Transcription Jobs Career Ideas & Tips

Without a doubt, most of us have heard about transcriptionists before, yet transcription jobs require more than great typing skills and the ability to listen to live or recorded audio. Regardless of being an audio transcribing specialist or a total beginner, it is crucial to aim for accuracy, high speed, and to be able to produce work that meets the highest quality standards. The key is to focus on attention to detail and show the presence of excellent grammar, spelling, and punctuation skills. After all, the correct use of words is even more important for an average transcriptionist than the typing speed.

Considering all these aspects, becoming a specialist in this area is a great chance to increase your income and actually enjoy it, which is especially true with the remote transcription jobs. Since you can handle any field from medical and legislative to media studies and sports, the employment possibilities are, indeed, endless! 

What Do Sign Transcriptionists Do?

Did you know that the average time that it takes to transcribe one hour of general subject audio can result in three to four hours? This is exactly what sign transcriptionists have to achieve – to provide typed conversion of legal, technical, medical, or any other data from spoken or recorded medium format to the written word. As a rule, good typing skills are required along with personal accuracy and attention to detail. The best part is that you do not even need a college degree or certificate to start out or try your hand (literally) at this kind of work. If you can type well and excel in grammar, spelling, and good text structure skills, you already have some required background.

It is also true for transcription jobs remote style that also requires the readiness to listen and type at the same time, which can be done either with the help of video conferencing or listening to a phone conversation. However, this job often requires additional skills that often get too technical and border the knowledge of good sound engineers. If you know how to edit, cut, and improve bad audio recording and leave relevant timestamps with the notes in a file, it means that you can quickly advance to more high-paid job opportunities.

Education Requirements for Transcriber Jobs

The presence of particular education is not necessary per se, yet if a person wants to work with medical or legal transcription tasks, it becomes crucial to meet the career requirements. As an example, a person dealing with the field of healthcare must provide a relevant certificate or have an associate degree. Likewise, a transcription company hiring a specialist in legal studies must have licensure required for legal work that includes court reporting rights and certification. Since it involves critical thinking, concentration, and readiness to understand specific terms, additional training and practice are recommended.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the salaries between medical and non-medical transcription jobs vary by being $57,150 for the first and $34,770, which marks a significant difference. Now if we take some cultural or media industries like Hollywood, there are also purely technical and term-specific tasks that also require knowledge of a subject. However, a remote transcriptionist working in the field of sound engineering or video editing cannot be an employee without due background knowledge simply because they won’t be able to understand half of the technical information that is being discussed or pronounced. 

What Industries Are Suitable for Transcriptionist Job? 

Legal and court cases

It still remains the most popular area since the majority of the court hearings and legislative work require an accurate transcription. 

Healthcare & medical negotiations

It includes outsourcing work that is done for international branches of the large companies and the transcribing of several research projects where pharmacology is involved. As a rule, this field usually requires on-location services that help to eliminate any mistakes and provide additional confidentiality. 

Radio broadcasts

The radio broadcasts often relate to the most popular audio transcription jobs and are quite time-consuming since it may involve work with the hours of audio content. 

Scientific conferences & lectures

It is another reason why transcription services are so popular among people with at least some scientific background. Since they already have experience of working with large volumes of text and know the topic in question, they can safely seek employment by looking through available vacancies. 

Education and social disciplines

The pre-school teachers always require text for various audio materials that they have to be able to provide parents and children with sufficient information by using it as a reference in the reporting of educational progress. 

Data science and security

The IT field, as a rule, is always looking for those who can type fast and with great accuracy regardless if the content is taken from some video conference or the lines of code that have to be turned into a good, readable text. 

Subtitles

 It is one of the most popular and accessible remote transcriptionist jobs ever since anyone can provide at least some help by creating text subtitles for audio or video content. It is also a good chance to test your skills before you apply for a serious job. 

How Much Does an Average Transcriptionist Make in The U.S.?

According to Indeed, the salary that has been estimated from over 209 employees in the related field during the past 36 months constitutes $14.03 per hour with the lowest being at $7.25 per hour and the highest being at $39.20. As a rule, the majority of high-paid jobs relate to being a medical transcriptionist, yet it is also a field that requires specific certification and a complex screening process.

As an example, the famous Lionbridge specialist in transcribing currently earns about $12.42 per hour, which is a little bit lower than the statistical average. Nevertheless, what really matters is the number of tasks that a person receives. In most cases, the experts that work with rare subjects do not get as much work as, let’s assume, those that deal with subtitles or the lecture hall services in their remote academic transcription jobs.  

How Much is a National Average

Turning to the Glassdoor information in terms of salaries, the number is a little bit different and equals to $23,602 as the national average. It does not mention, however, the specific fields that have been used for the methodology yet offers a good perspective of career growth and a list of opportunities. 

Since this kind of work is far from new, it is safe to claim that it is stable and provides a regular income. The BLS statistics for 2017 show that an hourly payment for medical services started from $17,50, yet the annual earnings go up to $36,400, which proves that an amount of tasks completed outweighs the hourly payment when one considers that total income. 

15 Companies That Provide Transcriber Jobs

  1. GoTranscript. If you are only starting out, it is a good place to test your skills and accuracy in various fields as it does not ask for prior experience. The payments go at $0.60 per video minute. 
  2. QuickTate. This is a more serious entry that works with the likes of Ford, General Motors, and Coca-Cola. It includes a transcription of the phone calls, lectures, interviews, ads, and auditing conferences. The payments vary from $5 to $10. 
  3. SpeechPad. The great benefit of this company is that you get to work with not only the English language. If you have any linguistic background, it will be a great benefit. The topics mainly include insurance and security interviews and reports. They pay up to $1 per video minute and require 40 words per minute typing speed. 
  4. SpeakWrite. One of the best transcription services jobs providers in the legal field. Once you pass their tests, you can make up to $300 per month even as a beginner with a flexible schedule. They require English fluency and good grammar skills. 
  5. GMR Transcription. If you have a good ear for the podcasts, you can make up to $3,000 per month by working with the market research and governmental security topics. 
  6. Terescription. A good fit for those interested in working with the entertainment industry. If you have a foot pedal and can type at 70 words per minute, your salary will vary between $12 and $15 per hour of work. 
  7. 3Play Media. This company focuses on computer software and IT services. They require subtitling and translation services. If you know Spanish, it is a great benefit. The salary varies from $10 to $25 per hour. 
  8. Acusis. A company that focuses on medical services and requires 98% accuracy by providing tasks 24/7. The salary is always discussed privately, yet an average is $17 per one minute of video content. 
  9. Captionmax. Working with live events and broadcasting, this dynamic company has already proved as reliable. The payments start from $22 per hour. 
  10. Literably. If you are ready to work along with the K-8 teachers and transcribe educational materials, it is a good idea to join. You must have good grammar and a strong moral attitude. Payments go from $0.75 per minute. 
  11. Moravia. A great service for those who can transcribe foreign lyrics in musical pieces. The other job positions they currently have are related to content localization in over 170 languages. The salary depends on the language you choose. 
  12. SpectraMedi. Another great choice for those looking for a medical transcription job. It mostly deals with Pharmacology. The payments go from $19 per hour. 
  13. Telenotes. A small company that mostly works with TV broadcasts and covers topics from politics to customer relationship management and finances. Salaries vary depending on the subject.
  14. TransPerfect. A large translation company with a great background and numerous audio and video content with a great number of projects. Depending on your certificates and background, the prices can start from $15 per hour. 
  15. e-Transcription Solutions. From documentaries to scientific seminars, it is the best choice for those who like variety and are ready to work with social topics. Payments start from $2 per minute. 

Food For Thought

Transcription jobs are easy to find but if you can really get one will be determined by your skills. Before applying to one, organize your CV, complete a portfolio of past works and write a motivation letter. Be confident during your interview, demonstrate your best qualities and readiness for challenges. Good luck!

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