A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

MTs who live up north - question - NCMT

Posted: Aug 22, 2010

Do MTs who work up north make more than MTs who live down south? I wonder because I was born in CT, but I live in NC now. I know the cost of living up there is triple what it is here in NC. So, how are they living on .08 a line in CT?

We're barely living!!! - no1joe

[ In Reply To ..]
I was in Florida working for a national. When I was moving back up north (not CT, but another VERY expensive state nearby), I asked about a cost of living increase, and I was basically laughed at. Up here we are better off looking for an on-site position; however, I just applied for an on-site position in a very, VERY expensive city, and the starting pay was only $19/hour. We're hurting everywhere, but especially in the states where the cost of living is significantly higher.

Only $19/hr?! - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I would love to find an in-house position making $19/hr. I live in Hawaii where the COL is very high and the local hospital here only pays $12/hr. I have no clue how people here make it on $12/hr other than working multiple jobs.

I would love 19/hr too at this point... - no1joe

[ In Reply To ..]
but I'm talking Manhattan here... pretty much one of the most expensive places to live in the world. Just to get there, I would have to take the train/subway at an astronomical cost each month, not to mention the state and city tax taken out, and God forbid if I decided to get a cup of coffee, etc., once in a while. Just to give you an example... you know those yummy street pretzels NYC is famous for?... when I went in for Halloween last year, they were $8 each. Anyhow, the job offer was also without benefits and is a dollar less per hour than I was making at an office in the burbs 5 years ago (which I left to move down south). It just stinks all around.

What island are you on? - Sunshine State MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I went to college out there and ended up staying for about 15 years. Met my husband out there who was in the Navy. Absolutely LOVED IT!

We lived on Oahu (Kailua) and I worked for a local transcription service. I felt so AT HOME out there. I really, really miss the food. I haven't taken my Hawaiian bracelet off since we left (in 1999).

If it was just me, I would be back out there in a heartbeat! I miss it so much that I named our newest little dog "Maile Ti-Leaf."

So how are the transcriptionists doing out there? Do you work for a national or somebody local?

Aloha!

Big Island - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
We are currently on the Big Island. We lived in Honolulu and also in Mililani, but the cost of living on Oahu is even worse and it is too overcrowded for our tastes. We love the Big Island, but still find it a struggle with higher cost of everything, especially food and gas, and the low-paying jobs.

I actually am working as an IC for a mainland company. I tried to get a job locally, but all I could find were IC jobs and if I work as an IC for a local company I then have to pay the GET tax on top of my already high taxes, so I am sticking with the mainland company for now to avoid the extra tax. Can barely afford to pay my taxes now as it is.

Don't know about CT by in my county in PA - Backwards Typist

[ In Reply To ..]
What few jobs there are around here - unemployment 10% now (not MT) only pay federal minimum wage. There are a couple that pay $12/hour maximum but those are rare.

The only way anyone makes it around here is through Big Lots, Aldi's, Wal-Mart, and Amelia's, 1 produce store, and local farmers (in the summer).

I don't know how seniors make it. Our electric rate just went up 30% and they are asking for more. Cable went up, and phone services will probably be next.

School taxes ALWAYS go up every year no matter what and everyone has to pay whether you have kids in school or not. The schools are also allowed to appeal the taxes if you buy a home more than the assessed value (they usually win, too). If a house is assessed at $70K (paying taxes of $2,500 a year)and someone buys it for $90K not knowing that, the new owners get slammed every time. (I think the county appraiser is getting kickbacks from the schools as he always appraises a home for more than it's worth.)

Sorry, didn't mean it to turn into a vent. LOL

Even less here in PA - ANON

[ In Reply To ..]
Cost of living is probably more in CT, but here in PA it isn't cheap and I only make 0.7 & .08 per line and previously had an acct. where I was only making .06 a line and that was for a big account that we had for a long time. I'm an IC right now.

Well I feel for you guys - NCMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't know what made me thing about this, maybe subconsciously thinking about what if I have to move back up there, but all I could think was, I couldn't live on what I make here, there.

Where in PA are you two posters? - I am in Berks County PA

[ In Reply To ..]
x

North of you - Backwards Typist

[ In Reply To ..]
Know a lot of people who work in your county and Dauphin Co.

Geographically, - Searching

[ In Reply To ..]
At my last job we used to get copies of annual surveys of MT wages. It was VERY revealing..

Indeed, those living in the South were the lowest paid. The highest paid were always in the Northwest (Oregon, Washington, etc.) area.

This was consistent and did not change over the 5 or 6 years that I saw them.

Cost of living is a HUGE consideration, and indeed the COL is much lower in the south.

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