How to Become a Health Unit Coordinator: Education & Licensing
Discover what you’ll do in a health unit coordinator career.
The Basics
- What you’ll do: You’ll handle everything from maintaining patient charts and scheduling diagnostic tests to ordering supplies and transcribing doctor’s orders. You’ll also receive new patients and give information and directions to visitors. Because you’ll serve as an important link between departments, physicians, nursing staff and patients and their visitors, you’ll need to have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Where you’ll work: Hospitals, clinics, insurance companies, public health care agencies, nursing homes
- Degree you’ll need: High school diploma plus 6-month to 1-year certificate or diploma program
- Median annual salary: $37,350
Health Unit Coordinator Training
In addition to having your GED or high school diploma, you’ll need to complete a unit coordinator program, usually a 6-month to 1-year certificate or diploma program. In the training programs, students receive a combination of classroom and clinical training. You’ll learn clerical skills, medical terminology, hospital organization, legal and ethical responsibilities, and transcription of doctors’ orders.
Salaries by State
Compare median annual salaries for medical secretaries by state.
National data
Median Salary: $37,350
Bottom 10%: $27,000
Top 10%: $54,600
Projected job growth: 9.5%
State data
| State | Median Salary | Bottom 10% | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $34,850 | $25,650 | $50,590 |
| Alaska | $39,500 | $30,070 | $53,180 |
| Arizona | $36,830 | $27,840 | $49,860 |
| Arkansas | $35,210 | $24,580 | $49,150 |
| California | $44,310 | $30,520 | $65,190 |
| Colorado | $37,820 | $28,500 | $51,260 |
| Connecticut | $40,620 | $32,370 | $52,520 |
| Delaware | $36,310 | $27,200 | $49,510 |
| District of Columbia | $44,400 | $33,810 | $63,930 |
| Florida | $33,960 | $26,080 | $48,260 |
| Georgia | $36,960 | $26,820 | $53,710 |
| Hawaii | $44,370 | $33,410 | $52,820 |
| Idaho | $37,370 | $27,110 | $58,800 |
| Illinois | $37,210 | $27,350 | $50,970 |
| Indiana | $36,050 | $27,010 | $50,520 |
| Iowa | $34,810 | $26,500 | $49,050 |
| Kansas | $35,470 | $25,580 | $50,140 |
| Kentucky | $33,770 | $24,030 | $46,420 |
| Louisiana | $31,950 | $23,190 | $43,550 |
| Maine | $36,820 | $27,630 | $50,110 |
| Maryland | $39,490 | $29,180 | $57,250 |
| Massachusetts | $43,810 | $33,290 | $60,930 |
| Michigan | $35,430 | $27,180 | $46,290 |
| Minnesota | $42,460 | $33,200 | $53,200 |
| Mississippi | $29,430 | $21,460 | $41,900 |
| Missouri | $35,290 | $24,490 | $52,040 |
| Montana | $32,880 | $25,230 | $44,730 |
| Nebraska | $35,450 | $26,740 | $47,820 |
| Nevada | $37,720 | $29,020 | $53,690 |
| New Hampshire | $39,470 | $31,020 | $52,690 |
| New Jersey | $41,530 | $31,100 | $59,750 |
| New Mexico | $32,520 | $24,030 | $46,280 |
| New York | $40,680 | $30,040 | $58,260 |
| North Carolina | $35,500 | $26,650 | $47,720 |
| North Dakota | $37,340 | $28,310 | $52,300 |
| Ohio | $35,500 | $26,150 | $49,750 |
| Oklahoma | $33,570 | $23,760 | $46,780 |
| Oregon | $40,870 | $29,630 | $59,430 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,560 | $27,230 | $51,920 |
| Rhode Island | $41,290 | $32,880 | $58,140 |
| South Carolina | $33,390 | $25,530 | $48,770 |
| South Dakota | $38,180 | $28,950 | $50,020 |
| Tennessee | $31,700 | $22,770 | $47,360 |
| Texas | $34,590 | $23,930 | $49,990 |
| Utah | $35,880 | $26,410 | $50,760 |
| Vermont | $38,290 | $29,970 | $52,530 |
| Virginia | $38,430 | $27,450 | $57,120 |
| Washington | $45,610 | $34,280 | $61,000 |
| West Virginia | $31,530 | $22,580 | $46,340 |
| Wisconsin | $37,030 | $29,410 | $47,790 |
| Wyoming | $34,990 | $26,370 | $47,190 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2020 median salary; projected job growth through 2029. Actual salaries vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.
Health Unit Coordinator Licensure
National certification is optional, but some employers may require it. After you graduate from an accredited unit coordinator program, you’ll qualify to sit for the National Health Unit Coordinator Certification Examination (NHUCCE). Successful completion results in the title of Certified Health Unit Coordinator (CHUC).
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2020 Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical Secretaries