...the Web's Best Job-Search Resources

Transcriptionists Job Overview

Transcriptionists listen to taped recordings of medical procedures and dictations made by doctors and other health care professionals and transcribe them into organized reports. The documents that they transcribe include discharge summaries, medical history, physical examination reports, operative reports, consultation reports, autopsy reports, diagnostic imaging studies, progress notes and referral letters. They listen to recordings on a headset, use a foot pedal to pause the recording when necessary and key the text into a personal computer or word processor, editing as necessary for grammar and clarity. They listen to the doctor’s conversation using a special machine called the Dictaphone.

Transcriptionists Schools and Degrees

Transcriptionists with post secondary training in medical transcription are preferred by employers. Such courses are offered through many vocational schools, community colleges and distance-learning programs. There are 2-year associate’s degree and 1-year certificate programs available in subjects like anatomy, medical terminology, legal issues relating to health care documentation and English. Business and vocational schools and community colleges offer one-year and two-year programs in courses of medical terminology, word processing and grammar. It is increasingly common to complete a two-year associate’s degree program before working as a transcriptionist. The AHDI awards two voluntary designations, the Registered Medical Transcriptionist and the Certified Medical Transcriptionist. Transcriptionists who are recent graduates of medical transcription educational programs, or have less than 2 years experience in acute care, may become a registered RMT.

Job Requirements

Transcriptionists should be able to understand different voices and accents and should also have a good knowledge of medical terminology. They should have some formal training beyond high school and should be able to type fast, spell correctly and use proper grammar. Familiarity with computers and word processing software is also required along with basic office skills such as accounting, keyboarding, filing and recordkeeping.

Formal accreditation is not required for medical transcription programs, but the Approval Committee for Certificate Programs and the American Health Information Management Association offers voluntary accreditation for medical transcription programs. Completion of an ACCP approved program may be required for transcriptionists seeking certification.

Nature of Work

Transcriptionists spot mistakes or inconsistencies in a medical report and check to correct the information. Their ability to understand and correctly transcribe patient assessments and treatments reduces the chance of patients receiving ineffective or harmful treatments and ensures high-quality patient care. Mostly, transcriptionists work in comfortable settings such as hospitals, physician’s offices, transcription service offices, clinics, laboratories, medical libraries or government medical facilities. They usually sit in the same position for long hours. They are prone to wrist, back, neck or eye problems because of strain. They usually work a standard 40 hours per week.

Transcriptionists Jobs and Outlook

According to research in 2006, transcriptionists held about 98,000 jobs in the U.S. That number is expected to grow by 14% over the next ten years. Employment is highest in the following industries:

• Business Support Services
• General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
• Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories
• Outpatient Care Centers
• Offices of Physicians

The mean hourly wage for transcriptionists in the US is about $15.44, while the mean annual wages are around $32,120.

Job Numbers and Growth

Nationally, there are 98,000 transcriptionists. The occupation is characterized by a low joblessness level. The unemployment rate for employees was 4% in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Looking at transcriptionists per capita, Michigan City (Indiana), Hot Springs (Arkansas), and Lewiston (Idaho) rise to the top of the list. Oxnard (California), Santa Rosa (California), and Las Vegas (Nevada) have the fewest per capita.

The highest salaries for workers are in and around San Jose (California), Bethesda (Maryland), and Santa Ana (California). The lowest-paying areas are Johnstown (Pennsylvania), Albany (Georgia), and Monroe (Louisiana).

Training and Education

Successful employees find it useful to have a postsecondary vocational award. According to recent surveys, 10% of transcriptionists had received a degree. Workers with some schooling beyond high school, but not a college degree, total about 59%. A high school degree was all that was needed for 31% of employees. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Transcriptionists working less than full time, whether by design or chance, were 23% of the total. If you have this occupation and work on your own rather than for another company, you are part of the 10% of workers who do so.

Transcriptionists by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Birmingham	$33,000	280	+5%
Dothan	$29,000	70	+149%
Florence	$25,000	50	+101%
Gadsden	$22,000	50	+214%
Huntsville	$31,000	90	-18%
Mobile	$29,000	140	+52%
Montgomery	$31,000	60	-29%
Tuscaloosa	$26,000	130	+188%

Alaska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Anchorage	$45,000	40	-54%

Arizona

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Kingman	$39,000	40	+79%
Phoenix	$36,000	1,670	+74%
Tucson	$33,000	210	+15%
Yuma	$36,000	30	+13%

Arkansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Fayetteville	$29,000	80	-25%
Fort Smith	$31,000	110	+75%
Hot Springs	$34,000	50	+201%
Jonesboro	$35,000	40	+82%
Little Rock	$30,000	300	+62%

California

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bakersfield	$34,000	120	-13%
Chico	$36,000	50	+47%
Fresno	$39,000	120	-30%
Los Angeles	$44,000	1,660	-25%
Modesto	$39,000	120	+49%
Oakland	$45,000	340	-37%
Riverside	$40,000	470	-28%
Sacramento	$42,000	480	+2%
Salinas	$49,000	70	-16%
San Diego	$43,000	370	-48%
San Francisco	$48,000	360	-33%
San Jose	$49,000	300	-39%
San Luis Obispo	$37,000	40	-14%
Santa Ana	$43,000	340	-57%
Santa Rosa	$39,000	50	-45%
Vallejo	$40,000	30	-51%
Visalia	$35,000	30	-57%

Colorado

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boulder	$34,000	130	+63%
Colorado Springs	$35,000	90	-33%
Denver	$35,000	560	-18%
Fort Collins	$34,000	130	+102%
Grand Junction	$32,000	60	+119%

Connecticut

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bridgeport	$40,000	130	-43%
Hartford	$37,000	240	-23%
New Haven	$42,000	110	-24%
Norwich	$37,000	30	-52%
Waterbury	$38,000	60	+81%

Delaware

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Dover	$32,000	40	+63%
Wilmington	$38,000	110	-37%

District of Columbia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Washington	$37,000	460	-65%

Florida

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Cape Coral	$30,000	140	+38%
Deltona	$31,000	150	+88%
Fort Lauderdale	$33,000	420	+11%
Gainesville	$27,000	80	+29%
Jacksonville	$32,000	310	-5%
Lakeland	$31,000	150	+52%
Miami	$32,000	390	-27%
Naples	$35,000	40	-30%
Ocala	$29,000	60	+37%
Orlando	$31,000	360	-35%
Palm Bay	$30,000	170	+64%
Pensacola	$32,000	90	+17%
Port St Lucie	$30,000	80	+31%
Sarasota	$32,000	130	0%
Tallahassee	$32,000	50	-40%
Tampa	$28,000	630	+1%
West Palm Beach	$30,000	240	-14%

Georgia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albany	$24,000	40	+34%
Athens	$31,000	80	+129%
Atlanta	$36,000	500	-60%
Augusta	$31,000	110	+2%
Columbus	$31,000	50	-11%
Rome	$33,000	40	+149%
Savannah	$35,000	70	-10%
Valdosta	$28,000	50	+112%

Hawaii

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Honolulu	$38,000	60	-75%

Idaho

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boise	$30,000	240	+73%
Coeur Dalene	$35,000	50	+108%
Lewiston	$34,000	90	+786%
Pocatello	$28,000	40	+194%

Illinois

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bloomington	$32,000	40	+16%
Champaign	$35,000	120	+132%
Chicago	$34,000	2,020	-2%
Peoria	$35,000	140	+57%
Rockford	$35,000	130	+79%
Springfield	$36,000	100	+83%

Indiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bloomington	$31,000	50	+46%
Elkhart	$31,000	60	+9%
Evansville	$29,000	150	+68%
Fort Wayne	$31,000	110	+2%
Gary	$31,000	230	+60%
Indianapolis	$28,000	660	+35%
Lafayette	$27,000	60	+61%
Michigan City	$31,000	50	+162%
Muncie	$29,000	40	+86%
South Bend	$29,000	90	+36%

Iowa

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Cedar Rapids	$29,000	100	+39%
Davenport	$31,000	220	+125%
Des Moines	$30,000	560	+217%
Dubuque	$27,000	40	+57%
Sioux City	$30,000	60	+68%
Waterloo	$32,000	90	+110%

Kansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Topeka	$30,000	100	+78%
Wichita	$31,000	290	+89%

Kentucky

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bowling Green	$31,000	40	+50%
Louisville	$28,000	490	+49%

Louisiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Alexandria	$27,000	70	+124%
Baton Rouge	$31,000	190	-5%
Houma	$26,000	50	+5%
Lafayette	$27,000	120	+62%
Lake Charles	$25,000	50	+13%
Monroe	$28,000	40	+6%
New Orleans	$31,000	310	+8%
Shreveport	$31,000	100	+6%

Maine

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bangor	$31,000	230	+674%
Lewiston	$31,000	120	+400%

Maryland

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Baltimore	$35,000	690	-4%
Bethesda	$51,000	170	-46%
Cumberland	$28,000	70	+312%
Hagerstown	$30,000	80	+64%
Salisbury	$34,000	40	+56%

Massachusetts

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Barnstable Town	$38,000	30	-40%
Boston	$41,000	620	-35%
Haverhill	$37,000	40	-2%
Lowell	$38,000	30	-51%
Peabody	$40,000	50	-3%
Springfield	$35,000	100	-37%
Worcester	$38,000	30	-78%

Michigan

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Ann Arbor	$34,000	140	+60%
Detroit	$32,000	300	-17%
Flint	$33,000	100	+49%
Grand Rapids	$33,000	270	+33%
Kalamazoo	$32,000	90	+28%
Lansing	$33,000	80	-23%
Muskegon	$32,000	50	+86%
Saginaw	$26,000	80	+96%
Warren	$35,000	660	+12%

Minnesota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Duluth	$36,000	140	+109%
Minneapolis	$36,000	1,530	+57%
Rochester	$41,000	430	+727%
St Cloud	$34,000	170	+252%

Mississippi

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Gulfport	$28,000	50	-8%
Hattiesburg	$27,000	60	+117%
Jackson	$31,000	260	+93%

Missouri

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Columbia	$32,000	40	+1%
Jefferson City	$30,000	40	+9%
Joplin	$28,000	60	+53%
Kansas City	$31,000	830	+50%
Springfield		150	+49%
St Louis	$34,000	790	+8%

Montana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Billings	$37,000	80	+91%
Missoula	$35,000	60	+140%

Nebraska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Lincoln	$35,000	150	+80%
Omaha	$32,000	310	+22%

Nevada

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Las Vegas	$34,000	240	-48%
Reno	$41,000	100	0%

New Hampshire

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Manchester	$36,000	120	+128%
Nashua	$36,000	40	-44%

New Jersey

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Atlantic City	$39,000	50	-33%
Camden	$34,000	290	+2%
Edison	$44,000	600	+7%
Newark	$40,000	360	-34%
Trenton	$40,000	120	0%

New Mexico

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albuquerque	$33,000	340	+64%

New York

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albany	$33,000	200	-18%
Binghamton	$39,000	50	-13%
Buffalo	$31,000	380	+27%
Elmira	$26,000	30	+70%
Nassau	$42,000	450	-35%
New York	$37,000	1,270	-55%
Poughkeepsie	$38,000	150	+14%
Rochester	$32,000	460	+68%
Syracuse	$30,000	310	+85%
Utica	$32,000	80	+25%

North Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Asheville	$32,000	250	+169%
Burlington	$36,000	30	+10%
Charlotte	$34,000	360	-23%
Durham	$36,000	50	-66%
Fayetteville	$37,000	80	+23%
Goldsboro	$30,000	40	+112%
Greensboro	$31,000	130	-32%
Greenville	$32,000	80	+141%
Hickory	$34,000	80	+5%
Raleigh	$31,000	320	+14%
Rocky Mount	$31,000	40	+43%
Wilmington	$37,000	50	-29%
Winston Salem	$34,000	220	+98%

North Dakota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bismarck	$32,000	110	+245%
Fargo	$30,000	220	+251%

Ohio

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Akron	$32,000	190	+10%
Canton	$30,000	180	+107%
Cincinnati	$31,000	590	+7%
Cleveland	$32,000	640	+15%
Columbus	$32,000	350	-30%
Dayton	$35,000	270	+31%
Lima	$30,000	70	+181%
Mansfield	$28,000	40	+62%
Sandusky	$33,000	50	+214%
Toledo	$35,000	270	+72%
Youngstown	$29,000	230	+92%

Oklahoma

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Oklahoma City	$28,000	430	+37%
Tulsa	$27,000	330	+42%

Oregon

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bend	$37,000	60	+95%
Eugene	$36,000	110	+51%
Medford	$34,000	110	+186%
Portland	$41,000	520	-7%
Salem	$37,000	110	+42%

Pennsylvania

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Allentown	$33,000	260	+40%
Altoona	$36,000	60	+104%
Erie	$32,000	100	+51%
Harrisburg	$31,000	260	+51%
Johnstown	$25,000	80	+196%
Lancaster	$34,000	200	+60%
Lebanon	$28,000	70	+227%
Philadelphia	$37,000	1,430	+37%
Pittsburgh	$32,000	1,010	+61%
Reading	$34,000	100	+15%
Scranton	$31,000	180	+29%
State College	$32,000	110	+260%
Williamsport		30	+22%
York	$34,000	120	+30%

Rhode Island

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Providence	$37,000	350	+16%

South Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Charleston	$32,000	120	-22%
Columbia	$32,000	160	-15%
Florence	$34,000	40	+2%
Greenville	$34,000	230	+43%
Myrtle Beach	$30,000	50	-10%
Spartanburg	$29,000	110	+86%

South Dakota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Rapid City	$30,000	160	+415%
Sioux Falls	$30,000	330	+358%

Tennessee

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Chattanooga	$32,000	220	+82%
Clarksville	$32,000	40	+3%
Jackson	$32,000	70	+146%
Johnson City	$29,000	120	+238%
Kingsport	$29,000	140	+125%
Knoxville	$31,000	330	+84%
Memphis	$34,000	270	-19%
Nashville	$35,000	660	+64%

Texas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Abilene	$29,000	40	+30%
Amarillo	$30,000	90	+66%
Austin	$38,000	260	-39%
Beaumont	$34,000	50	-41%
Brownsville		40	-40%
College Station	$33,000	50	+8%
Dallas	$36,000	730	-36%
El Paso	$35,000	100	-31%
Fort Worth	$40,000	270	-43%
Houston	$32,000	950	-34%
Longview	$35,000	40	-17%
Lubbock	$28,000	80	+23%
Mcallen	$29,000	60	-51%
San Angelo	$31,000	40	+107%
San Antonio	$34,000	520	+9%
Texarkana	$32,000	60	+130%
Tyler	$31,000	50	+10%
Waco	$34,000	40	-21%
Wichita Falls	$31,000	30	+13%

Utah

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Ogden	$26,000	130	+24%
Salt Lake City	$36,000	210	-36%
St George	$31,000	30	+39%

Vermont

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Burlington	$35,000	160	+181%

Virginia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Harrisonburg	$28,000	30	+11%
Lynchburg	$31,000	50	0%
Richmond	$31,000	380	+14%
Roanoke	$33,000	130	+60%
Virginia Beach	$32,000	250	-39%
Winchester	$33,000	60	+154%

Washington

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bellingham	$40,000	50	+37%
Kennewick	$39,000	60	+18%
Mount Vernon	$29,000	30	+44%
Olympia	$35,000	120	+140%
Seattle	$36,000	1,020	+33%
Spokane	$34,000	190	+76%
Wenatchee	$35,000	50	+178%

West Virginia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Charleston	$27,000	150	+99%
Huntington	$28,000	120	+106%
Morgantown	$33,000	80	+214%
Parkersburg	$29,000	60	+80%
Wheeling	$28,000	100	+215%

Wisconsin

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Appleton	$36,000	90	+53%
Eau Claire	$33,000	190	+420%
Fond	$33,000	30	+50%
Green Bay	$33,000	280	+218%
Janesville	$35,000	120	+290%
Madison	$35,000	430	+137%
Milwaukee	$36,000	990	+119%
Oshkosh	$32,000	90	+105%
Racine	$34,000	80	+117%
Wausau	$32,000	90	+177%

Wyoming

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Casper	$32,000	50	+199%
Cheyenne	$31,000	30	+51%