So another question that I get asked a lot is how much money can I make transcribing? Well, this is a great question. Starting out you can typically make $7 an hour. I know that sounds really low, but keep reading, I just want to be realistic with you about this. In transcription you are paid by how fast you are. So if you type 30 wpm, you probably might make less than $7 an hour. And it's also not just a matter of typing fast - you also have to be able to listen and write spoken language into correct sentences with punctuation.
So let me share some bad news and then some good news. The bad news is that if you have aren't too confident with your grammar and sentence structure skills, you might want to really think about going into transcription...or at least train.
The good news though is that you don't have to pay to be trained! That's really what this blog is all about. I'll be providing much of the information you need in the coming weeks for free. So please keep returning to my blog for updates.
Okay, back to the pay. So in general and legal transcription you are paid by the audio hour. That means that you are paid a flat rate for the actual length of the recording. Typically as a beginner it is not good to get paid anything less than $40/audio hour. You will find tons of places on auction sites that post jobs for $15/audio hour and $20/audio hour. Don't do it! You will end up making like $2.00/hour in the end. Why is that? I'm glad you asked.
It typically takes a transcriber who is experienced 3-4 hours to type 60 minutes of audio. So if I was being paid $40/audio hour, I'd just divide that by 3 or 4 hours and I'd get a pay rate of $10-13 an hour.
For beginners, it typically takes 6-8 hours to type 60 minutes of audio. Yup, that long guys. Don't worry, it takes a few weeks to get faster...this is a skill remember? It takes practice, so just be patient with yourselves. So anyway just do the dividing again of $40 into 6 or 8 hours and you'd get paid $6.67 to $5.00 an hour.
Now, some of you might be ready to give up. But wait, there is good news. You can easily move up to better pay with proven effort. So for example, my first contracts were low paying, but I just used those to gain experience and build my resume. Within a few months time I improved my speed (which improved my pay). I was able to build up a resume too that landed me higher paying contracts. For more experienced transcriptionists pay can range from $55-90 or more an audio hour. Some transcriptionists regularly make $20-40 an hour...and if you get your own clients you can make even more than that!
Now keep in mind that you are working. This is not just a sit at home in your pajamas job. You have to put in the work and sometimes that means long hours of work. But if you truly enjoy typing, language, and freedom of working when you want then you'll love this field!
Now that was all about general and legal transcription...here's some information on medical.
Medical transcriptionists typically get paid per line. For a beginner that will mean that you make about $0.07 cents per line. I would not recommend going lower than that for the same reasons as stated before. Your pay is determined by your speed and when you are starting out you just aren't going to be very fast. Experienced medical transcriptionists can make anywhere from $0.08 to 0.12 cents per line. unfortunately, it is getting harder to advance in the medical transcriptionist field because of outsourcing to offshore countries. If you really want to make money in this field, I would suggest that you get your own clients so that you can get paid a higher rate.
Here's an interesting article about medical transcription line pay.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Day in the Life
So just what does the day look like for an at home transcriptionist? Well, that can vary from person to person. In my case, with four kids under the age of 4, no day is "typical". It takes a lot of juggling and coordinating, but I figured I'd share with you a sample day for inquiring minds.
8:00 am to 9:00 am - Wake up. Yes, I'm a late starter. Last year I was an early riser, but with twin babies that are just starting to sleep more at night I find that I get the most sleep done during that time. So I try to catch some zzzz's when they do. They are sleeping until 9 am or 10 am on a good day (knock on wood). Elijah usually gets up first and he watches cartoons while I wake up...takes me a while.
9:00 am to 10:00 am - Ahhh, nothing like fresh brewed coffee to start the day. I love it, love it, love it. Without the much needed energy boost I would be sluggish. Transcription work as a mama of young ones has made me quite an addict! Usually during this time I get Zion dressed. She's in preschool. I give the babies a quick nursing and then it's out the door.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm - Usually I drop Zion off at school and attend class myself, depending on the day of the week. I'm finishing my degree right now. Yes, I am that busy. But I'm so close to being done so I'm pushing right on through.
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm - Lunch, playing with kids, checking email, transcribing, drinking hot tea, going for a walk, and cleaning house. There is not particular order to this part of my day. I am on "baby" time - or should I say "twin" time and "toddler" time...I actually refer to them as the "triplets" sometimes. But I manage to get things done because nap time occurs during this block of time and I can anticipate at least 2-3 hours of silence to get things done. I tackle things on an as-needed basis...meaning whatever needs to get done right away takes precedence and whatever can wait...well, it waits.
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm - Family time, dinner time. Enough said? Can't forget about the reason I try to make these busy days work.
8:00 pm to 9:30 pm - Baths and bedtime.
9:30 pm til 12 or 1 am - Work, work, work. I mostly finish up any audio that I had leftover from earlier. I try to not have too much to do because I get sloppy when I'm sleepy and miss silly things. I try to proof at night because it's quiet. Thankfully the twins are sleeping more now, so I can usually get a few hours of work in without them waking up to nurse.
Yes, this schedule is busy and jam-packed. I do change it to fit my needs. So if I need to work a little extra to make some extra cash, I get a sitter or work out things with my husband so that I can have more time to work. If I have a sick child, I adjust to work less to take care of them. I used to work a lot of overtime on the weekends, but my family complained about that a lot so I don't take on as much weekend work and just have family time.
The sky is really the limit when you work from home. You dictate what you do and when you want to do it. No "big brother" looking over your shoulder or getting write-ups for taking an extra 10 minutes on your break (gasp).
Have any more questions about how I spend my days? Feel free to ask in a comment :)
8:00 am to 9:00 am - Wake up. Yes, I'm a late starter. Last year I was an early riser, but with twin babies that are just starting to sleep more at night I find that I get the most sleep done during that time. So I try to catch some zzzz's when they do. They are sleeping until 9 am or 10 am on a good day (knock on wood). Elijah usually gets up first and he watches cartoons while I wake up...takes me a while.
9:00 am to 10:00 am - Ahhh, nothing like fresh brewed coffee to start the day. I love it, love it, love it. Without the much needed energy boost I would be sluggish. Transcription work as a mama of young ones has made me quite an addict! Usually during this time I get Zion dressed. She's in preschool. I give the babies a quick nursing and then it's out the door.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm - Usually I drop Zion off at school and attend class myself, depending on the day of the week. I'm finishing my degree right now. Yes, I am that busy. But I'm so close to being done so I'm pushing right on through.
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm - Lunch, playing with kids, checking email, transcribing, drinking hot tea, going for a walk, and cleaning house. There is not particular order to this part of my day. I am on "baby" time - or should I say "twin" time and "toddler" time...I actually refer to them as the "triplets" sometimes. But I manage to get things done because nap time occurs during this block of time and I can anticipate at least 2-3 hours of silence to get things done. I tackle things on an as-needed basis...meaning whatever needs to get done right away takes precedence and whatever can wait...well, it waits.
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm - Family time, dinner time. Enough said? Can't forget about the reason I try to make these busy days work.
8:00 pm to 9:30 pm - Baths and bedtime.
9:30 pm til 12 or 1 am - Work, work, work. I mostly finish up any audio that I had leftover from earlier. I try to not have too much to do because I get sloppy when I'm sleepy and miss silly things. I try to proof at night because it's quiet. Thankfully the twins are sleeping more now, so I can usually get a few hours of work in without them waking up to nurse.
Yes, this schedule is busy and jam-packed. I do change it to fit my needs. So if I need to work a little extra to make some extra cash, I get a sitter or work out things with my husband so that I can have more time to work. If I have a sick child, I adjust to work less to take care of them. I used to work a lot of overtime on the weekends, but my family complained about that a lot so I don't take on as much weekend work and just have family time.
The sky is really the limit when you work from home. You dictate what you do and when you want to do it. No "big brother" looking over your shoulder or getting write-ups for taking an extra 10 minutes on your break (gasp).
Have any more questions about how I spend my days? Feel free to ask in a comment :)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
My Story...
I started my journey into the world of transcription in 2006. Prior to that time I worked as a music teacher and behavioral coach, but after the birth of my beautiful daughter Zion I decided that it was best for me to try to work from home. I'm sure many of you out there understand. It is just so hard to trust your little ones with people that you don't know.
So after much research on the internet I stumbled across a few links that were mentioned in this post. I think that the key to my success early on really was just researching. I just loved to research anyway so that was really up my alley. I had fun doing it. I tried to learn as much as I could about companies to test for and maintaining a work at home business.
Another great site that I spent a lot of time on was WAHM.com. The information there was also invaluable.
So for those you wanting to get started I definitely recommend that you investigate, research, and network. These elements were all crucial to my success.
I did manage to get contracts (transcription talk for companies who subcontract out work to freelance workers) right away. In fact, one thing about transcription work is that you will find that a lot of us transcribers have many contracts at one time. We don't discriminate. It's better to have choices of who you want to work for than be stuck working for one company that suddenly has no work available, especially in this economy. But of course you shouldn't spread yourself too thin.
So my first jobs were through overflow work (helping other transcribers who needed help from time-to-time). It was a great way to get my feet wet and learn a little about the different styles of transcribing and formats.
When I got my first contract I was stoked. The pay was squat compared to what I make now, but hey you have to start somewhere.
And really from there the rest is history. I just kept typing and moving up to companies with better pay. I gained some personal clients along the way, too.
Since that time I gave birth to a few more kiddos and that just forced me to be more creative in how and when I worked. For example, I couldn't do 24-hour turnaround work as much with babies around. I also had to get very creative about when I work. I often pull late nights or work very early mornings. Of course, I try to get as much done as I can during nap time, too. The choice is mine and I love that I get to choose when I want to work and when I want to take a break.
It has been a fun yet challenging road getting to where I am today with my career. But I have learned so much and I am proud of myself for taking the steps towards something new. I am excited about where my future will take in this fields. As my kids get older and I have more time to work, I am sure things will soar.
So after much research on the internet I stumbled across a few links that were mentioned in this post. I think that the key to my success early on really was just researching. I just loved to research anyway so that was really up my alley. I had fun doing it. I tried to learn as much as I could about companies to test for and maintaining a work at home business.
Another great site that I spent a lot of time on was WAHM.com. The information there was also invaluable.
So for those you wanting to get started I definitely recommend that you investigate, research, and network. These elements were all crucial to my success.
I did manage to get contracts (transcription talk for companies who subcontract out work to freelance workers) right away. In fact, one thing about transcription work is that you will find that a lot of us transcribers have many contracts at one time. We don't discriminate. It's better to have choices of who you want to work for than be stuck working for one company that suddenly has no work available, especially in this economy. But of course you shouldn't spread yourself too thin.
So my first jobs were through overflow work (helping other transcribers who needed help from time-to-time). It was a great way to get my feet wet and learn a little about the different styles of transcribing and formats.
When I got my first contract I was stoked. The pay was squat compared to what I make now, but hey you have to start somewhere.
And really from there the rest is history. I just kept typing and moving up to companies with better pay. I gained some personal clients along the way, too.
Since that time I gave birth to a few more kiddos and that just forced me to be more creative in how and when I worked. For example, I couldn't do 24-hour turnaround work as much with babies around. I also had to get very creative about when I work. I often pull late nights or work very early mornings. Of course, I try to get as much done as I can during nap time, too. The choice is mine and I love that I get to choose when I want to work and when I want to take a break.
It has been a fun yet challenging road getting to where I am today with my career. But I have learned so much and I am proud of myself for taking the steps towards something new. I am excited about where my future will take in this fields. As my kids get older and I have more time to work, I am sure things will soar.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
First things first...
The number one thing that I am asked about transcription is how to get started. I will give you my story about how I got started one day coming up soon...promise! But until then I thought I would direct you to some key sources for transcriptionists.
I could not transcribe Express Scribe. This tool is FREE and it is what transcribers use to play audio files. It's absolutely awesome and most transcribers use it. With it you can stop, rewind, fast-forward, slow down the files, enhance the audio with special features, and so much more. If you're starting out in this field you definitely want this tool!
I also want to direct you to a forum that helped me to get started - Transcription Essentials. The information on this board will help you to get started. Just check out the forum and Basics folder - but be sure to read the rules about posting and participation. I can't thank these wonderful ladies and gentlemen (there are a few there) for their support throughout my transcription career. The networking on that site is awesome!
And I do want to reiterate from my previous post that there are different kinds of transcription and two of them do not require experience! That's right. There is more than just medical transcription. You can also get involved in general and legal transcription. If you have great grammar skills and are a fast typist then I would give it a go. There are some volunteer opportunities available on the Transcription Essentials so that you can build up resume and gain experience if you choose though.
I will be offering some other resources and references to books that I have found helpful in upcoming posts. Also, I will be offering a course to help those that are interested in getting started in this field and prefer one-on-one learning. I will give more details about that in the future as well.
Well, that is all for today. If you do have any questions about getting started please feel free to leave a comment and I will do my best to help.
I could not transcribe Express Scribe. This tool is FREE and it is what transcribers use to play audio files. It's absolutely awesome and most transcribers use it. With it you can stop, rewind, fast-forward, slow down the files, enhance the audio with special features, and so much more. If you're starting out in this field you definitely want this tool!
I also want to direct you to a forum that helped me to get started - Transcription Essentials. The information on this board will help you to get started. Just check out the forum and Basics folder - but be sure to read the rules about posting and participation. I can't thank these wonderful ladies and gentlemen (there are a few there) for their support throughout my transcription career. The networking on that site is awesome!
And I do want to reiterate from my previous post that there are different kinds of transcription and two of them do not require experience! That's right. There is more than just medical transcription. You can also get involved in general and legal transcription. If you have great grammar skills and are a fast typist then I would give it a go. There are some volunteer opportunities available on the Transcription Essentials so that you can build up resume and gain experience if you choose though.
I will be offering some other resources and references to books that I have found helpful in upcoming posts. Also, I will be offering a course to help those that are interested in getting started in this field and prefer one-on-one learning. I will give more details about that in the future as well.
Well, that is all for today. If you do have any questions about getting started please feel free to leave a comment and I will do my best to help.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Welcome
Welcome to Transcription Mama. I've been thinking about starting blog about transcription for a long time now. I am absolutely in love with my life as a transcriptionist and I love to talk about it to those who will listen. I figured that there were people out here in the virtual world who were addicts too or who were thinking about getting started in the fields themselves who wanted to see just what this transcription things is all about.
So since this is my first post I figured I would get things started with a Top 10 justification as to why I've started this blog. So here goes:
Top 10 Reasons I've Started Transcription Mama:
10. I'm a transcriber.
9. I'm a mama. In fact, I'm a mom to many. I have a blended family of 11 kids total and four of them happen to be under the age of 4. This should help.
8. I have a computer with high speed internet access...seems to be a requirement for both having a blog and transcribing.
7. I love to write. Besides transcription I have just a natural love for English, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and creative writing.
6. I type fast...90 wpm to be exact. (Not to brag or anything, lol).
5. I am good at figuring at a balance to working at home and being a mother and wife. The balance usually last a few weeks and then I have to figure out something new all over again. I've learned that routines are constantly updated with small kids at home...they are good little plan sabotagers.
4. I know a lot of places where people can find work and I want to share that information. Some of these places do not even require experience!
3. People are always asking me how to get started in transcription...with a blog about transcription I can just direct them here.
2. I can transcribe medical, legal, law enforcement, corporate, and earnings calls. I'm a "jack-of-all-trades" transcriber. Sometimes I even think about transcribing when I am listening to a person talk...like, "Hmm, he would be so nice to transcribe. Just the right pace of voice, perfect diction, grammar, doesn't stutter." Sigh.
1. I make mistakes...if I can help someone else avoid them then this is all worth it.
So with that I'm signing off for the day. Please come back and visit and I welcome comments about what you would like to see on this blog!
So since this is my first post I figured I would get things started with a Top 10 justification as to why I've started this blog. So here goes:
Top 10 Reasons I've Started Transcription Mama:
10. I'm a transcriber.
9. I'm a mama. In fact, I'm a mom to many. I have a blended family of 11 kids total and four of them happen to be under the age of 4. This should help.
8. I have a computer with high speed internet access...seems to be a requirement for both having a blog and transcribing.
7. I love to write. Besides transcription I have just a natural love for English, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and creative writing.
6. I type fast...90 wpm to be exact. (Not to brag or anything, lol).
5. I am good at figuring at a balance to working at home and being a mother and wife. The balance usually last a few weeks and then I have to figure out something new all over again. I've learned that routines are constantly updated with small kids at home...they are good little plan sabotagers.
4. I know a lot of places where people can find work and I want to share that information. Some of these places do not even require experience!
3. People are always asking me how to get started in transcription...with a blog about transcription I can just direct them here.
2. I can transcribe medical, legal, law enforcement, corporate, and earnings calls. I'm a "jack-of-all-trades" transcriber. Sometimes I even think about transcribing when I am listening to a person talk...like, "Hmm, he would be so nice to transcribe. Just the right pace of voice, perfect diction, grammar, doesn't stutter." Sigh.
1. I make mistakes...if I can help someone else avoid them then this is all worth it.
So with that I'm signing off for the day. Please come back and visit and I welcome comments about what you would like to see on this blog!
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