Payscale reports that the average medical transcriptionist salary in the United States is $30,182 a year and about $15.00 an hour. Oh the other hand, Indeed shows us a different perspective, that an annual medical transcriptionist average salary can be $32,000. In the end, the average salary for medical transcriptionist employees in America varies, depending on multiple factors. From location, to experience and employer, the medical transcriptionist salary range is between around $25k and $48k annually. But how do you know what is a medical transcriptionist salary you can expect? Find out below.
Medical Transcriptionist Salary Influencers
1. Industry
A medical transcriptionists salary strongly depends on their working environment or industry. Even though there aren’t clear numbers to set aside the average salary medical transcriptionist employees get from one industry to the other, here is some data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to show their prevalence in specific fields:
- 1 out of 10 individuals with medical transcriptionist training works from home.
- 21% work in the Administrative and support services
- 23% operate in offices of physicians.
- 32% work from state, local or private hospitals.
Here are a few medical transcription salaries according to employer, reported by Payscale:
- M*modal medical transcriptionist salary – $17,000 – $35,000
- Nuance Communications, Inc. medical transcription salary – $19,000 – $32,000
- The Marshfield Clinic certified medical transcriptionist salary – $30,000 – $34,000
Being self-employed or working as a medical transcriptionist from home can bring you between $24,000 and $49,000 annually, according to the same source.
2. Geographic Area
Medical transcriptionist salaries are different from state to state. While one area can provide medical transcription wages that barely exceed $25,000 a year, other states repay employees with as much as $48,000 yearly. The top-paying medical transcriptionist jobs in the United States can be found in the District of Columbia, with an annual mean wage of $48,780.
Several other states with high medical transcriptionist pay are:
- Massachusetts medical transcriptionist salary – $46,910
- Average salary of a medical transcriptionist in California – $44,000
- Washington medical transcription jobs salary – $42,790
- Average pay for medical transcriptionist in Connecticut – $41,630
- Colorado medical transcription job salary – $41,360
If you want to boost your chances of getting hired, you should consider these states for your medical transcriptionist course or future employer. They have the highest employment levels for medical transcriptions in America:
- Florida
- Texas
- California
- Pennsylvania
- New York
The states with the lowest medical transcriptionist salary estimates in the country are, according to the BLS:
- Utah – $30,850
- South Dakota – $30,840
- Louisiana – $30,540
- Arkansas – $29,920
- Mississippi – $29,590
3. Experience
Of course, experience is just as significant as any other influential factor for the average medical transcriptionist salary. The starting salary for medical transcriptionist employees (0-5 years) is $27,000. A professional with 5-10 years of experience gains $30,000 annually. Those with 10 to 20 years of experience make $33,000 a year, while medical transcriptionists in their late career (more than 20 years) are offered the average medical transcriptionist salary of $35,000.
Working Hours and Environment
The working hours for these employees strongly depends on their medical transcriptionist job description. Some can work full time, while others part time. If a medical transcriptionist works from home, they might have atypical working hours or a flexible schedule.
Transcriptionists generally work from offices, whether it is that of a physician, in a hospital or from a home office.
Medical Transcriptionist Salary by State
| State | Annual mean wage ($) |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 34250 |
| Alaska | 36590 |
| Arizona | 37490 |
| Arkansas | 29920 |
| California | 44000 |
| Colorado | 41360 |
| Connecticut | 41630 |
| Delaware | 32510 |
| District of Columbia | 48780 |
| Florida | 32840 |
| Georgia | 33120 |
| Hawaii | 32520 |
| Idaho | 34060 |
| Illinois | 35340 |
| Indiana | 34910 |
| Iowa | 32790 |
| Kansas | 31070 |
| Kentucky | 32030 |
| Louisiana | 30540 |
| Maine | 33040 |
| Maryland | 36330 |
| Massachusetts | 46910 |
| Michigan | 31760 |
| Minnesota | 36710 |
| Mississippi | 29590 |
| Missouri | 35780 |
| Montana | 31660 |
| Nebraska | 35350 |
| Nevada | 32430 |
| New Hampshire | 38110 |
| New Jersey | 40660 |
| New Mexico | 37450 |
| New York | 36950 |
| North Carolina | 34260 |
| North Dakota | 34810 |
| Ohio | 33470 |
| Oklahoma | 33980 |
| Oregon | 38540 |
| Pennsylvania | 34940 |
| Puerto Rico | 25160 |
| Rhode Island | 39290 |
| South Carolina | 35570 |
| South Dakota | 30840 |
| Tennessee | 32060 |
| Texas | 35310 |
| Utah | 30850 |
| Vermont | 37570 |
| Virginia | 31410 |
| Washington | 42790 |
| West Virginia | 30990 |
| Wisconsin | 38750 |
| Wyoming | 32150 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Bonuses and Benefit Packages
There are a few ups and downs to making a medical transcriptionist salary from home. Even though you might enjoy the flexible hours and greater pay (in some cases), you might not have any health benefits. If you plan on collaborating with a company to work from home as a medical transcriptionist, we recommend that you discuss any potential insurance plans.
All in all, about 60% of medical transcriptionists have medical benefits. Reports show that 46% receive dental insurance, while 35% get vision coverage.
Job Outlook
Clearly, the most disheartening aspect about the medical transcriptionist salary is that you might not end up getting one at all. The job outlook for this category of professionals is pretty bleak for the following years. Data from the BLS shows that medical transcriptionists will experience a decline in job opportunities until 2024, of -3%, to be precise. This is far lower than the total for all occupations in the U.S. economy, of 7%.
As technology develops, there will be more and more automated software solutions for the tasks that medical transcriptionists would normally carry out. Clinics, hospitals and offices are embracing these new forms of technology in order to cut costs and speed up the process.
What you can do as an aspiring medical transcriptionist is to work hard to get good recommendations from your clients or employer. You can relocate to a state that has more job opportunities for medical transcriptionists, like the top 5 we mentioned at the beginning of our guide. If you don’t want to move altogether, you can focus your efforts on networking with clients that operate their health businesses in these areas so you can work from home.
Conclusion
To put it in a nutshell, the medical transcriptionist salary in the U.S. is appealing for those who don’t have an extensive educational background. In order to be eligible for a medical transcriptionist salary, all you have to do is obtain a postsecondary nondegree award. This is far more accessible than the strict educational requirements for other occupations in the health and medical industry.
As an entry-level employee or candidate for a new position, you should concentrate on speed, efficiency and accuracy for gaining high performance. You need to pay great attention to the data you are transcribing, as it could have a strong impact on a patient’s case. Work closely with your employer to see how you can develop your skills for the benefit of the company. As for medical transcriptionists working from home – do your best to stick to your predefined schedule so you can get positive feedback from your employer or clients.
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