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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Terrible....can't make a living on that.

Posted By: nm on 2007-08-09
In Reply to: IC pay - need opinions - curious

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How do they make a living if they don't get paid for their
services.  I don't know that they get a percentage of the line rate, doesn't make sense that it would be like that, but I'm sure they get a flat fee.   The MT doesn't pay, the company does.  I didn't ask them about getting paid because that was none of my business.   Maybe they don't get paid unless the MT accepts a position.   A lot of companies offer referral bonuses, could be the same thing with TM.  
We have to make a freakin' living
..
and when you can't make a living anymore--sm
due to schloping American jobs to third world countries..it will be too late for ANY solution.
Can you make a living at home?

I have been an on-site MT for 15 years and have clinic-only experience in several specialties.  I am considering a change to working from home.  I am wondering if it is possible to work from home and still make good money.  Do you folks feel that you do just as well as you would working on-site? 


Does anyone really make a good living doing VR??? sm
I currently work for one of the larger MT companies that is mostly VR, platform isn't bad, but just not able to get my line count up.  I was curious if it just me or if there were MTs out there who were doing good on VR and glad they have made the switch.  Thanks. 
Oh, but its OK that the MTs barely make living wages?
Shall we feel sorry for the poor MTSOs now?  Please...buying meat past the expiration - most of this winter I had to hit the FOOD BANKS, and while working full time.
Sounds like you can make a good living, just can't
There's quite a difference.

Yes, but can we make a living with 3c/l doing the editing??? That's what I'm afraid of. nm
nm
I guarantee you, you are not the norm. Why lead someone that needs to make a living into a

situation that is getting worse all the time with lost accounts and over hiring and not knowing yet what the pay scale will be.


i am not in this for competition, just to make a living and feed my family you
insensitive b*****
You are being hypothetical while we are trying to find a co. where we can make a decent living,,,,nm
:+
Move on, girl - gotta make a living
.
I have an easy account and make a decent living.

And while you are at it, TT Management,


BITE ME!!!  You were fools to file this lawsuit.  $294.50 to lose all credibility in the MT World.  Sad, truly sad...


And many thought you were one of the good guys.


Can an MT make a decent living earning 7 cents per line


Just thought I would add my 2 cents worth.  It would be great to be paid 10-11-12-13 cents per line (as an employee not IC), but that is not a reality in this job market.  Yes, MTs will take jobs that pay 7 cents per line, but that MTSO is not necessarily underpaying or demeaning the MTs that work for them. 


 


Bottom line is that you have to do your homework because, yes, there are people who can make a living on 7 cents a line and will take those jobs.   It really depends on your skills and how dedicated you are to making your maximum possible lines per hour.  The MTSO that is offering only 7 cents a line but has easy dictators can actually pay you more per check if you type more lines per hour than an MTSO that is offering 10 cents a line but has horrible quality, ESL dictators, nasty QA, etc and you can barely type 100 lines an hour because of it. 


 


MY TIP:  When you interview, ask what the approximate minimum and maximum lines per hour that the other MTs that are doing EXACTLY the same accounts that you are going to be doing are achieving per hour/day/pay period.  If the recruiter/MTSO will not tell you that information, you probably don’t want to work there anyway so just terminate the interview before wasting any more of your time.  The slowest MTs are probably new and the ones achieving 200-250-300 lines per hour have been there a long time and know the account(s) forwards and backwards.  If you plan to make that MTSO a long-term employer, you will have a pretty good idea of what you can potentially achieve if you stay there long enough.  Don’t let them tell you the “average” of all the MTs that work for the company or what their perfect employee Suzie Q types.   We all know every account is different, so Suzie Q who just started last week and is already doing 150 lines per hour may have easier accounts than the one you are going to be working on, so that is not very representative of what your account(s) is really going to be like.  Ask specifically about the accounts you will be assigned to and don’t let them distract you.  Again, if they don’t want to tell you, terminate the interview. 


 


According to the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, in 2004 !!!, the MEDIAN hourly earnings for a Medical Transcriptionist (probably  mostly hospital and office based) in May of 2004, was $13.64 an hour. 


 


Just for reference, it seems like most MTSOs have a 6000 lines per week minimum production standard which is about 150 line per hour (40 hour week) on average for full-time MTs.   


 


·        If you are being paid 7 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (150 x 0.07) = $10.50 per hour.


 


·        If you are being paid 8 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (150 x 0.08) = $12.00 per hour. 


 


·        If you are being paid 9 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (150 x 0.09) = $13.50 per hour. 


 


·        If you are being paid 10 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (150 x 0.10) = $15.00 per hour. 


 


If you are one of the highly trained experienced MT and type 200 lines per hour on average, you are even better off. 


 


·        If you are being paid 7 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (200 x 0.07) = $14.00 per hour.


 


·        If you are being paid 8 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (200 x 0.08) = $16.00 per hour. 


 


·        If you are being paid 9 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (200 x 0.09) = $18.00 per hour. 


 


·        If you are being paid 10 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (200 x 0.10) = $20.00 per hour. 


 


 


The median hourly earnings in 2004 was $13.64 per hour.  That was almost 4 years ago.  With a minimal 2% per year cost of living/inflation increase, by 2008 the median hourly earning should be about $14.76 per hour.       


 


2004 --------- $13.64


2005 x 2% = $13.91


2006 x 2% = $14.19


2007 x 2% = $14.47


2008 x 2% = $14.76


 


So, in my humble opinion, if you are an experienced MT with 5 or more years of experience, when you call that MTSO offering 7 cents per line the accounts you will be assigned to should be easy enough so that you can make an average of 210 lines per hour within a relatively short period of time.  If they say their experienced MTs are only doing 175 to 200 lines per hour on average, that MTSO is drastically underpaying their experienced MTs and it is time for you to move on.  If they say their MTs are averaging 250 to 300 lines per hour, then that MTSO may be worth looking into further, even if their starting wage is lower than what you originally thought you should be getting paid. 


 


I think if WE ALL start doing this, the MTSOs will start to figure out that we are not going to work for companies that underpay our skills and experience.  If enough experienced MTs hang up on these companies, eventually they will figure out that the recruiters/supervisors need to be more honest with us regarding their pay structure and the difficulty of their accounts. 


 


Some food for thought !! 


 


More information from the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: 


Medical transcriptionists had median hourly earnings of $13.64 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $11.50 and $16.32. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.67, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $19.11. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of medical transcriptionists in May 2004 were:














General medical and surgical hospitals


$13.83


Offices of physicians


13.40


Business support services


13.40


 


 


If you want more information, check out the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics web page for Medical Transcriptionist. 


 


http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos271.htm


 


 


 


Looking for more opinions on Voice SYstems in Georgia. Anyone know about ability to make a living
here etc. Have already been told disorganized but would like more info.
MTSO gift to their at-home MT's who make their living for them and all the office staffs' livi

Why is it so hard to share their profits with the at-home MT's? ? ?   Give me MONEY for Christmas because so much has been taken throughout the year -- I won't it back -- or at least some of it !  I will buy my own gift or pay my light bill or buy my children/grandchildren a gift with it.


In general, the top echelon is getting so greedy at most MTSO's!   They would have nothing w/o the MT's constantly tapping those keyboards . . . and I mean it gets more and more difficult for us MT's as with each passing year to make a decent living . . . I dare say a living of any sort.  Only those MT's who have husbands to support them are happy with whatever few cents they are offered, because it is only play money for them anyway.  Hubby pays all the bills.   I guarantee you that if a poll were taken of the Happy MT's with their at-home job, it would either be hubby making living for them OR mommy not having to pay a babysitter to work outside the home.  Those in HR/management, with a little research, can easily see how our paychecks are dwindling month by month due to lower wages because ASR/VR is taking away the decent dictators and leaving only the horrible dictators (who take lots of time to transcribe a quality report), lack of cost-of-living raises, rising electricity bills at home that the MT has to pay, high-speed internet/phone bills higher and higher and loaded with taxes, rent/mortages/taxes/insurance continuously rising. 


The office staff don't have to think about those at-home costs, as theirs are paid by the MTSO during their working hours/shift, nor do they have to worry about the lack of raises, etc, because in-house employees get raises automatically with tenure or with a 6-month or annual review or at the discretion of management at any time.


Personally, my line count continues to decrease; I don't know what the reason is because in the past many years, I could transcribe 200-400 lines per hour, and I do good to transcribe 100 or 150 an hour with the horrible dictators sifted out by the VR machine Dictaphone ExText.  


Please don't yell at me -- because I am thankful for a paycheck -- but why is the burden put on my fingers to WORK HARDER AND HARDER to earn that paycheck.  Don't say try ASR/VR because it will double your income, because I have tried that and know better and have proven that theory to be wrong -- at least on Dictatphone ExSpeech you can't !


The other thief of a good line count/wage for the U.S. MT's is the majority of our work going offshore because it can get done CHEAPER !  Who is all that extra money saved by offshoring our work going to ??  Not the at-home MT.  That is exactly why I request MONEY for my Christmas gift from my employer, rather than some promo gift that is handed out to any and everyone.


MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL US MT's in the good 'ole USA !  ! !


you are right, a terrible, terrible thing it is.sm
but I won't complain too much after having made over 50,000 last year.
Isn't that what we do for a living?
That's why keyboards were invented.
They will not hire MTs living in CA or CT.
nm
How can she pay living expenses on that? nm
X
making a living

Is there anyone out there supporting themselves and able to make living with a transcription company?  i I have been wanting to make a switch but need a push.  thanks so much


making a living
I have been an independent contractor for over 20 years (MT for 30) and have 5 kids which I have raised alone with no support from their dad. I have bought my own house, have a decent car, pay all my bills and my kids have many excurricular activities (which runs into moocha dollars). Hope this answers your question.
making a living
I would definitely recommend Transtech for you, and if you are full-time, they offer you benefits, and can provide you with a computer if needed.
Decent living..

In short....the answer about Is it possible to make a decent living with them, without having to work 40 or 50 hours per week?.... NO 


This is where living in a certain state...
makes a HUGE difference in such things.  I currently pay for the insurance for my husband and I (no kids but still need family plan) through DeVenture and it costs me a brutal $136 per WEEK, and the copays for office visits and drugs are still hefty.  This is one of the main reasons so many people in this state (Maine) are uninsured...it's just too frickin' expensive
MQ looking to earn a living
With ASR making money is getting tougher and tougher. Years of transcription experience counts for nothing here.
You either need a job to fit your cost of living or a cost of living to fit your job. sm
While I agree that you cannot live in California on $35,000 a year, no one is forcing you to live in California. Suze Orman says either find a way to lower your expenses or find a way to earn more money. It's common sense :)

There was a post a few weeks ago about not everyone being cut out to be an MT. I agree.

The original poster needs to stop whining and either get a job that pays more or get a new career. She can make $15,000 on minimum wage at a mall or Walmart.

BTW, it was insulting of her to say that MOST woman don't need to work. How dare she? In this day and age, most adults need to work. This is not 1958, this is 2008. I am not a bra burner, but my husband and I both make similar money, clean the house, cook, raise our 3 children. I am just lucky to have a job where I can work from home. I hated commuting anywhere, hate traffic, no patience.

But that doesn't mean that I work less. I treat my job like a job. I work in my home office but I work all day. I do not do laundry, chat with friends, cook. I go to work each day by getting ready as if I were leaving for an office, pour my coffee, make sure I have everything I need and start. I take bathroom breaks and a lunch break and take the full hour that I would somewhere else. I work 8 full hours as I do not include my lunch hour, so my day is 8 to 5. When I am done for the day, I turn everything off, leave the room and close the door, as if I were in an outside office.

My husband has a salary of $71,000 and I make near the same as him each year. I do not work overtime except very rarely, an occasional Saturday here and there, just like if I were on salary in another profession.

I am not perfect, but I love my job and do it well. I also know that MT'ing is not for everyone, although it seems as if a lot of MT's who are not very good at their jobs have a sense of entitlement.
Try living in Delaware where the just

1,100 workers worked their last day on Friday.  What do they tell their kids.  You are worrying about a measly Christmas bonus and jealous of CEOs?  What about these auto workers? 


Have some dignity and stop with the 2-year-old me, me, me.  Be lucky you have an income and are not being told sorry this is your last day a week before the holiday season. 


No one is ever just happy they wake up in the morning these days.  It's always want, want, want... 


Not sure what us living in the same state has to do with anything. sm
Everyone's experience with a company is different. I think it just all depends on what your specific needs are. It's disheartening when I hear that other people have had a bad experience with a company that I think highly of.
It's because they are living in a falsehood.
If the person just does a one liner to sound like they are bragging, they are just trying to ruffle feathers.  Don't believe everything you read on this board.  Its anon and it is open to the public. 
Living Wage
I don't know exactly what I would call a living wage for a weekly amount. I can tell you that for my family of 5, the GOVERNMENT says that if I make less than approximately $40,000, that I qualify for various forms of government aid due to low-income status.

$40K divided by 52 weeks per year works out to about 1700 lines per day at 9 cpl.

If you're only making 5 cpl (case in point: That recent ad on the Jobs Bank!), then you would need to type 3076 lines per day in order to keep a family of five above the cut-off for food stamps and free lunches!
I think a living wage is
1 thousand dollars a week.
DSG IS TERRIBLE!!!

That is terrible.
No one should get 2 cpl.
Wow! That is terrible
That's a LOT of money. Too bad. Maybe you can sell the company and at least get some money.
That's terrible

That's terrible.  I agree that's what it is but did they come out and admit they were sending the jobs to India?


Did they say people were layed off on the spot or did they give people a few weeks/days until their last day?


Was a severence package offered? Something.


How could they do this just before the holidays.


Terrible!
Glad I didn't get hired! I did a testcall and they never got back to me. I did have to pay the bill for the hour conference call that ended up being a Canada number...that should have tipped me off.
That is terrible! Do you want to be
treated that way or worse on a job? Sounds like a stressful situation you might be getting into. It is admirable you would give 2w/notice, and any company not expecting you to do that is suspect to begin with.. there are other jobs out there, you just might want to keep looking...not telling you what to do but rather than let them ruin my day, and later my life, I personally look for a place who treat people with respect during and after the hiring process. Good Luck to you!
Terrible sm

The platform was terrible.   Too many specifics on the demographics. 


They lost an account and waited until the last minute to tell us.  When we kept running out of work, they kept giving excuses like, it's election day, it's martin luther king day, etc. 


There are plenty good, honest companies.  I would suggest looking elsewhere.


That is terrible.
I hope that doesn't scare you out of trying again; if not with this company another.  You probably should call that recruiter and tell someone what happened.  They need to know how what that manager is doing to her employees.  I doubt that company will get very far with someone like, but I don't know.  I would just let someone know what happened.  I am sure she has done it to someone else, and will probably do it again. 
terrible
I understand companies wanting to keep work in TAT, but why not be honest and just hire thousands of part-timers, because hiring MTs full-time and not having full-time work is dishonest to say the least.  A lot of companies are over-hiring and doing just this kind of thing, not just Transcend.
The pay is terrible!
I was offered a position with them a few days ago, and they sent me their pay schedule.

No matter how much experience you have, you apparently start at 0.06/line. I did't even start for that right out of school, but okay. It seems you would have to work there over two years to even get near 8 cents/line.

I need work, but I have 11 years experience, and I can't afford to work for those kind of rates. :(
VR/SR is terrible! sm msg
I do not see VR/SR taking over, even in the next decade. The result from this software is redundant text that needs extensive editing, and I mean extensive! Maybe some day but it will still need editors to fix! Right now, from what I have seen, it is a mess!
Terrible. sm
I never...ever...do less than 16,000 lines a pay period, or an average of 200 lines an hour. Today, I averaged 111 lines an hour. I ended up taking PTO and am also taking it tomorrow, so maybe others' lines will go up tomorrow, at least.

I am on both DVI and Chartnet. I signed in this morning and neither had a single report for almost 90 minutes. After that, it was back and forth constantly with only 1 or 2 here and there. My primary just moved to Chartnet (which is a great program) but at the same time, it has dried up. I have no idea why but I'm not very happy right now, to say the least.


This is terrible
.... because they have US QA's edit them. Pathetic!
I guess I'm living proof

that past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior.  Did you ever have your days in the beginning when you could have been one of their cheerleaders?  I know I did.  Yet, I still saw those unhappy posts and, rather than automatically think they were lying, instead I wondered how they got so unhappy.  I think I found the answer.


Variables in cost of living
Some states sound good, but then check out the taxes - real estate tax, personal property tax, sales tax, cost of heating/cooling, transportation, license plates, insurance, etc. A lot of it balances out in the end. Some states have outrageous license plate fees, (I paid over $600 for my car last year). I also get a personal property tax bill each year for everything including my dishes and silverware. State income tax is out of sight. Cost of heating in winter is unbelievable. I have to have 2 sets of tires for the car, 1 for winter, 1 for summer. I have to have 3 complete wardrobes for the weather changes.
living "in the sticks"
I too live where there is no DSL or cable option. I use wild blue satellite. It is fairly affordable, though more expensive than DSL, but it works great - I started out downloading with dial up, and the difference is wonderful. You can Google search wild blue to check out the service closest to you.
does anyone know the cost of living in Bangalore? I need a job... lol nm
x
Cost of Living Increases

I work for a large MTSO and after four years have not received a cost of living increase. Is this standard operating procedure? Things cost more than they did four years ago. Do you think CEO is getting the same pay as four years ago? Any thoughts?


barely making a living
Used to make a decent living but lately (past 2 years) have not. Major pay cuts in all 3 jobs (per diem to hourly and page count to line count) and big expense of benefits for single mom and 2 kids.

I sort of lost all my incentive and feel very used. Thought my salary would increase over the years (or at least stay the same), not decrease. Keep trying to get motivated but can't seem to get there.

I am currently employed by a national, benefits are $550 a month and I have no control over how my lines are being calculated, plus it is on a 74 character line, not even 65 so my lines in my pay are way lower that what the company is calculating already.

Recently tested and interviewed with another national but they pay per page (which was way less than my page rate 10 years ago) and beneftis were more than $600 a month.

Any suggestions and ways to get motivated again would be appreciated.