Medical Transcriptionist Salary

Medical transcription is one of the best paying and most reliable work-from-home jobs there are. Statistics show that 75% of transcription jobs are home-based.

The job role of a medical transcriptionist is to listen to dictation from a physician or health care provider via audio tape or digital voice files and then type the information in a report format that will be used for medical records.

Even though a large percentage of transcriptionists work from home, there are in-office job opportunities in medical offices, clinics, hospitals, laboratories and other medical facilities. As voice recognition becomes more accurate, more and more facilities are switching over to digital dictation which allows them to easily dictate and send out the dictation to a transcription service electronically. Many transcriptionists subcontract work through a transcription service. Generally, you will not earn as much this way but you will also not have the hassle and responsibility of finding your own clients.

What is the Average Salary of a Medical Transcriptionist?

The work setting and job experience largely determines the salary of a medical transcriptionist along with where the job is located. Certification will increase salary potential as well.

Nationwide, the mean salary for a medical transcriptionist who worked in a medical office or clinic in 2008 was $15.41 an hour. The lowest 10% salary was $10.76 and the highest 10% was $21.81. The higher salaries were paid to those who worked in a laboratory or radiology setting.

The mean hourly wages of a transcriptionist in 2008 in business support services was $14.52, physician’s medical office was $15.02, outpatient care was $15.46, hospital care was $15.88, and diagnostic laboratories was $17.26.

Generally, a medical transcriptionist subcontracts work and is paid either per line or per report. The salary by the line is anywhere from .05 to .14 per line, 65 characters a line. For example, if a transcriptionist types 200 lines an hour at 65 characters a line, they would be earning $16 an hour at .08 a line. If the pay is per report, the pay varies between $2- $8 depending on the length of the report.

The location of where the medical office or hospital is located also plays a role in the salary. State wages vary greatly with Alaska, California, District of Columbia and New Jersey paying better than other states on average. Massachusetts pays the highest salary at a mean average of $20.62 in 2008. This is a factor to consider when applying for an at-home position through a transcription service. The location of the doctor will determine your pay, not where you live.

From the years 2008 to 2012, the need for a medical transcriptionist is expected to grow by 18%.

Is There Opportunity for a Better Salary?

Medical transcriptionists who have more than five years experience will have better salary opportunities. Also, having experience in acute care transcription pays more as expertise is of greater value.

Medical transcriptionist salary will sometimes be complimented by company benefits like paid vacations, medical insurance, 401 K, etc. Only large corporations offer these benefits and they expect the transcription work to be of the highest quality.

In addition, employers are willing to offer a better salary for transcription work if the transcriptionist has received certification from the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI). A certified medical transcriptionist, or CMT, can expect to earn wages in the upper 10% as well. This certification is awarded to those who have at least two years of experience in several types of surgical specialties and reports.