Medical Transcription Pay

What salary does a medical transcriptionist make?

Pay for medical transcriptionists can vary based on factors like experience, certification and even location of employment, but the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the mean annual wage for the occupation, as of May 2014, was $35,580. That said, annual salary typically ranges from $22,220 to $49,290, according to the BLS. Some of the highest paying places in the U.S. include Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., California, Washington and Connecticut.

What are the hours for a medical transcriptionist?

While medical transcriptionists often have flexibility in their work hours, there can be time demands that require documents to be returned within a specific time frame. Sometimes transcriptions must be returned in just a few hours or as many as 48 hours. Because of this, transcriptionists have to be willing to work a given period of time so they are ready to transcribe any documents that come their way. Often, an employer will pay more money for an employee who is willing to commit to being available to transcribe during a designated window of time. Other employers pay on a per line commitment basis, so they ask that the transcriptionist transcribe a set number of lines in a 24-hour period. In these situations, the employer does not necessarily have a preference of the specific hours the transcriptionist works as long as they've transcribed their number of lines within that day. An employer will typically work with skilled transcriptionists to make sure they are comfortable with their schedule.

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Is this profession in high demand?

The BLS shows that demand for medical transcriptionists will grow by 8 percent from 2012 to 2022. This may not seem like a lot, but it could result in 6,400 new positions becoming available over the decade. Driving this growth is federal legislation that has expanded access to health care for more individuals, shows the BLS. Also, concerns about patient privacy may lead more health care providers to seek medical transcriptionist services within in the country.

On the flip side, some health care providers who are looking to cut costs may use transcription services offered in other countries. In a similar vein, technological advancements, such as speech recognition software, are leading to improved efficiency, meaning services could be in less need.

Is there room for advancement in this field?

Retiring medical transcriptions will create opportunities for new medical transcriptionists to enter the field and advance. Also, medical transcriptionists who have formal education and an understanding of electronic health records (EHRs) may have some of the best opportunities for growth, according to the BLS. This is because health care organizations receiving federal reimbursement for services are now required by the government to use EHRs.

Although certification is not necessary, it may prove to be an advantage when seeking a job. The BLS shows that certification is available through the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity, which offers two types of certification: Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS) and Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist (CHDS). The CHDS is the more advanced certification and requires two or more years of work experience.


  1. Medical Transcriptionists, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Jan. 8, 2014. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-transcriptionists.htm
  2. Medical Transcriptionists, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, May 2014. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes319094.htm

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