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

How much does an at-home MT make part time? - Meagain

Posted: Nov 08, 2009

I was wondering if anyone would share their wages with me, because I read on this forum that lots of MT's are upset about the way that the MT schools are saying that you can "make so much money", and I am going through careerstep (about to take my final actually). I wanted to realistically grasp how much money I could really be making with this career. I am wanting home-based because I have an infant child.

I think it depends on so many things..... - MTlongtime

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I have been an MT so long that I rarely have to stop and look up a term and I have worked for the two companies I have worked for so long that I could about tell you what the doctors are going to say before it comes out of their mouth. I do no VR, just straight typing and I bring home at least $1800 each two weeks, but again, I am not new to it or just out of school, I have been doing it quite a while.

My first job was minimum wage - Happy MT Robin

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My first year MTing was minimum wage for the most part. I had a couple bad moments with crappy VR dictators where I think I got about $2 an hour. I was paid REALLY low cpl - but I was brand new and didn't realize how insultingly low that was at the time. I was just glad I got someone to hire me as a newbie. That wasn't that long ago, though, so those crappy wages are still a possibility for some.

There are a lot of variables, i.e., line rate, how fast you can type, how good your expander is, how much time you have to spend looking things up, etc. I would think your first year is going to be in the $7 to $9 an hour range, if you're really good. Once you get some experience under your belt you can make significantly more than that, again depending on the company and line rate, but your first year is really a learning year.

IC or employee - wondering

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Are you an employee or IC? I have 35+ years and I would love to make $1800 and I do straight transcription, no VR.

I work both....... - MTlongtime

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Six hours per day employee, two hours per day IC.

How many hours do you have to work to make That much? - just wondering

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xx

I can type 81 wpm and am about to graduate from school - Meagain

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.I can type 81 wpm and am about to graduate from school

Really, typing speed has so little to do with it. - The Rolling Eyeball

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Typing speed is really such a tiny part of what makes an MT successful.

It takes a trained ear.

It takes an extensive knowledge of medical terminology, physiology, laboratory values, surgical procedures, grammar, etc. If you're getting good grades, that's a very good sign. Still, there will be a learning curve as you move from practice dictations to the real world stuff. That will affect your pay for some time.

In your school, do you get a sense of how many lines you can transcribe in an hour? Have they trained you for VR? You might have to take a job paying as little as 7 cpl right out of school. Unfortunately, you really can't expect that rate to go up until you switch jobs.

Five, ten years ago you could pull in $40/hr. Now, $10 is more the norm. (And I know some who are pulling minimum wage, if that.)

Good luck as you enter the workforce. We've all be in your shoes. Scary, but (at least it used to be) well worth it.

And then part time as independent or employee? - L

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If she is going to work part time as independent, may have to pay taxes (might not even make enough to pay taxes) but have to save those back. If employed by someone then they will do the taxes for her.

Transcription is not typing. - Elizabeth

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I can type 200 words a minute with my expander. Typing is not the main obstacle.

What they failed to tell you in transcription school is -

You have to be willing to TRANSLATE not just TRANSCRIBE.

You have to be willing to WORK FOR FREE to research to fill in all the mystery information that the dictator sees that you don't know, like how to spell Dr. Roger Bhupharanstkeinstein. Oh, don't get me wrong, that dictator will spell ROGER for you, but the rest you have to research.

And let's not even talk about the dictators who cannot speak clearly, who dictate what SOUNDS like this, "Ness para, pash having no other compliance. Has flooit on dem lung relas to he hot. Patient compliance of fish tied."

Once you translate that, and spin that mess into gold you'll make $9 an hour to type what they MEANT: "Next paragraph. The patient is having no other complaints. He has fluid on the lungs related to his heart. Patient complains fo feeling tired."

Don't let anyone tell you transcription is a good job. It is a job where very intelligent, hard-working people are exploited for their near genius abilities. And that . . . is the unvarnished truth!

Elizabeth, I just love your post - Lynn

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It makes so much sense, more than most. I love the translated part. I now have done this, I will call it a job at this time, for many, many years. I used to love to transcribe, made excellent money but it was not something that I gritted my teeth on, today that is a different story. The people who cannot talk even close to our language are plentiful and awful. We used to clean up the dictation, now told to leave ESLs as they say it. You know the verb is used wrong and yet we have to leave it. I am working as fast as I can this year to get all big debts out of the way (have some medical issues) but more so than that, in the back of my mind plays around a lot, you donâ��t have to do this anymore if you donâ��t want to. You hit the nail on the head and thanks for the post!

It's so true - Elizabeth

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Most of us would go do something else, but we are sort of stuck in this industry.

I've been at this for 17 years, and in those years I've seen my salary cut to 20% of what I used to make. My skill isn't the problem - if anything I've gotten better at what I do in that length of time. The incoming dictation is horrible, add in companies that bleed your check like a leech and here we are struggling to get by.

In about 8 months I'm leaving this industry. When enough of the old timers leave the industry is in real trouble. My niece wanted to transcribe. She went to school, and after three months she quit saying, "There is no way I'm going to work that hard for that kind of money."

I loved transcription, but any more it feels like a kick in the head.

Laughed so hard at your post, Elizabeth!! - Thanksforthelaugh

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nm

My first couple of years as a newbie & about 6 or so hours a day, - sm

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I only made about $50 a day. It depends on your line rate, the number of hours you put into it, and the type of dictators/accounts you get as well as your learning curve because those first couple of years can be difficult. Good luck to you.

From what I read on here most want 2 years experience - Lynne

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There is another site for new MTs. They talk about it frequently.

you left one thing out - Snow Bunny

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The amount of time you take off to be with your child(ren).

My suggestion is that anyone who wants to work at home "to be with my child(ren)" needs to hope they make enough to pay a babysitter, and then have someone care for the kids in their home. Grant you, you won't make any money, but at least you'll be able to totally concentrate on your job, at least for the first 1-2 years.

Well, my first couple of years, I worked inhouse. - sm

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I couldn't find an at-home job until I had some experience under my belt inhouse.

It all depends. I think I made about $7K my first year - sm - XXX

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working PT acute care. Over the years I have worked up to $18K. I have a very crazy schedule, though I am FT now. I make $1400 to $1800 a month, not every two weeks though. You will not make a lot at first. I think I averaged about $5 an hour when I first started and I had a 2-y/o and 4-y/o to deal with at the time. Get used to working while they nap and late into the night as that will be the only time you can work.

working at home as a medical transcriptionist - Gerri

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I never have understood how this type work can be done at home with small children. I guess most people's level of concentration must be better than mine. I did transcription in a hospital years ago and it took total concentration for me. I now do only Op Notes at night twice a week, and I still have to have total concentration. However, if you get the same docs over and over, you will probably know what they're going to say before they say it in some instances.

Donâ��t you understand, looks like a piece of cake - L

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I see ads showing a small child sitting on the mother's lap as the mother is working. Funny, huh - but that is the way this job is being advertised now. Easy job, just sit your kiddies down on 1 knee and transcribe a few reports, then feed the children, another report or 2, time for play time with the kids, or their nap. Well you might get 3 reports done then, remember you are new at this game and having to look up everything to make your 98% or more PLUS remember you have all those lines to make per day, no lines, no pay. Gotta prepare dinner for the little ones, bath, bedtime. What happened to those hours you said you would work, what about the lines you did not do, oh well there is always pulling the all nighter. This job for the most part does not pay experienced workers what they should have, no raises, etc. and the pay steadily dipping. I think these schools should be ashamed what they are telling these people entering this field. Complete sham on their part. Not easy to break into and then when you do making less an hour than at Walmart, oh, but I forgot, you get to stay at home.

MTing - mtlongtime

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Don't plan on making much with a child at home. Plan on working all hours of the day and night to make up for the interruptions you'll have with that small child. Don't plan on the company you work for being understanding when you cannot work because of that small child. You're best bet would try to get a small account from a doctor's office where you truly have flexible hours to work. Of course, they'll want their work back eventually.

No offense to you, I'm sure you've been given a bill of goods by your instructors, but it kind of irks me with a post like yours. Part-time gig so I can take care of my kids. If you can get someone to hire you, you're in for a surprise! Good luck.

Who cares if it irks you? - preggomt

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Lots of MTs are able to work and take care of their children. I am so thankful that I have a job where I work at home so that when I have my baby and am ready to go back to work, I won't have to put her in daycare and expose her to all those other children and germs. I know it is going to be hard at first, but other MTs have done it and so can I. OP, don't let these discouraging posts get you down. There are many MTs out there who have done it.

Not exposing kids to other kids and their germs? - Lynne

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See this is your first so good luck with that. As far as exposing kids, I was so happy when my kids started school. I had kids (they went to daycare as I worked out of the home) that went right in and did not hang onto the mother and cry like the others who were not socialized and kept at home because mommie thought best for them. One of the teachers told me she was glad for the ones who had been in daycare or else out of the home, not under mommie all the time. Your baby will be the same as others children, have germs just like the rest.

Well I was kept at home with my mom.... - preggomt

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I was not around a lot of other children until I started kindergarten and I had no problems with wanting to hang onto my mom. Neither did my brother. I do not want to have to put my baby in daycare when she is only 6 weeks old. My mom was a stay-at-home mom with my brother and me and we were so thankful for that. So you are entitle to your opinion and I am entitle to mine. You sound like a B for saying you were "so happy" when your kids started school. Sounds like you wanted to get rid of them.

I sound like a "B" for what - Lynne

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I am "entitled" to my thoughts that is for sure but there is no sense in calling people nasty names. I meant I was glad when they started school and did not have to go through the hanging onto mommie like the other kids did. Shame on you for your mouth. Maybe its the hormones working overtime but please donâ��t teach your child to be disrespectful of others.

Please rethink your plan! - Elizabeth

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You will find it easier to build a house with a fingernail file and a screwdriver than to start transcribing, AND have children in the house.

Forget about it. Isn't going to happen. I forsee you sitting at your desk, totally burned out, crying asking yourself, "Why? Why did I ever get into this industry?"

Run. Run as fast as you can, far, far away from transcription. I'm thinking hell is full of transcriptionists working for $2 a day transcribing ESLs.

well my part-time gig works out pretty darned well! - busybee

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This is not something I could do full-time since I'm not into working after my husband gets home or working during the night. Yep, there's a lot of "disillusionment" about working at home with little ones and the stuff they spout off just to get someone to take their schooling is sickening. There's a fine line sometimes of working and caring for your child. You have to balance it just so, but with the right amounts it can be done. Another thing to factor in is how well your child lets your work. Mine have always been easy to work "around." I started doing MT since my oldest was around 2-1/2 and I've had three babies since then.

Since I am PART-TIME, sure I don't make as much as full-time, but after putting a pencil to it, I'm coming out way ahead since I do not have transportation costs, daycare(figured back when I only had 2), wardrobe, eating out because I'm too darned tired, etc.

I haven't had much of a problem finding people to hire me...at least not more than anyone else. Finding the right work hours can sometimes be tricky (don't do weekends, evenings or during the night).

All FOUR of my kids have been at home with me. None of them are clingy. In fact I have more problems picking them up (from kindergarten when first starting) than I do leaving them because they don't want to leave yet. Teachers have always told me that this is a very good sign that they are very well adjusted and comfortable that mom/dad are there. All of my kids are very social.

People with experience can't find PT right now - market is flooded

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I've got experience, I don't have any kids and can concentrate totally on my job, but I still can't make squat due to being out of work all the time. I've been looking for another job for months and have no luck.

You picked the wrong time to get into this industry. The odds are stacked against newbies. But schools will keep churning them out and promising them the moon. Willing to bet 75% of newer grads from MT schools will never find lucrative work as MTs - there's no money in it any more; you can make more money as a janitor than you can in this field now.

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