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

Starting pay offer? - MTinKY

Posted: Apr 24, 2014

As an experienced MT, would you take a job that started at 7 cpl? I don't know if this is the norm now, but I have interviewed for 5 jobs this week, none of which have offered more than this. One of the jobs sounded great, but I am terrified to take it because of this 7 cpl offer. She said there was no wiggle room, so I can't ask if they'd consider going up a little. I have 10 years of experience and have been at the same job for 8 years.

Other than considering going off on my own, I don't know what else to do. Either stay where I am and struggle to make $1400 a month (because my account, although extremely easy, is very picky and I don't get paid for any of the time I have to spend pulling up schedules, copying the patient information over, et cetera), or take this 7 cpl offer and hope the lines add up enough to make it worth it, or should I keep looking and try to find a company that offers more? It seems impossible right now.

Starting pay so low :( - sadie

[ In Reply To ..]
Like you, I have 10 years experience in the field, too. I see all these job postings on here and the other board offering such a low rate of pay. 7 cents and no wiggle room? I call malarky. They just know that some of us will take that 7 cents because that's the going rate these days... it just keeps going down, down, down... Doesn't seem right. As long as there are MTs out there who will take it, that's what's going to be what's offered - more money in their pockets - and it's just not right.

So, in answer to your question, no, I wouldn't take 7 cpl. I am glad, though, not to be in a position to be looking for work right now.

Thing is, folks have to do what folks have to do, and if taking a 7 cpl job is what has to be done, then that's what you have to do... but the MTSOs will just keep on taking advantage 'cause they know that folks will do what folks have to do. It's sad, but it's true.

Next year this time... going rate will be 6 cpl... :(

Sadie - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
It is just kind of a vicious circle. People should not and do not want to enable this kind of behavior--offering 7 cpl, but they still have obligations to meet. Every day I give thanks that I am so old I no longer have to worry about meeting a mortgage, but most MTs are younger and have either a house note or a rent payment. I am truly ashamed of some of my fellow MTSOs in the way they are treating people. They need to be reminded that if it were not for the good MTs, there would be NO MTSOs out there. I think some of them got so full of themselves--especially the big companies. I think they have stopped seeing MTs as people and just think of them as things. I believe in karma, and I think a lot of those folks up high at the top who stepped on their MTs are going to get a nasty surprise some day, perhaps sooner than they expected. I truly do wish everybody the best. Seeing all of this going on and not having the power to do anything to change it makes me sad. It used to be that there were lots of small mom and pop MTSOs and we could all talk to each other. Now the giants have come along and they do not want to talk to peons like me.

MTinKY - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
I truly do feel for you--and for others who are in that position. As for me, no, I absolutely would not work for 7 cpl. I would rather tend bar, groom dogs, or do something else. I do not want to enable the bad MTSOs out there. When our small company was finally put out of business by one of the big monsters in California, it paid 11 cpl. I realize that those days are gone, but I truly would not/could not work for 7 cpl. (I get 9 cpl on my part-time gig with a friend.) Anyway, I am really concerned. The only other thought I have is that there might be some local MTSO (depending where you are) who still does local accounts and sometimes they are still willing/able to pay a little more than the big greedy ones who have to keep their CEOs driving around in their Bentleys while the rest of us wait for the bus. Anyway, I wish you the best. Truly, if I could change things, I would do it in a heartbeat.

Reply to MTinKY - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
Try applying with FutureNet. They had an ad a few days ago on the other MT jobs site and were offering 9/4.5 cpl to start.

Thank you! - MTinKY

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you for posting that! I will check them out and see what they're all about. I think I have a friend who used to work for them.

And don't forget... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
These days it's not just "starting" pay... it is your pay for ever and ever, unless it goes lower. It will never go higher, no matter what the recruiter says. So sad we've come to this, isn't it?

Not going to do it! - MTinKY

[ In Reply To ..]
Just as an update, I decided not to take any of the jobs offered to me and I'll continue to be on the look out for something. I feel like 7 cpl is a slap in the face at this point and, while I don't make much more where I am currently, I don't want to go backwards again. I've already went down in pay quite a bit over the past few years.
I could make so much more working outside of the home, using my degrees, but right now I have to work from home, at least for the next few years.
Best of luck to all of you in the same boat as myself.

Good for you! - NotNewMT

[ In Reply To ..]
If more people just refused to take the low paying jobs over the last few years, we would not be in this situation where even the experienced and knowledgeable MTs are being offered less than living wages rates. THANK YOU for taking this stance!

In the recent past, I started with a new company part time. Shortly after starting, they lowered everyone's rates across the board. I immediately gave them notice. I am just sick and tired of the abuse that goes on in this business.

Best wishes to you.

TEN LIKES FOR MTinKY!!! (sm) - Rose

[ In Reply To ..]
Taking a stance as you are is the ONLY way to get through to the greedy MTSOs.
I was charging my clients twice what they are trying to pay now and that was TWENTY YEARS AGO!

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