$46,300	40th
ND	470	$48,590	26th
SD	1,130	$49,640	21st
U.S.	187,720	$51,090	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data accessed on January 14, 2024