The Best Transcription Jobs (And How To Get Hired)

If you’re exploring the idea of working from home, you might have heard about transcription jobs.

Transcription jobs are a great place to start your work from home journey because they typically require little to no experience and pay better than some other at-home earning opportunities.

However, many people do not know what transcription is or how to get started. Fortunately for you, we’ve laid out the following guide to help you learn what transcription is, how to get started, and some of our favorite online transcription job opportunities.

What Is Transcription?

Transcription is a business service that converts spoken words to written or electronic text. People and companies that need voice recordings converted to text will often have third party resources transcribe voice to text for them rather than doing it in-house. Common industries that use transcription services are the medical field, legal industry, and other businesses.

What Is the Transcription Process?

Before you sign up for a transcription gig, it is important to understand how the whole process works.

Getting Started

The first thing you’ll do is choose a website to list your services on. For your convenience, we have listed several of our favorite transcription service websites below.

When you are deciding what website to use, pay close attention to the requirements that each has. For example, some will require that you have experience in the medical industry or medical transcription. Some websites will advertise any transcription job, and others recruit people with specific backgrounds.

Then, you’ll sign up for the service of your choice and apply for jobs that are posted. Some of the jobs are one-off needs, and other companies may try to hire you for ongoing work. It is important to know what kind of work you want to do before you get started.

Supplies You’ll Need

To work effectively from home, you will need to have a few specific tools. The first is to ensure that you have a consistent Wi-Fi connection. You should also ensure that you have a quality headset and a quiet space to work in. You may also want to purchase a foot pedal. This tool will help you increase your productivity by stopping and starting your audio without you having to take your hands off the keyboard.

Physically, you will need to ensure that you can type quickly and correctly. Additionally, you should be prepared to sit for several hours at a time.

Set Your Hours

Once you’re set with your supplies and know what kind of work you’ll do, you can start applying for gigs and earning money. You can set your hours however you’d like, and make sure that you leave ample time to get the jobs that you apply for finished.

How Much Can I Earn Doing Transcription?

Each transcription website has a slightly different pay structure. Typically, transcribers are paid per audio hour they can transcribe. Most companies’ starting pay is around $10 per hour. However, individuals with specialized skills such as medical background are paid more per hour.

As you gain more experience with transcribing, you can increase your hourly rate. Many people can earn a full-time income by doing transcription work.

Transcription Job Postings for Beginners

If you do not yet have any transcription experience, then you should look at these companies. They all hire individuals with no transcription experience.

Transcribeme

Transcribe me is one of the most popular sites due to its high-paying opportunities and low barriers to entry. Transcriptionists do not need previous experience to sign up on this site and typically earn $15-22 per audio hour.

The average monthly earnings on this site are $250; however, some people make as much as $2,200 per month.

Castingwords

CastingWords requires that applicants be 18 years or older and is a popular site as it has a very flexible work schedule. Applicants must be in one of their supporting countries or the United States.

Daily Transcription

Aberdeen

Aberdeen hires transcribers in both English and Spanish, as well as some other foreign languages. Candidates must prove that they can type at least 45 words per minute or faster, and their files are typically video files that need to be transcribed. The pay at Aberdeen starts at $12 per hour.

Babbletype

BabbleType is another of our favorites that do not require any previous experience to join. However, to be approved on this website, transcriptionists must watch a short video and pass a test. The test is designed to help users prove that they have good computer and internet skills as well as typing skills.

Go Transcript

Go Transcript transcriptionists must have strong English skills and can work from anywhere in the world. A stipulation that sets this company apart is that for every 10 minutes of video you transcribe, you have 10 hours to complete the work. The average earnings per month of a transcriptionist are $150.

Speedpad

Transcriptionists for SpeedPad earn $0.25 to $2.50 per minute and have the freedom to choose their jobs in a variety of industries. Unlike some other companies, SpeedPad does not require a minimum number of hours per month of its transcriptionists.

Accutran Global

This Canadian company is always looking for independent contractors that can work between 4 PM EST and 8 PM EST from Monday through Friday, but also accept individuals that can’t fit these hours.

To apply, you can download a packet they require that you read, then take a questionnaire and take a test. They require that a 10-minute audio file takes you no longer than an hour to complete, and transcriptionists earn up to $21 per hour.

Transcription Job Postings for Specialists

If you already have some transcription experience and want to be paid accordingly, we recommend checking out the following companies.

Verbal Ink

Verbal Ink seeks people who have a foot pedal and prefer individuals with experience. To apply, use their website to email in a resume and cover letter. They also require that transcriptionists take a test that is two, 13-minute files to transcribe.

Ubiquis

Ubiquis requires its transcriptionists to have at least one year of experience and a foot pedal. They offer roles in three different positions – general, medical, and legal. If you can type at least 40 words per minute, you can earn about $14 per hour to begin and $16 per hour if you have medical background knowledge.

Speakwrite

SpeakWrite requires not only that users have the experience, but that they can type at least 60 words per minute, are residents of the U.S. or Canada, and have a foot pedal.

Their customer base is mostly legal, government, and law enforcement sector clients, so they actively pursue transcriptionists with a background in law. Transcriptionists must work a minimum of 15 hours per month to stay employed by this service.

Should I Be a Transcriptionist?

If you think you have the skills to become a transcriptionist, then you may want to consider the pros and cons of

 Pros

There are plenty of reasons to apply to be a transcriptionist. Here are a few of our favorite things about this job:

• No experience needed. If you have not worked in transcribing before, then you can still be a transcriptionist. While you won’t earn more than your industry peers right away, you can build experience, and after a year, you can take on jobs that require more experience.
• Freedom and flexibility. Most companies allow a day or more to complete an assignment. You can complete the assignment in your own time and can typically work as much or as little as you like. This means that you can take a break when you want to and work when it is convenient for you.
• Steady Pay. Most transcription companies will pay you for your hours every week, two weeks, or each month. This means that you can look forward to a consistent paycheck if you are working consistent hours.
• You get to work from home. With this job, you do not have to worry about commuting, traffic jams, or waking up late. Instead, you simply get your work done in the time allotted.

Cons

Transcription isn’t for everyone. Here are a few things to be aware of:

• Upfront costs. If you do not have a foot pedal and a quality set of headphones, there might be some upfront costs associated with becoming a transcriptionist. However, these costs are typically very low, and you can recoup the costs after a few hours of work.
• Low hours. Not all jobs will allow you to work as much as you’d like. If you want to earn some extra cash with some extra money each month, this job might be perfect. However, if you were looking to be paid a full-time salary, you might not accomplish it being a transcriptionist.

The Bottom Line

Transcription jobs are a great way to earn an excellent hourly pay without having to leave your home. If you can type quickly and accurately, then you can monetize this skill to make money quickly. Be sure to shop around before choosing what transcription service you will work for.