How To Find Home Transcription Work (And How Much You’ll Make)

Working from home with a transcription job can be a great alternative to the typical 9-5 job.

There are lots of opportunities out there across fields, industries, professions, and skill levels, so there’s something for everyone.

In this article, we’ll explain what exactly a transcriptionist does, what their salaries look like, and where to find transcription jobs.

Key Takeaways

• Transcription work can be totally flexible and completely remote.

• If you have great typing skills, transcription work can be an option for you.

• With more experience you have, the higher-paying jobs you can qualify for.

What Is a Transcriptionist?

A transcriptionist is someone who takes information from an audio or visual source and writes it down. As a profession, transcriptionists can be responsible for copying and retyping any kind of data, from lectures and videos to written materials and signs.

Today, most transcriptionists work to move materials from an analog source, like a print book, to a digital source, like typing out an ebook. A lot of the time they also work on transcribing audio files into typed notes to make the audio files more accessible.

Some types of transcriptionists and transcription work are:

• General transcriptionists

• Medical transcriptionists

• Real-time transcriptionists

How to Find Transcriptionist Jobs at Home

Like we mentioned above, there are a few ways to go about working as a transcriptionist. We’re going to give you a few ways to find transcription work for freelancers and agency transcriptionists. For freelancers, here are some popular ways to find transcription work:

• Job boards. Companies will often put out a job posting for a temporary employee or contractor to do transcription work for them. Keeping an eye on job boards, like ours, is a good way to find these opportunities.

• Word of mouth. Do you know people who work in industries that commonly use transcriptionists? Try asking around and seeing if they know of any opportunities at their companies

• Crowdsourcing platforms. Sometimes crowdsourcing platforms will have opportunities to pick up small projects and get paid. One of the most common projects on those sites is data entry and transcription. Take a look around and you’re sure to find a project you can complete in an hour or two.

If you’re looking to join a transcription agency, here are some of the places you can look for openings:

1. Rev. Rev is one of the best-known transcription companies — so well known, in fact, that new applicants may have a tough time getting in these days. You’ll have to pass a simple transcription test and grammar quiz, but once you’re hired, you can start earning between $0.30-$1+ per audio minute.

   Overall, Rev is a user-friendly platform that’s easy for beginners to get started wtih transcription. Their website lists the average monthly pay as $245.

2. Transcribe Anywhere. This is the perfect place to start if you’re new to transcription. The company offers classes and training as well as work opportunities.

3. TranscribeMe. Another great option for beginners, TranscribeMe requires its transcriptionists to pass a transcription training before getting started.

   While a standard pay rate of $0.25 per audio minute might seem low, the way TranscribeMe breaks projects into short tasks makes it an ideal choice for people who just want to earn a bit of cash here and there.

4. Babble. Also great for entry-level work, this company doesn’t have any requirements but puts employees through a training course.

5. Castingwords. You’ll find flexible work schedules and no requirements to get started at this place.

6. 3 Play Media. This company offers project-based pay rates for both English and Spanish transcription services.

7. American High Tech Transcription and Reporting. Just like the name says, you can do transcription work for some big companies when you work with this company.

8. Ubiqus. This company is a bit odd in that they pay per word instead of the industry standard of pay per audio minute. That being said, users report that the average rate usually works out to around $1 per audio minute, but it can vary a lot depending on what you’re transcribing.

   Ubiqus offers legal and medical transcription jobs, as well as general ones.

9. Cambridge Transcriptions. If you have some experience and want to work in financial or corporate transcription, this is the place for you.

10. CrowdSurf. This is a great option if you don’t have a ton of time to dedicate to transcription, but want to make some extra money. They have flexible schedules and you can work as much or as little as you want.

11. M*Modal. If you’re a qualified medical transcriptionist, this is the place for you.

12. Pioneer Transcription Services. If you’re bilingual, check out this company. They’re looking for transcription and translation services for English and Spanish projects.

13. Tigerfish. As one of the oldest transcription companies around, they’re a reliable source for any transcriptionist to find work.

14. Scribie. This company offers freelancers short audio clips of around 10 minutes or less, and you have the power of choosing your assignment. Scribie also allows you to practice their test before taking it. They also look for people who can correct automated transcripts that have mistakes.

15. Quicktate. Another company for beginners, Quicktate will help you get started and potentially promote you to their related company, iDictate, for more advanced work and salaries.

16. Cyber Dictate. Last but not least, Cyber Dictate is for people with at least 2 years of experience and a typing speed of 70 WPM, so apply if you’re already a transcription expert.

How Much Do Transcriptionists Make?

Like any freelance or home-based work, the rates for transcriptionist services vary. Most transcriptionists can make between $15 and $25 an hour when they’re just starting out and don’t have a specialization or expertise.

Some fields pay more for transcription services, like legal or medical companies. These can be more lucrative since they require more experience and training before you’re ready to be a legal transcriptionist, for the most part.

Transcriptionist salaries also depend on how you’re finding work and how your pay schedule is set up:

• If you work as a freelance or self-employed transcriptionist, you have more freedom to set your rates or apply for gigs that offer the pay you’re looking for. The downside to this is that you might have to take the occasional job below your rate to make sure you’re gaining experience and keeping your work pipeline full.

• If you’re part of a transcription company where they hire transcriptionists and assign work from larger clients, you might be stuck with a set rate. In this format, you have less freedom to choose your work, but at least you know you’ll always have that steady flow of cash.

In both of these scenarios, you can be paid in an agreed-upon lump sum for your work, hourly for your work, or by audio hour. Each of these pay schemes will impact how much money you can make as a transcriptionist.

1. A lump sum: This is where you’ll be guaranteed to get that amount of money for a project, which is a great way to help you budget. On the other hand, it can limit the money you make if it takes more time than you thought it would when setting the total amount to be paid.

2. Hourly rates: This is where you get to decide how much your time is worth and get paid for each hour you work. This can be a great way to get started, but be aware that some companies won’t be willing to work with you if you have an above-average hourly rate. As a beginner, you can start by charging around $10-$15 an hour until you gain more experience.

3. Audio hours: This is like normal hourly pay, except you get paid by the length of the audio or video you’re transcribing. So, if you had to transcribe a 10-hour long conference and it took you 20 hours to do it, you would be paid for the 10-hour audio instead of the 20 hours of work.

   Audio hourly pay rates do reflect this difference in time spent and time paid, so you’ll see numbers like $45 or $60 per audio hour, once you’re an experienced transcriptionist.

What Skills Should a Transcriptionist Have?

Let’s take a look at some of the skills the most successful transcriptionists have:

1. Listening skills. Transcription is all about taking what you hear and putting it on a page, so good listening skills are a must.

2. Fast typing. In order to keep up with what you hear and save you time, you should be a fast typist without making a lot of mistakes as you go. Try taking a typing speed test and listing it on your resume to show off your skills.

3. Attention to detail. You of course need to pay close attention to the audio you’re transcribing. But the need for a keen eye for detail is also evident when it comes to following your employer’s instructions for the project, as well as adhering to their style guide and other policies.

4. Written communication. You need to be able to take what you hear and type it out, and sometimes summarize it. If you’re a good writer, this might be a good and easy job for you to make money.

5. Independent work ethic. Like any freelance or remote work, being able to work independently is a necessary skill. Since you’ll be working from your home without colleagues around, you’ll need to be independent and resourceful.

6. Time management. Working on your own schedule is great, but only if you can keep up with your personal and professional lives. Make sure you’re setting aside appropriate amounts of time to dedicate to transcription work.

7. Research skills. At some points, you may need to look up the spelling or definition of a word to help you figure out how to transcribe something. It doesn’t hurt to know how to do this efficiently, so you don’t lose too much typing time.

8. Meeting deadlines. As an independent worker, you’ll need to stay on top of your deadlines and make sure every project is completed when it’s due. If you’re good at multitasking and juggling multiple projects at once, you should consider being a transcriptionist.

The Best Transcription Jobs

While working for or through the companies above is great for a steady stream of cash and/or getting experience, making it on your own as a transcriptionist will ultimately be more lucrative. To score you a higher rate find independent or small-time organizations like:

• Podcasters

• Law offices

• Research organizations that have small-scale transcription needs

Just remember that you’ll also be responsible for handling your business (marketing, accounting, maintaining and generating a client base, etc.), so your responsibilities will extend beyond transcription. But as a reward, you’ll have more freedom to determine the projects you work on and a higher hourly rate.

Transcription Work FAQ

1. How Flexible Is a Work-At-Home Transcription Job?

   Transcription work can be some of the most flexible opportunities to earn money out there. Since there are a few different ways to approach it, you can find transcription opportunities that fit your life.

   If you decide to work as a self-employed freelancer, you can set your hours and pick the projects you work on. You can decide when, where, and how much you’ll work when you create an agreement with the company. When you look for transcription work, you can decide which types of projects you’ll apply for and decide your work.

   Another option is to work for a transcription company. If you choose this, you’d be employed by a company to transcribe projects as they come in from the company’s clients. A positive to this setup is that you’ll have work assigned to you more regularly, plus a standardized pay rate. However, you’ll probably have less of a say in what projects you take on, what your pay rate is, and how flexible your hours are.

2. What Educational Requirements and Experience Are Necessary to Work as a Transcriptionist?

   There isn’t much that you need to be a good transcriptionist. Most jobs only ask that you have a good understanding of the language that you’re transcribing in. This includes excellent listening skills, grammar, and fast typing.

   The only educational requirement you’ll come across for a general transcriptionist is an employer asking for a high school diploma or GED, and in some cases a college degree.

   If you’re looking at specialized transcriptionist work, there may be more requirements. Financial transcriptionists may need extra accounting knowledge and medical transcriptionists usually have to complete a course specifically for medical transcription terms and procedures.

3. What Are the Other Requirements for Transcription Work?

   Other requirements for being a transcriptionist are about the environment you work in. You’ll need a computer with high-speed internet access since that’s how you’ll receive projects and complete them. Some other useful things to have around are a good pair of headphones and a quiet space to work in.

   Sometimes you’ll need specific equipment or software for a job, but the company you’re working with should either give that to you or help you get it. This could be access to the company’s online database or a specific software that the company uses.

   There’s also software, like Express Scribe (the industry standard), that can help you start, stop, and adjust the speed of audio, all while transcribing.

Author

Amanda Covaleski

Amanda is a writer with experience in various industries, including travel, real estate, and career advice. After taking on internships and entry-level jobs, she is familiar with the job search process and landing that crucial first job. Included in her experience is work at an employer/intern matching startup where she marketed an intern database to employers and supported college interns looking for work experience.