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

Job Offers: 0.04 / 0.05 cents per line - Searching For Work

Posted: Jul 30, 2010

Hello all.. this will be my first real job.. I've applied at several places, taken the tests, sent in resumes... and now I'm getting calls with job offers.

These people are company owners who sound very nice and legitimate, but what I'm being offered sounds pretty low. The first company says: 0.04 cents per line, and the second one says they pay 0.05 cents. The second company says they pay by the "byte" rather than by the line. You take the total number of bytes in the file, divide by 60 and then multiply that by 0.05. I was told that there is never any possibility of any pay raises.. that the way you get your increase in pay, is to type faster.

So, as a newbie, I need to know what I should be thinking here.

Is this reasonable? Or should I keep looking?

I didn't think it would be this difficult getting my foot in the door. Most of the places I've contacted will not even look at a resume unless you have prior experience. I'm thinking I may have to take one of these positions just to get the experience.

I just wanted to see what others out there in the MT world thought......

Any insight / advice, would be much appreciated!

personally, I would keep looking - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I have 2 jobs right now at 6 cents a line, so I would hold out for at least that. I am still a newbie, graduated a year ago with 94% which is a pretty low grade (I had a few bad grades in the beginning, and the later good grades couldn't help my overall GPA), and within 3 months I got a job for 6 cents a line. After 9 months I got a second job for the same pay. Surely you can, too. If you had a better GPA than I did, hold out for more.

Searching for Work - Nick

[ In Reply To ..]
I am really sorry that you are having to job search in this market at this time. While the general economy is bad, MT has taken an especially hard hit due to offshoring and various other changes in our industry. Only you can say what you will accept; I would never accept the wages you are being offered. Clerks in most grocery store chains are unionized; in California they make $20+ per hour as a minimum. I do not think you will begin to approach that figure with what they are offering. It is, of course, up to you. Frankly, if I did not have family to support, I would walk away from transcription TODAY. What it has become is truly out of control, with the cards all in the hands of the corporate people. It may be that you will find some good, smaller company (or individual MTSO) who will give you a chance. This is likely to be your best hope. I know that the company I work for (a mid-sized national) will not even grant an interview unless the applicant has a minimum of five years of recent experience in acute care. (Clinical does not count.) But then, who knows? There are always those who can beat the odds and succeed despite obstacles and challenges. Perhaps this will be you. Just know going in what the MT industry has become, go into it with eyes wide open, and don't sell yourself short. My very best wishes to you. I hope you can find a good position that reflects what you are worth.

.05 per line - jeannieb

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm a newbie who graduated in May. I was offered a job at .05 per line. My instructor told me that's fairly normal in today's world. I don't know if we're giving our work away, but I took the job since my instructor told me it makes sense to her.

Jeannieb - Been around

[ In Reply To ..]
Why did you let your instructor do your thinking for you? Accepting so little a cpl sets a bad precedent--not only for you--but for the whole profession. If we do not stand up for what we are worth, we will be paid at rates that are far too low.

Newbies need the experience. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
New MTs need to take lower paying jobs to pay for their QA. I'm sorry that sounds like they are taking less but really are worth more. If you have experience and can easily get a job, all well and good. Go ahead and feel free to make demands. However, if a new MT can land a first job and gain some experience, then all is well.

A new MT is only worth 5 cpl if they need everything gone over with a fine tooth comb. In my opinion, QA for newbs is what is underpaid, not the newbs themselves.

As a new MT, you must put in time to make yourself marketable to these companies.

Finally, I would be pretty upset if a brand new MT came in at my CPL rate when I have 25+ years in this field and a lot more to offer a company than a new MT that requires mentored, etc.

Re: Newbies need the experience - Nick

[ In Reply To ..]
I do agree with you that newbies need the experience; however, my concern is that s/he will be stuck forevermore at that low entrance cpl. How often do you suppose she is going to get a raise as she becomes more proficient?

I would - take the job

[ In Reply To ..]
to get the foot in the door. The company I used to work for paid 0.055 cents per line and wanted to lower it to 0.049 because I was still on QA after a month of working for them. Needless to say that I quit.

I was offered a job with another company that pays a lot more, and I will be starting my new job next week.

Line rates - Jeanine

[ In Reply To ..]
The problem here is what transcription is paying no matter what experience you have.

No, a new MT should NOT be paid what an experienced one is. That is unfair to the experienced MT. However, a new MT with proper training is not an idiot -- he/she just needs experience in the field as with ANY profession and many professions offer a lower salary to someone new until they become proficient.

Now experienced MTs are NOT making what they should; therefore, there is not much of a discrepancy between what new MTs are offered and what experienced MTs are offered. But the current state of the economy in large part plays a role in what companies can offer either one.

There is no way to adequately judge pay equal to experience. There are too many variables--how many dictators, ESLs?, how many worktypes, difficulty of subject matter, speed of production, etc. In a perfect world an average figure should be considered first and then the individual's own experience and abilities considered (as is done with many jobs) and then a monetary offer considered both by the hiring company and the MT.

Bottom line though: Experience WON'T hurt you. If the docs won't pay more the MTSO can't get more so the MT can't get more. And these days, the docs are considering whether to even stay in practice with the "great unknown" healthcare bill possibly going into effect -- who knows what will happen as this goes into practice and how many docs will even be out there to transcribe for? Many in my geographic area say they will retire if the bill is implemented.

If offshoring is highly taxed, docs won't be able to insist on low rates for transcription so (hopefully) the MTSOs will make more and then we can demand more as there may be jobs aplenty and this is where experience WILL really pay off for all MTs. However, it is uncertain if this is the scenario we will be facing.

In my case, I have 6 years' experience. I've worked ANY specialty I could get and took pay which was VERY low just to learn. Now I am being offered jobs at a higher line rate precisely because of that experience. I'm still not paid "well" (not what I am worth) but I don't know how many MTs these days can say that they are. And on par, transcription pays WAY BELOW what other jobs pay and we work often twice as hard as others as we are paid on production instead of hourly.

If the economy weren't so bad, I'd be looking for another job BUT I would still do transcription on the side because, as said above, if offshoring becomes a major issue in the next year or so, I think this field may do a turnaround.

Americans on the whole are waking up to the fact that we have offshored way too much causing us to lose jobs and that fact has never hit home with as much impact as is happening now. God willing (and I mean that literally) in the year(s) to come we may find ourselves in demand again and our experience truly valued and properly compensated. Until then, it is up to every MT to decide whether to stick it out or not, accept a low line rate or not, as it is up to every MTSO to do the same.

Knowledge never hurts and you can use your experience gained in transcription to go into nursing or some other medical field if you choose. But also, you can't get blood from a turnip as it goes. If the money isn't there to pay us we can't demand more. I just lost a GREAT job because the docs were told by upper management of all clinics involved to use a national service to standardize their billing/cut costs. I'm taking a huge cut in pay because I want to hang in there hoping better times are coming. I'm also developing a sideline business in case transcription further tanks and never recovers.

If I were an MTSO and the docs wouldn't pay well, it would only be fair for me to offer an experienced MT as much as I possibly could and so I more than likely would not be able to offer a newbie more than you are being offered. That's just how it is these days. It would be the only way to be fair to the "experienced" MTs. BUT if the newbie was good and continued to improve with time, his/her pay would be increased accordingly to as much as I could offer as he/she became an "experienced" MT as well.

As I started out saying, unfortunately there is not much of a distance between what an "experienced" MT is making these days versus a newbie and the pay is not fair to either one.

So please consider these things. Transcription is NOT a reliable field at the moment. Try to understand the risks involved with investing your time and energy into something that may or may not profit you (for transcription)while you look at the big picture of the transcription industry and your own personal circumstances and then make your decision.

It is my opinion we won't really know what is ahead for transcription until after the elections in November and 2012 especially and what this healthcare bill will do to the field of medicine as a whole if/as/it is implemented. Whether it is worth pursuing or remaining in the profession at the current pay rates AT THIS TIME has to be an individual decision. Everyone in the field of medicine especially but also as in every other profession is in a "wait and see" mode. Increased taxes could be devastating to many "too big to fail" transcription companies as well as small MTSOs but you can always use your knowledge gained and experience in other branches of medicine if you choose. This is one "benefit" our profession offers which can't be taken away.

Haven't been around - jeannieb

[ In Reply To ..]
I took the job because I need it. I don't think my instructor did my thinking. She gave me advice. I think she might know a bit more than me about MT rates after being an MT for almost 30 years! How much are you earning?

Jeannieb - Been around

[ In Reply To ..]
What I am earning is irrelevant to the situation and really no one's business but my own. However, it is several cpl more than 5 cpl. This thread isn't about me. It is about people not selling themselves out for too little money. I have never done that. Enough said.

Been around reply - jeannieb

[ In Reply To ..]
Get into the real world. Jobs are difficult to find. What I am willing to accept as pay is no one's business but mine.

if only! - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
.

Been around 2 - Kelli

[ In Reply To ..]
I hate to break it to you, but MTs are not setting the standards in regards to pay...the industry itself is.

No one should feel guilty for taking a job when a job is sorely needed...no matter how much it pays!

Supply and demand sets the rates - LK

[ In Reply To ..]
Like any other industry, supply and demand dictates what is paid. There is an oversupply of MTs competing for jobs, and for this reason they are willing to take less money. When MTs are in short supply, companies must pay more. It's that simple, really. As long MTs are flooding the market looking for work, MTSOs can continue to lower the rates they pay.

underpaid - 4 ever

[ In Reply To ..]
Is it my imagination, or do transcriptionists have less flexibility than most workers in transferring to another profession? If that is the case, there will continue to be an oversupply of transcriptionists, and wages will continue to go down. MTs seem to be less reactive to drastically lower wages than other workers. Complaining and suffering, yes, but switching careers, no. The whole package of skills, demographics and personality does not lend itself to changing careers. Is that just MTs or is it human nature? Do we really love transcription that much? Are we that locked into our careers?

I hate to say this, but - LK

[ In Reply To ..]
It's probably because most of us are women. I think women are more likely to not take action when in a bad job situation. Not all women, just very generally speaking. Another big factor is the current economy. It's difficult for anyone to change jobs right now. A third factor is the fact that most of us are home-based, and I think some of us have a bit of a fear of venturing outside to work, just because we've gotten so comfortable at home. The complaining and suffering part gets pretty annoying to me personally. I'm a strong believer in picking yourself up by the bootstraps and bettering your situation, no matter what it takes. Too many people seem to be afraid of change.

equal rights - for newbies!!

[ In Reply To ..]
Everywhere I've worked (newbie status, all the way through burned out), I have always been paid the same rate as everyone else. I have never gotten a raise in 20 years at anyplace I worked. THAT is a hoot-- to think that you will be paid more CPL at some point. It doesn't happen. Newbies create their own "lower wages" by having to stop to look up everything. They get raises by getting faster, as they get more experience. It is a SCAM to pay them less. Pay QA more, as someone suggested above.

MT Group Plan.... ? - Helichrysum

[ In Reply To ..]
Well, there are tons of "middle-man" companies out there. These companies have to get a good bit of the profit, you know....
They have expenses... probably a building, rent, utilities... and then.. they have to figure out how much they can pay their MTs... probably not much....or as little as possible to stay in business and keep MTs on staff...
So what if....
What if MTs pooled together resources, and united to form their own "business" so to speak?
What I mean..is, approach hospitals / clinics / etc, just like the big companies do, and let the MTs in the "group" work the accounts. Someone has to be in charge of it all, so lets say, each MT pays 1-2cpl of what they earn, as dues, to keep the thing running?
Does this make any sense, or do I sound like a crazy person? LOL
What I am proposing, is that if we form a team of experienced / non-experienced alike...why couldn't we by-pass these companies who are taking so much of our salary? Why not take things into our own hands, instead of griping about how low wages have gone? Is this a possibility?

One word - IRS - Crazy

[ In Reply To ..]

You do realize you just suggested starting your own MTSO with all its IRS nightmares, HITECH, HIPAA, equipment, QA and EGOs that go along with it. Good try, but IMO, no cigar.

Got a good laugh though.

Thanks.

I have never heard of 0.05 cpl - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
The lowest I have ever seen is 0.06 cpl. If they are quoting low then it sounds like they know you are new. Be careful of these companies and check the company board often.

Knowing You are New - helichrysum

[ In Reply To ..]
Well, they are obviously going to know you are new when they see your resume. They are going to know how many years (if any) experience you have had...so there is no way around this. I am assuming they know you are going to take what you can get, at first.

One guy said he pays 0.04 cents, and NEVER gives any type of pay raise, no matter how long you are with the company, or how good you are.

I'm not liking what I'm hearing out there...I was hoping to be able to earn more (I am new also)....and so far, all of the jobs I've seen who are hiring newbies are paying no more than 4/5 cents per line.

This is depressing. But I guess you have to start somewhere? I could always refuse the work, but how long can I refuse the work, when I really need to be working?

Are there any good online sites to stay up-to-date with new job offers?

4 cpl???? Unbelievable. - LK

[ In Reply To ..]
What's the point of even working? Before long, these companies will want new MTs to pay THEM for the privilege of being able to work. This is just unbelievably sad. I honestly don't know what to say.

There has been a world of change since I graduated as a newbie 5 years ago. I had a job straight out of school at 7.5 cpl, making 9 to 10 cpl six months later with incentive. The company gave me 2 weeks paid training and assigned me to a mentor who helped me every step of the way for several months. I got a great start and actually got a decent paycheck withing a few months. Has it really changed that much in just 5 years? So sad. This is obviously not a good time to be entering this field.

it really has changed that much - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I decided I would go into MT in 2006, enrolled in 2007. At that time I wasn't seeing a lot of negative information online, not enough to worry me. Within 6 months, everything blew up all of a sudden and the MT industry was completely changed.

I can't believe my meager 6 cents a line looks good compared to what other newbies are being offered, and I've only worked a little under a year.

on-line sites - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I have been looking for a long, long time for a job and cannot find one, but I do check Indeed.com for a post and also MTjobs.com

beginning pay - Becky

[ In Reply To ..]
My first job was 5 cpl. I worked there for 4 years and got faster. I got up to 7 cpl with this company. When I realized I go no higher there after 4 hours, I switched. I now make 8.5 cpl and LOVE my job/company. I think it is great when newbies can start off making better than 5 cpl, but the reality is they need the experience, foot in the door, and can almost always do better after a little time. If you can afford to be picky and wait, do so. If not, start with the 5 cpl and gain experience. It is hard to get good money in this field without time, but with time, it is very possible. Good luck.

CORRECTION - Becky

[ In Reply To ..]
Forgive my first post...I didn't proof it first. When I realized I would go no higher after 4 years...that's what I meant to type!

Newbie Here - NewMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Keep looking. I graduated in April and was hired within two weeks making 7.5 cpl. I have been there almost four months, but after 90 days, they gave me a raise to 8 cpl. We also get paid sick time, paid vacation, and paid holidays. Benefits are available, and schedules are flexible (you turn in your schedule every week). They always have an abundance of work (more than they would like really). I know I got incredibly lucky. They told me when they hired me that they don't hire anyone without several years of experience, but they gave me a chance and they are pleased. Oh, and they started me at $12/hour for training, which is also my rate for holidays, etc. FYI, I get paid less than their experienced workers, so they must get paid well! And to top it off, the account manager and boss are awesome to work for. Don't sell yourself short for those low rates.

Good for you - sm - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
But, how do you suppose those of us with 20-30 years of experience feel when we are offered the same line rate as the new MTs? 8 cpl or $12 an hour might seem like a lot of money to you but it is an insult to many more experienced MTs. I know this is not your problem, I'm just telling you how it is for a lot of people.

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