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

Personal stand: MT and ME line rates (sm) - Sick and Tired MT

Posted: Nov 09, 2009

I have decided I will not accept any MT transcription rates lower than 9 cpl (in an employee position) or 11 cpl (in an IC position). For medical editing, I'm not going to work for lower than 50% of the transcription rate.

For me, it will just not be worth it to do it for less. I am willing to go work inhouse and even do other work rather than to accept line rates lower than this.

I see one keeps putting up the same ad with 8 cpl for MT work and 3 cpl for editing and it has a "no newbies" statement. Well, they can keep advertising for all I care - I'm not working for that.

Everyone have a nice evening.

Sick and Tired MT

Sick and tired did you see.. - MT17

[ In Reply To ..]
Hey, think you are sick and tired now, did you check out the new job posting on the job seeker's board....Synernet? OMG! Only 6 to 7 cpl.....radiology and acute care. Talk about sweat shop wages...

sicker and tired - old MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I too just saw the ad after just getting done with a very hard day and struggling for 10 hours to meet my quota. I felt like crying when I saw this ad.

Are you doing straight, VR or combo and what - L

[ In Reply To ..]
is your quota for the day. You had to work 10 hours to make it? Did you do other things between all those hours or was that straight through? I hope you are racking up the $$$$ like that.

Me too! - MT17

[ In Reply To ..]
I did not know whether to laugh or cry! Shame on them..... Sorry you had such a rough day. I hope it gets better for you. Time for a hot bath and some chocolate.

Sick and Tired MT - fatcat

[ In Reply To ..]
Sick and Tired, I support you. I took the same position you are taking and I got a great job with benefits with a medium-sized company that does not offshore. Great cpl, too. (Am not printing the name here because their HR department is small and they do not want to be flooded with resumes.) As to the chintzy companies who offer 7 and 8 cpl, all I have to say to them is: PAY PEANUTS, GET MONKEYS!

Well shove a Bananna in my mouth - And call me Monkey.

[ In Reply To ..]
I am glad some are taking a stand. That is great for you that you can do that and it may actually free up more job opportunities. As for me, I just applied for that job so I guess I will be the "Monkey" you are refering to. It is ok to have standards but does it make you feel better to try and bring others down just to lift you up. I am sure you were a monkey at one time. If not, you are very blessed.

To banana mouth: Get a grip... Be thankful others - have that opportunity.

[ In Reply To ..]
That opportunity may come for you too, and when it does don't look down on others. I've been in this long enough to know some people just luck up, that's all it is. When I was struggling to make ends, I went to work at a local heart center. One girl hired on there same as me and she was working full time there and making $30,000+ working part-time elsewhere. Some people just get the breaks, but that doesn't mean God loves you any less. Keep looking and your opportunity will come. Just don't neglect it when it does.

I think you mistook my post. - Simply

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't know how you would think i am looking down on anyone considering my post was in reply to someone who is Obviously looking down on someone by stating that "Paying bananna's wil get you Monkeys". That, point blank, is stating that if you pay cheap you get a crappy employee. I have a grip and I am sorry that you missed the meaning in y post.

Monkey - fatcat

[ In Reply To ..]
There is an old--and true--saying: The harder I work, the luckier I get.

Quote from Thomas Jefferson! - Stephanie

[ In Reply To ..]
I love little motivational sayings and I just happen to have that one posted on a stickie on my computer monitor.

I find the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.

Stephanie - Fatcat

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm with you. I first learned that quotation (along with the one about monkeys) from the late Vera Pyle, who was truly the finest MT mentor in the world. She would have laughed that someone on this board took offense at the monkeys saying. I suppose it takes a good sense of humor (and the sophistication to recognize irony) to find it funny. Like you, I like sayings that are upbeat and pithy. Too many folks having pity parties these days. Rock on!

Wise quoters - Here it is

[ In Reply To ..]
You call me a monkey then your calling me a monkey. You call me unsophisticated, you're calling me unsophisticated it is pretty simple. You are wise indeed spitting your quotes. If you are so sophicated then riddle me this: If the qoute "Pay with bananna's, you get monkeys" doesn't mean, basically, anyone who pays a low rate will only get in return an inferior employee, then please grace me with what I am getting wrong. Maybe if you can show me the light I will one day be as wise and earn as much money as you do. Until then I am going to keep chasing those bananna's because I am hungry and I GOTZ to eat. LOL

fatcat - Wise quoters

[ In Reply To ..]
In all respectfulness, you need to lighten up and get a sense of humor. All that quotation means (and it is a quotation and not a quote) is that you get what you pay for. It is generally used as an attempt at levity (look it up), which is something we all can use these days. I am not calling you anything. I think you are taking things far too seriously. Chill out, take a deep breath, learn the difference between YOUR and YOU'RE and BANANAS plural and BANANAS possessive (I would not generally point out a grammatical error(s) as it is in extremely bad form to do so, but I think this kind of makes my point--you get what you pay for) and realize that no one is laughing at you. We are (or should all be) working together to help each other. Keep on chasing not bananas, but knowledge and skills. I wish you luck, and I empathize. I gotta eat, too. We live in troubling and terrifying times. It is sad when an attempt at humor is met with personal invective.

The monkey thing reminds me of a rant about pay - uh, call it - dark humor. SM

[ In Reply To ..]
After a while, all you can do is (try to) laugh.

higher pay sometimes means terrible platform. - NM

[ In Reply To ..]
NM

Good luck finding 11 cpl as a - subcontractor....

[ In Reply To ..]
Do you realize that the company is probably only charging the client 14 cpl if that especially the American companies? We cannot compete with Indian Companies that only need pay their MTs 5 cpl or below.

If you want 11 cpl, why are you not starting your own business? The MTSO you are requiring the high line rate from is the contractor. You are the subcontractor. Everyone gets a cut. Do you utilize QA? If so, they also need to be paid. If you are requiring 11 cpl, the MTSO you are subbing for might as well just hand you the account for the administrative end of things as well.

Oh wait, you want to just transcribe in a platform for top dollar with no bothers?

I'm glad you're taking a stand, but you'll go broke waiting for a high line rate in this atmosphere.

High line rate - Stephanie

[ In Reply To ..]
That is not true. I was working for a hair under 11 cents a line on top of getting a production bonus as an IC for 1 company. I also do separate work as an IC for a small place and get 11 cents a line as an IC. The work was all pretty easy at least given what I was already used to. There are places that will pay MTs well as good MTs are hard to find. The only companies that offer these crap wages are large ones because they are trying to work you to death for 5 pissy days of PTO at 7 cents a line with no production bonus and to top it off their platform probably sucks.

There are IC jobs out there for 11 cpl - JDMX

[ In Reply To ..]
I am IC and make that, plus 12 cpl for STATs. I could not work for less because I have to pay for my own health insurance and have to take out for taxes myself. I don't know any ICs who would work for much less.

There are plenty who pay 11 cpl - IC

[ In Reply To ..]
Don't know where you are getting your information about IC pay. I make 11 cpl regular and 12 to 13 cpl for STAT reports depending on if nights or weekends doing IMEs for one company and 11 cpl for another doing acute care with bonus incentive as IC. The trick is NOT to work for a national as they pay squat.

The trick is to work for yourself - and not as a subcontractor.

[ In Reply To ..]
That's great you are getting paid to work nights and weekends and be chained to your desk for STATS. You should be compensated as such. The OP doesn't state that she is willing to do that now does she?

I know that some places pay more, but along with that are set hours and set line quota.

Name me one company that is paying 11 cpl with no quota and no set schedule as an IC, which is what an IC should be doing. Most ICs work like employees in this field and it is abuse whether the pay is high or not.

The trick as you refer to it is to work your own personal accounts and charge what you think is fair and not to work for MTSOs.

Mind giving the names of those Companies paying above 9 cpl - and 11 cpl

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

I knew you would get no answer on this - Lynne

[ In Reply To ..]
Saw this early this morning and thought why is this person asking. These are the phantom jobs that pay this much. No one will tell you where the 9 cpl and 11 cpl are, if they are really there. The jobs here are more in the 8 and 4 cents range.

11 cpl posting - Stephanie

[ In Reply To ..]
The reason for myself why I do not post is because the work I do is for very small companies. Also if I could take the time to call/e-mail places to seek out this work, then if finding higher paying work is so important to someone else, then they need to get off their butt and put in the time and effort to find it. I'm not an HR person and neither are the other posters who said they have positions that pay well.

I work for one. - LK

[ In Reply To ..]
My company pays in this range, but they are fairly small and are not hiring. I give their name only to MTs that I know personally and whose work I am familiar with. I don't think my company hires very often, as they treat their MTs well, pay them decently, and don't offshore or use VR. Why would anybody want to leave? But if I found a good company, then others can, too. It takes time, effort, and some luck to find them, but some good companies are still out there,and I found my company by looking at a lot until I found one that fit.

Yes - IC

[ In Reply To ..]
I work for MAG out of Arizona (IME) and on-call for Silverton Hospital in Oregon. I also work part time for MQ at 10 cpl. I work my own hours as IC (not MQ), no set schedule, just keep within TAT as everywhere else. I used to have my own accounts that paid VERY well, but too much work to handle on my own and too much trouble with employees (hard to find people who are willing to work the hours needed). I am willing to work weekends and nights to support my lifestyle and live well. Those who do not wish to work anything but 9-5 M-F being an MT it is their choice to short themselves the opportunity to make the big bucks, sorry. It took hard work and effort on my part over the years to find these jobs, but they are out there for those willing to work and take the good with the bad.

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