Today the healthcare industry continues to grow due to the deterioration of healthy lifestyles in the general population. This has meant a rapid increase in the requirements for efficient management of medical records in order to track a patient’s medical history. Due to the heavy work load, rather than doing the required reporting, many doctors record their notes in a digital recording device. A Medical Transcriptionist’s role is to listen to these recordings and then update patients’ medical files with the doctor’s comments. The transcriptionist ensures records are updated correctly, with all relevant information, while saving the doctor’s time to focus on his or her patients. Time is essentially money for the doctor, and a Medical Transcriptionist salary is dependent on their abilities to accurately transcribe.
Contents
- 1 Average Medical Transcriptionist Salary
- 2 Top Paying Industries for Medical Transcriptionists
- 3 Highest Paying States for Medical Transcriptionists
- 4 Lowest Paying States for Medical Transcriptionists
- 5 Top Paying Metropolitan Cities for Medical Transcriptionist
- 6 Top Paying Non-Metropolitan Areas for Medical Transcriptionists
- 7 Highest Medical Transcriptionist Employment Level by States
- 8 Job Outlook
- 9 General Information
- 10 How to Become a Medical Transcriptionist
Average Medical Transcriptionist Salary
As a Medical Transcriptionist, the average annual salary is $35k. The lower 10th percentile had an hourly wage of almost $11, while the upper 90th percentile was $23 per hour. The median annual medical transcriptionist salary is also $35k which is quite close to the mean.
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $10.96 | $13.51 | $16.63 | $20.10 | $23.08 |
| Weekly Wage | $438 | $540 | $665 | $804 | $923 |
| Monthly Salary | $1,900 | $2,342 | $2,883 | $3,483 | $4,000 |
| Annual Salary | $22,800 | $28,100 | $34,600 | $41,800 | $48,000 |
Top Paying Industries for Medical Transcriptionists
The highest paying industry is with private companies at a salary of over $73k a year. At the number two spot is Insurance Carriers with an average of $45k per year.
| Rank | Industries | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $35.19 | $1,408 | $6,100 | $73,200 | 2,000 |
| 2 | Insurance Carriers | $21.44 | $858 | $3,717 | $44,600 | 40 |
| 3 | Specialty hospitals, State government owned | $20.63 | $825 | $3,575 | $42,900 | 30 |
| 4 | Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $19.62 | $785 | $3,400 | $40,800 | 100 |
| 5 | Home Health Care Services | $19.38 | $775 | $3,358 | $40,300 | 100 |
| 6 | Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $19.28 | $771 | $3,342 | $40,100 | 70 |
| 7 | Other Insurance Related Activities | $19.04 | $762 | $3,300 | $39,600 | 70 |
| 8 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals) | $18.85 | $754 | $3,267 | $39,200 | 500 |
| 9 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, State government owned | $18.75 | $750 | $3,250 | $39,000 | 500 |
| 10 | Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | $18.75 | $750 | $3,250 | $39,000 | 2,000 |
Highest Paying States for Medical Transcriptionists
The #1 state for the highest salary for Medical Transcriptionists is the District of Columbia at $47k. A close #2 is Massachusetts with an average annual salary of $46k. Other states with salaries over $40k include California and Connecticut. For the rest of the states, click on the medical transcriptionist salary by state.
| Rank | Salaries by States | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $22.36 | $894 | $3,875 | $46,500 | 100 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $22.07 | $883 | $3,825 | $45,900 | 1,000 |
| 3 | California | $21.30 | $852 | $3,692 | $44,300 | 4,000 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $19.57 | $783 | $3,392 | $40,700 | 700 |
| 5 | Alaska | $18.75 | $750 | $3,250 | $39,000 | 200 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $18.75 | $750 | $3,250 | $39,000 | 100 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $18.70 | $748 | $3,242 | $38,900 | 2,000 |
| 8 | Colorado | $18.70 | $748 | $3,242 | $38,900 | 1,000 |
| 9 | Delaware | $18.46 | $738 | $3,200 | $38,400 | 100 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $18.46 | $738 | $3,200 | $38,400 | 300 |
Lowest Paying States for Medical Transcriptionists
Getting an idea of states with the lowest Medical Transcriptionist salaries may help in guiding your decision on where to find work. The top three states with the worse salaries are Utah, West Virginia, and Alabama, all with an hourly wage of $14 or less.
| Rank | Salaries by States | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | $13.61 | $544 | $2,358 | $28,300 | 600 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $14.09 | $563 | $2,442 | $29,300 | 600 |
| 3 | Alabama | $14.28 | $571 | $2,475 | $29,700 | 1,000 |
| 4 | Arkansas | $14.52 | $581 | $2,517 | $30,200 | 600 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $14.71 | $588 | $2,550 | $30,600 | 1,000 |
| 6 | South Dakota | $14.71 | $588 | $2,550 | $30,600 | 600 |
| 7 | Mississippi | $14.81 | $592 | $2,567 | $30,800 | 600 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $14.81 | $592 | $2,567 | $30,800 | 700 |
| 9 | Idaho | $15.00 | $600 | $2,600 | $31,200 | 600 |
| 10 | Kentucky | $15.10 | $604 | $2,617 | $31,400 | 1,000 |
Top Paying Metropolitan Cities for Medical Transcriptionist
The best place to be a Medical Transcriptionist with regards to income is in California, particularly in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Redwood City. The average medical transcriptionist salary in this area is $53k. Do keep in mind that the standard of living is much higher in this area versus other major cities. The next two metropolitan areas with highest salaries are Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Glendale in California.
| Rank | Metropolitan Cities | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA | $25.58 | $1,023 | $4,433 | $53,200 | 100 |
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA | $23.99 | $960 | $4,158 | $49,900 | 1,000 |
| 3 | Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA | $23.70 | $948 | $4,108 | $49,300 | 700 |
| 4 | Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $22.31 | $892 | $3,867 | $46,400 | N/A |
| 5 | Peabody, MA | $21.78 | $871 | $3,775 | $45,300 | 40 |
| 6 | Lawrence-Methuen-Salem, MA-NH | $21.78 | $871 | $3,775 | $45,300 | 60 |
| 7 | Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA | $21.11 | $844 | $3,658 | $43,900 | 300 |
| 8 | Nassau-Suffolk, NY | $20.77 | $831 | $3,600 | $43,200 | 500 |
| 9 | Newark-Union, NJ-PA | $20.67 | $827 | $3,583 | $43,000 | 400 |
| 10 | New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ | $20.19 | $808 | $3,500 | $42,000 | 2,000 |
Top Paying Non-Metropolitan Areas for Medical Transcriptionists
On average, non-metropolitan areas do not pay nearly as much as much larger cities such as San Francisco. This may be a great alternative for those looking for a calmer and more affordable place to live. With that said, the best non-metropolitan area to be a Medical Transcriptionist is in Western Colorado at $41k a year. Second is Other New Hampshire with an average annual wage of $41k.
| Rank | Non-Metropolitan Areas | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Colorado | $19.57 | $783 | $3,392 | $40,700 | 50 |
| 2 | Other New Hampshire | $19.47 | $779 | $3,375 | $40,500 | 40 |
| 3 | North Georgia | $18.80 | $752 | $3,258 | $39,100 | 40 |
| 4 | Southwestern Washington | $18.32 | $733 | $3,175 | $38,100 | 80 |
| 5 | North Central Oregon | $18.22 | $729 | $3,158 | $37,900 | 50 |
| 6 | Coastal Oregon | $17.93 | $717 | $3,108 | $37,300 | 60 |
| 7 | Hawaii / Maui / Kauai | $17.88 | $715 | $3,100 | $37,200 | 40 |
| 8 | Southwestern Wisconsin | $17.74 | $710 | $3,075 | $36,900 | 40 |
| 9 | Southern Vermont | $17.69 | $708 | $3,067 | $36,800 | 100 |
| 10 | Northern Vermont | $17.64 | $706 | $3,058 | $36,700 | 60 |
Highest Medical Transcriptionist Employment Level by States
All top five most employed places for Medical Transcriptionists had 4k or more professionals. In order, the top states are Florida, Pennsylvania, New York and California.
| Rank | States | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | $15.58 | $623 | $2,700 | $32,400 | 5,000 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $16.35 | $654 | $2,833 | $34,000 | 4,000 |
| 3 | New York | $18.08 | $723 | $3,133 | $37,600 | 4,000 |
| 4 | California | $21.30 | $852 | $3,692 | $44,300 | 4,000 |
| 5 | Texas | $16.68 | $667 | $2,892 | $34,700 | 4,000 |
| 6 | Ohio | $15.63 | $625 | $2,708 | $32,500 | 3,000 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $17.60 | $704 | $3,050 | $36,600 | 3,000 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $17.64 | $706 | $3,058 | $36,700 | 3,000 |
| 9 | Michigan | $16.73 | $669 | $2,900 | $34,800 | 2,000 |
| 10 | Virginia | $15.87 | $635 | $2,750 | $33,000 | 2,000 |
Job Outlook
Medical transcriptionists are already quite plentiful in number. There are currently over 84,000 employed and it is expected to grow 8% over the next ten years. This is slightly slower than the 11% of all professions.
| Employment Projections Data Medical Transcriptionist, 2012-2022 | |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2012 | 84,100 |
| Projected Employment, 2022 | 90,500 |
| Employment Difference: | 6,400 |
| Medical Transcriptionists | 8% |
| Other healthcare support occupations | 23% |
| Total, All Occupations | 11% |
Source: Bureau of Labor and Statistics
General Information
Medical Transcriptionists generally have a lot of work flexibility and can work both in an office setting or at home based on the requirements. Employment can be obtained directly with health care offices or through companies that provide transcription services to the health industry. Alternatively based on the level of skill, transcriptionists can also work as independent consultants who hire themselves out on a contract basis. The more hours, the higher the Medical Transcriptionist salary will be. Due to this, transcriptionists can choose to work as many hours as they wish, though high quality work is mandatory and delivery time has to be quick and punctual. This is important as doctor’s comments have to be transcribed accurately and updated generally in 1-2 days to cover any patient follow-up that might be needed.
How to Become a Medical Transcriptionist
The basic requirements for the job include very good typing skills, error free transcription which is key and good knowledge of medical terms. Training can be obtained in a number ways based on your situation.
You can choose to pursue a formal two-year associate degree, a one year diploma program, or even take a one year medical transcription course from a vocational or online school. It is necessary to ensure that the programs are accredited by the Approval Committee on Certificate programs run by the American Healthcare Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI).
These training programs will teach you the AMMT Book Style which is the main industry format used for medical transcription. You must ensure that the courses also cover basic medicine such as anatomy, pathology and pharmacology so that you will be familiar with doctors’ terminologies.
If you want to improve your professional qualification you can obtain certification as a Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) or a Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMD) which is offered by AHDI.
You generally pursue an RMT certification if you have recently joined the profession in the last two years. It demonstrates that you meet the basic qualifications for a Medical Transcriptionist. This is very beneficial for newcomers who do not have extensive professional experience and are looking to get opportunities in the field that will pay a decent average salary.
If you are already an experienced transcriptionist you can then pursue the CMD certification which will demonstrate your higher level of qualifications, as well as basic knowledge of a variety of medical specialties allowing you to increase your medical transcriptionist salary. A CMD certification will provide higher paying positions as well as offer professional growth in terms of managerial positions. Additionally you can apply to join the AHDI so you can network with medical transcription practitioners for professional development in your field, as well as for future work requirements.