The Salary Index
Salary data is based on the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metropolitan area and applied to Plano using local cost-of-living adjustments.

Curators Salaries in Plano, TX

Average Base Pay

$71,840/yr

10% above national average

Monthly

$5,987

Hourly

$35

Cost Index

104

Curators in Plano, TX earn an average of $71,840 per year, with most salaries falling between $57,472 and $86,208 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 10% above the national average, Plano ranks among the higher-paying markets for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 104. For professionals evaluating a move or negotiating an offer, the headline salary is only part of the picture—what matters most is how far that income actually goes once taxes, rent, and daily expenses are factored in. The sections below break that down in full for Plano.

Salary Range

The chart below shows the full compensation spectrum for this role, from entry-level to senior positions. The highlighted center bars represent the 25th–75th percentile band where most professionals are paid.

$54K
Low
$72K
Median
$90K
High
25th percentile: $61K75th percentile: $83K

About Curators

Health Information Managers oversee the systems, policies, and staff responsible for creating, maintaining, protecting, and releasing patient health records. They ensure that health information is accurate, accessible to authorized users, and protected from unauthorized disclosure in compliance with HIPAA and other regulations. HIM professionals manage medical coding departments—ensuring accurate assignment of ICD-10 and CPT codes that determine reimbursement—and audit coding quality. They design and implement health information systems, manage transitions between electronic health record (EHR) platforms, and govern data integrity across clinical information systems. Release of information is a major function: processing requests from patients, attorneys, payers, and public health agencies while ensuring that only authorized disclosures occur. HIM managers train staff on documentation requirements, conduct audits to ensure medical record completeness, and work with clinical teams to improve the quality of clinical documentation. The Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) credential from AHIMA is the leading professional credential, requiring a bachelor's degree in health information management.

What Curators Do

  • Oversee the management and integrity of the medical records department
  • Manage coding staff and audit ICD-10 and CPT code assignment accuracy
  • Ensure HIPAA compliance for protected health information use and disclosure
  • Process and authorize release of health information requests
  • Manage EHR systems and oversee implementation or migration projects
  • Conduct clinical documentation improvement programs
  • Train staff on documentation requirements and health information policies
  • Prepare reports on coding quality, record completeness, and department performance

Key Skills & Qualifications

  • ICD-10-CM/PCS and CPT coding proficiency
  • HIPAA privacy and security rule compliance
  • EHR system administration and implementation
  • Revenue cycle management fundamentals
  • Clinical documentation improvement methodology
  • Health information management software
  • RHIA or RHIT credential from AHIMA
  • Staff management and training

Career Path

  1. Medical Coder / Medical Records Clerk
  2. Health Information Technician (RHIT)
  3. Health Information Manager (RHIA)
  4. Director of Health Information Management
  5. Chief Health Information Officer

Curators Market in Plano, TX

Salary Competitiveness

Plano is one of the stronger-paying markets for Curators, with local salaries running approximately 10% above the national median. This premium typically reflects a combination of higher employer competition, concentrated industry presence, and elevated cost expectations built into local compensation norms.

Cost of Living Impact

Plano sits close to the national cost average. Monthly essential expenses represent about 64% of take-home pay for this role—a midrange ratio that allows for modest savings and discretionary spending, provided housing costs remain stable.

Effective Purchasing Power

The purchasing power of $71,840 for a Curators in Plano is moderate: enough to meet essential expenses and build incremental savings, but requiring deliberate budgeting to avoid margin erosion—especially as rent and healthcare costs have outpaced wage growth across many mid-tier markets.

vs. National Avg

+10%

Cost Pressure

64%

Purchasing Power

Moderate

Take-Home Pay Calculator

Enter any gross salary to see how federal and state taxes affect your actual take-home pay, broken down by year, month, and week. Results use an estimated effective tax rate of 27% based on this location and income level.

$
Take-home (73%)Taxes (27%)

Annual Net

$52,443

Monthly

$4,370

Weekly

$1,009

Eff. Tax Rate

27%

A gross salary of $71,840 for a Curators in Plano translates to roughly $4,370 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $2,795—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $1,575 per month in disposable income. That margin, not the gross number, is what determines whether you can comfortably cover rent, build savings, and afford discretionary spending in Plano's current market.

How far does this salary go in Plano?

Cost of Living in Plano

Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Plano, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.

Cost Index

104

Above Avg — US average is 100. Based on a single person (1-bed apartment).

🏠Housing / Rent$1,650/mo
🍔Food & Groceries$510/mo
🚗Transportation$135/mo
💡Utilities$185/mo
🏥Healthcare$315/mo
Monthly$2,795
Annual$33,540
Disposable Income$1,575

Financial Reality Check

This section compares estimated monthly take-home pay against typical living costs in Plano to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.

Monthly Take-Home

$4,370

Living Costs

$2,795

Disposable

$1,575

Cost Index

104

Lifestyle

Moderate

With a monthly take-home of $4,370, your estimated living costs in Plano are $2,795 ($33,540/yr). This leaves $1,575 per month in disposable income, indicating a moderate standard of living. Plano's cost of living is 4% above the national average.

Overall, a Curators earning $71,840 in Plano falls into a moderate lifestyle tier and can cover essentials and hit modest savings goals, though discretionary spending warrants careful planning. With a cost index of 104, Plano is 4% more expensive than the national average, which compresses real purchasing power. Regardless of tier, prioritizing retirement contributions, an emergency fund of three to six months' expenses, and incremental debt reduction will yield the greatest long-term financial stability—especially as living costs in Plano continue to evolve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Compare Instantly

See how Curators salary in Plano stacks up against other cities.

Full breakdown: cost of living, net pay, lifestyle score

Share this salary

Curators · Plano, TX10% above avg

Gross Salary

$71,840/yr

Take-home

$4,370/mo

Disposable

$1,575/mo

Lifestyle

Moderate

Source: thesalaryindex.com · BLS data

Plano City Overview

COL index, rent benchmarks, top jobs, and affordability score.

Explore Plano

Explore More Salary Data

Related pages — all links are live salary pages

Highest-Paying Markets

Cities where Curators pays most

Most Affordable Markets

Cities with lowest cost of living

Salary estimates are based on BLS metro data and adjusted using cost-of-living indices.