Freelance Transcription Jobs: How Much Can You Make? | Allegis Transcription (2024)

“Where do you work?”

“I work from home as a transcriptionist.”

That response almost always elicits a blank stare, requiring explanation. People might feign interest in online transcription jobs because their vision of “working” from home includes sitting around in their PJs with an endless supply of caffeine and Netflix.

But let’s face it. What they want to know is how much money does a transcriptionist make working from home, right?

Well, it depends.

Here are three things to consider:

1. The type of transcription job

Medical transcription work used to command higher wages than general transcription. Unfortunately, medical transcription jobs no longer pay commensurate with the knowledge and skill required.

What happened, you ask?

That’s another post. Suffice it to say, outsourcing, offshoring, a shrinking industry, electronic medical records, and voice recognition contributed to the demise. “Customers demand more for less, and they can find it,” according to Lee Tkachuk, CEO of Keystrokes Transcription Service.

Many of us demoralized MTs were financially forced to put our skills to use elsewhere.

Thankfully, “elsewhere” still exists.

Viable, work-from-home job opportunities are out there if you know where to look. It’s true that some transcription jobs pay more than others. The key is finding what works for you.

Maybe you’re interested in an insurance transcription job, but strict verbatim just isn’t your thing, because no matter how hard you try, you cannot, like, um, train yourself to, like, capture every single, uh, utterance. But if it is your thing, expect a higher wage.

Perhaps you have legal experience, or your niche is focus groups with ten participants who all sound exactly the same (shudder to think). Great. More doors will be open to you.

Depending on the environment and tasks you prefer, there are definitely jobs out there for freelance transcriptionists.

2. How you get paid

Most work-from-home transcription jobs pay per production. How much you earn as a transcriptionist—and your resulting hourly rate—will depend on your skills, the audio quality, and the subject matter.

Cents per line is a common type of pay calculation in the medical transcription industry, while per page or audio hour are more common in legal and insurance transcription fields. You’ll occasionally see companies paying per word, but it seems less common.

The following are production rates one might expect:

Word

A typical per word rate range is .5 cents to .695 cents. So, for example, to earn $10.00 an hour at a rate of 6 cents per word, you’re looking at transcribing 1667 words every hour (approximately 6 to 10 pages, depending on the format and content). Is it possible to do more an hour and make more money? Sure.

Line

As Cynthia Ann Lewis points out, in the late 1990s it was common to see per line rates ranging from 8 to 20 cents. Today, it’s not at all unusual to see job listings for 7-9 cents per line. (Tip: If you’re trying to compare per word and per line rates head-to-head, the average line contains roughly 11 words.)

Ouch.

Now, to make an hourly rate of just $10.00 at 7 cents per line, you’d need to transcribe 143 lines per hour. Good luck if you have a challenging dictator or poor audio quality. And if you’re a freelance transcriptionist, that $10.00 per hour is even less after accounting for taxes and other expenses.

The public forum MT Stars changed their job posting requirements earlier this year in an attempt to fight these low wages. What impact, if any, this might have on the declining pay trend remains to be seen.

Audio Hour

Someone not privy to the industry will see “earn $25 per audio hour” and think this means $25 per hour of their time worked.

Yeah, no.

So, how much does a work-from-home transcriptionist make when transcribing by the audio hour? An experienced professional can transcribe one hour of audio in about three hours for a 1:3 turnaround time. A newer transcriptionist will need even more time. This means $25 per audio hour means that…well, it’s probably not worth your time.

A respectable place to start is somewhere around $50 to $60 per audio hour. Increase that rate for more difficult work or if you have your own clients.

Page

How much can a freelance transcriptionist get paid for per page jobs? Page rates often fall in line with audio hour rates, touting the overestimated “a page per minute” reasoning. Regardless, an absolute minimum place to start is $1.00 per page, preferably more. Most general and insurance transcription companies are in the $1.25 to $1.50 per page range.

Keep in mind that template formats can greatly affect what you earn.

Single-spaced, tiny font, anyone?

Yikes.

3. Are you an employee — or a freelance transcriptionist?

As an employee, you’ll probably still be paid by production instead of hourly. In exchange for your employer determining when and how you work and how much you must produce, you’ll be entitled to certain protections and benefits like insurance.

The self-employed have to provide all of their benefits, which can be quite costly.

Also, as a self-employed freelancer, say hello to your nemesis—the self-employment tax.

That portion of Social Security and Medicare that an employer would normally pay on your behalf? Yep, that’s all you now.

A true freelance transcriptionist with her own clients and no middle man will make need to make more money to compensate for not having benefits provided. A subcontractor won’t have such leeway. But the right position can provide consistent work versus the feast or famine that can come with trying to maintain your own client base.

So, how much does a freelance transcriptionist make?

The bottom line?

Answering exactly how much a transcriptionist can make is more complex than you may have initially anticipated. The type of transcription, per unit pay structure (word/line/hour/page), and worker classification all play a role in how much you can expect to make in a transcription job.

Allegis expects transcription positions to continue trending toward work-at-home positions. According to the company’s Director of Sales & Marketing, “We pay well for quality work. If you convert our per page pay rate to an hourly basis, most see a pay rate in the $13 – $17 range.”

Skilled transcriptionists can still earn a livable income.

Just know your value. Understanding transcription job pay averages and methods takes some of the mystery out of how much YOU, a skilled transcriptionist, can (and should) be earning. Demand your worth.

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Psst! We’re hiring. If you’re an awesome transcriptionist looking for something new, click below to see our open positions.

Freelance Transcription Jobs: How Much Can You Make? | Allegis Transcription (1)

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Freelance Transcription Jobs: How Much Can You Make? | Allegis Transcription (2024)

FAQs

How much can you realistically make transcribing? ›

Transcription is a well-paying career with many opportunities. A transcriptionist's salary is generally around $19.02, while an advanced transcriptionist earns around $25 to $30 per hour. With this rate, you can easily earn an average of $1141.2 every month if you work 2.5 hours per day for 24 days.

How much can a freelance transcriptionist make? ›

How Much Do Transcriptionist Jobs Pay per Hour?
Annual SalaryHourly Wage
Top Earners$45,500$22
75th Percentile$38,000$18
Average$33,773$16
25th Percentile$28,000$13

How much can I earn by transcription as a beginner? ›

Most transcriptionists can make between $15 and $25 an hour when they're just starting out and don't have a specialization or expertise. Some fields pay more for transcription services, like legal or medical companies.

What is a good hourly rate for transcription? ›

Industry standards. Standard rates for professional transcriptionists (especially those professionals from North America) range from $1.5 to $3 per audio minute or $90 to $180 per audio hour. If your project has extra requirements, such as a quick turnaround time, you may be forced to pay more to have the job done.

How long does it take to transcribe 1 hour of audio? ›

When it comes to individual transcribers, the average time to transcribe one hour of audio is approximately four hours. But, some transcribers quote four hours as the minimum since it can easily reach 10 hours. Transcription time by audio hour varies so much mostly because each audio file is different.

What type of transcription pays the most? ›

High Paying Medical Transcription Jobs
  • Transcription Coordinator. ...
  • Medical Transcription Supervisor. ...
  • Radiology Transcriptionist. ...
  • Transcriber. ...
  • Medical Scribe. ...
  • Transcriptionist. Salary range: $28,000-$38,000 per year. ...
  • Scribe. Salary range: $27,000-$37,000 per year. ...
  • Pathology Transcriptionist. Salary range: $28,500-$28,500 per year.

How much can you make a week transcribing? ›

How Much Do Transcriptionist Jobs Pay per Week?
Annual SalaryWeekly Pay
Top Earners$45,500$875
75th Percentile$38,000$730
Average$33,773$649
25th Percentile$28,000$538

Can you make a living transcribing? ›

Transcription jobs are lucrative ways to make extra money, especially if you speak and write in more than one language. Here are the best work-from-home transcription jobs. Transcriptionists are in high demand.

Is freelance transcription worth it? ›

Working from home as a transcriptionist is a great way to earn a steady income with flexible hours . If you're an experienced typist with strong grammar skills , this may be a rewarding career for you.

Is it hard to do transcription? ›

Transcription work sounds easy since it only involves listening to audio files and typing. In reality, however, transcription is quite complicated. It takes commitment and full involvement in the job to ensure that you produce excellent work.

How much do remote transcriptionists make? ›

A Work From Home Transcriptionist in your area makes on average $18 per hour, or $0.72 (4%) more than the national average hourly salary of $17.43. ranks number 1 out of 50 states nationwide for Work From Home Transcriptionist salaries.

How much does TranscribeMe pay per minute? ›

Transcription Services - Starting at $0.79 per minute | TranscribeMe!

How long to transcribe 30 minutes of audio? ›

Various factors affect how long it takes. As a very broad rule of thumb, many transcribers say it takes four hours for every one hour of audio. Obviously, if you're wondering how long to transcribe 30 minutes of audio file, around two hours.

What is the average transcription charges? ›

“Transcription rates per minute” is a common rate structure. Expect to pay $1-3.5 per minute.

How does a foot pedal work for transcribing? ›

A transcription foot pedal has buttons which can be configured to have different functions. Generally, people have a standard three-button foot pedal set to have rewind, play/pause and fast-forward functions. Some other functions can include slowdown, jump or next dictation among others.

What are the four major skills needed for transcription? ›

In order to transcribe audio or a conversation accurately, you need these skills:
  • Active listening. Active listening is the ability to focus on a speaker and hear everything they say. ...
  • Typing skills. ...
  • Communication. ...
  • Computer skills. ...
  • Research.
Mar 10, 2023

How many minutes can you transcribe in a day? ›

Transcription Speed for the Average Person

The average person can transcribe one audio hour in about 4 hours. It takes most people about one hour to transcribe 15 minutes of a clear, slow audio file. If any of the factors we mentioned above change the quality of the recording, that time might go up.

How long does it take to transcribe 100 pages? ›

Writing 100 pages will take about 20.8 hours for the average writer typing on a keyboard and 41.7 hours for handwriting.

What pays more transcription or translation? ›

Translators are paid higher on average than transcriptionists, as translation is more time-consuming and more complex. This is mainly because a translator must be an expert bilingual to succeed, which requires plenty of time and effort.

Does transcribing get easier? ›

Eventually, the more tunes that you learn by ear and the more solos that you transcribe, the easier it will get because your ears improve each time. The key is to get over that initial barrier and learn that first tune by ear.

Are transcriptionists in high demand? ›

For professionals with language translation skills, the jobs outlook is especially promising, with a growth projection of 18% through 2026. However, while demand for court reporters and language-based transcription is strong, the job outlook for medical transcriptionists indicates less demand for this specialty.

How do you get clients for transcription? ›

How To Get Transcription Clients Easily
  1. Use Free Advertising. Businesses have several ways to advertise, and many of them are free! ...
  2. Offer Discounts. There are many different discounts you can offer to first-time clients. ...
  3. Give Referral Bonuses.
Oct 28, 2018

How much does Scribie pay? ›

We pay $5 to $20 per audio hour. We pay by audio hour and not the actual time spent working on it. The payment for 6 minute file therefore can vary from $0.5 to $2. The earnings are credited to your Scribie account and it accumulates there.

How much can you make a month as a transcriptionist? ›

While ZipRecruiter is seeing monthly salaries as high as $4,375 and as low as $1,167, the majority of Transcriptionist salaries currently range between $2,333 (25th percentile) to $3,166 (75th percentile) across the United States.

Can transcription be a side hustle? ›

People may not think of transcription services when considering side hustles to undertake for extra income. However, they could be ideal for anyone looking to have a mobile business.

Is transcription a good career choice? ›

Among the plethora of roles is that of a medical transcriptionist. This is an excellent career option for anyone looking to start working in healthcare sooner. With medical transcription programs ranging from 6-12 months and flexible work opportunities, there are many benefits of being a medical transcriptionist.

Is transcribing a good career? ›

By working as a freelance transcriptionist, you can choose how many hours you want to work. This makes it an excellent job for students or anyone who wants to make extra money. Read on to learn more about transcribing to help you decide if a transcription career is worth it.

What are the cons of transcribing? ›

The Cons of Speech to Text Transcription
  1. Accuracy. One of the biggest drawbacks of voice transcription is accuracy. Voice recognition technology isn't perfect, so you might find that some of your words are misheard or misinterpreted. ...
  2. Cost. Another potential downside of voice transcription is cost. ...
  3. Learning Curve.
Jan 11, 2023

What are the cons of transcription jobs? ›

Drawbacks of Transcribing from Home
  • Transcription contracts come and go. You'll land a great contract, but it may be short-term.
  • Work dries up during certain times of the year. (However, it can be nice to have slow days sometimes.)
  • You have to keep track of your expenses, your income, and put aside money for taxes.
Mar 5, 2019

How do I become a transcriptionist with no experience? ›

Best online transcription jobs for beginners
  1. TranscribeMe. Getting started on TranscribeMe is so simple – all you have to do is pass a basic English exam. ...
  2. Speechpad. To apply for Speechpad, you will need to pass a basic transcription test, as well as a basic grammar test. ...
  3. CrowdSurf. ...
  4. Rev.
Mar 20, 2023

How fast do I need to type to be a transcriber? ›

Practice Typing

While most transcriptionists can type at around 50 words per minute (WPM), make it your goal to type at least 60 WPM. By improving your typing speed, you can get more work done in less time, which seriously increases your earning potential!

How long does it take to transcribe 1 minute? ›

Transcription speed for an average person

An amateur transcriber typically types between 40 and 60 words per minute. As a result, it takes the average person about four hours to transcribe one hour of audio.

How long does it take to transcribe 1000 words? ›

How long does it take to transcribe 1,000 words or more? An average typist can transcribe 1,000 words in about 25 minutes. However, a professional typist can achieve this same feat in less than 13 minutes with 99% accuracy.

Do you have to pay taxes for TranscribeMe? ›

When a transcription crowd employer offers money, and in return receives a salable product (transcription), the money received is from sales and is therefore liable for sales tax.

Can you work full time for TranscribeMe? ›

You will be responsible for transcribing audio or video files of various lengths with a high degree of accuracy and within a reasonable timeframe according to specific style guides. The pay rate starts at US$28 per audio hour for these projects. Full or part-time, freelance, remote job.

Is TranscribeMe better than Rev? ›

As a transcriptionist, I tried both and I prefer Rev. If I remember correctly, transcribeme just assigns you something to transcribe. You don't get to choose. Sure, you can reject it, but then you have to wait for them to decide to assign you something else.

What is the correct way to transcribe time? ›

As an example, TranscriptionWing's standard format for timestamps is [HH:MM:SS] - that is the accurate hours, minutes, down to seconds - placed in different ways within the transcript.

How long does zoom take to transcribe? ›

Zoom typically takes twice the duration of your meeting to process the transcript. For a 30-minute meeting, it can take up to 60 minutes to get the transcript.

How can I make my transcription faster? ›

Let's have a look at these tips to get a faster transcription.
  1. Make use of an Autocorrect Tool.
  2. Practice Typing to perfection.
  3. Making use of High-Quality and noise cancellation headset.
  4. A comfortable and quiet environment.
  5. Type Smartly.
  6. Get your hands on a good transcribing software.
  7. Take Breaks.
  8. The final word.

How much does Zoom transcription cost? ›

The average price for automatic Zoom captions is approximately $0.25 per audio minute (approximately £0.20), although you find some tools that are slightly higher or lower. If you have a lot of recordings to transcribe, you may prefer to opt for a monthly subscription plan.

How much is Zoom transcription? ›

Live Captions for Zoom is priced at $20 per host per month, while human-powered transcriptions and video captions are $1.25 per minute. Rev's human-powered transcriptions are claimed to be 99% accurate and are well-reviewed by users on G2 and Capterra.

Can I transcribe without a foot pedal? ›

Without a transcription foot pedal, a medical transcriptionist will be forced to go through the tedious process of using their mouse to rewind, fast forward, pause, and play the audio file that they need to type out.

What would you consider your strengths as a transcriptionist? ›

Typing. It's vital for transcriptionists to have strong typing skills to transcribe files quickly. The average typing speed for transcriptionists can vary, but these professionals can usually type between 60 to 80 words per minute (WPM).

Why do you want to work for rev answer? ›

I want to work at Rev because it is a place where you get to be your own and choose your own hours and how much you work. There are of course rules and guidelines you have to follow if you want to keep the job, but they're easy to learn.

Can you really make money transcribing? ›

Transcription jobs are lucrative ways to make extra money, especially if you speak and write in more than one language. Here are the best work-from-home transcription jobs. Transcriptionists are in high demand.

Is it worth being a transcriptionist? ›

Working from home as a transcriptionist is a great way to earn a steady income with flexible hours . If you're an experienced typist with strong grammar skills , this may be a rewarding career for you.

Are transcriptionists still in demand? ›

Employment of medical transcriptionists is projected to decline 7 percent from 2021 to 2031. Despite declining employment, about 9,300 openings for medical transcriptionists are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

Is it hard to become a transcriber? ›

Beginner Transcriptionists:

Transcription can be difficult to master, especially in the beginning stages. Many newbies find the concept of listening and then typing up audio files difficult.

Is transcription stressful? ›

Lots of stress.

The work is hard and must be precise. Audio files are not always clear of background noise and are often hard to transcribe; doctors who vocally record their notes for a transcriptionist don't always think about the person transcribing what they say.

How long does transcribing take on average? ›

Transcription Speed for the Average Person

The average person can transcribe one audio hour in about 4 hours. It takes most people about one hour to transcribe 15 minutes of a clear, slow audio file. If any of the factors we mentioned above change the quality of the recording, that time might go up.

How long does it take to start transcribing? ›

Through college certificate programs, it can take two years or more to get fully certified. But with online programs, you can train to be a transcriptionist in the legal industry and get certified in only 4-6 months.

Is transcription a dying field? ›

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job opportunities for medical transcriptionists are projected to decline 7% over the coming decade. It's a dying field, especially in relation to other healthcare support occupations, which the BLS predicts will grow 16%.

How can I become a faster transcriptionist? ›

  1. Make use of an Autocorrect Tool. ...
  2. Practice Typing to perfection. ...
  3. Making use of High-Quality and noise cancellation headset. ...
  4. A comfortable and quiet environment. ...
  5. Type Smartly. ...
  6. Get your hands on a good transcribing software. ...
  7. Take Breaks.

How do I become a certified transcriptionist? ›

You can become certified by taking and passing an exam provided by the AHDI. The organization offers two types of certifications for medical transcriptionists: Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS) and Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist (CHDS).

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