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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

getting paid what (we think) we're worth

Posted By: Snow Bunny on 2005-09-30
In Reply to: I think $.07, $.075, $.08, or $.085 are all way too low for experienced MTs. - I don't.

You may chuckle at what you're being offered, but there's a possibility that the company you're applying for a position with cannot offer more than that. If they're billing the client 13 cpl but after all of the overhead (401K plans, paid time off, software programs for MTs, employer's share of the SS tax, etc), comes out 5 cpl (which leaves 8 cpl), how are they going to keep enough for company expenses (i.e. lawyers, accountants) and still pay a decent line rate to the MTs.

So, unless you have access to the accounting books and have access to the profit and loss statements, you don't really know why MTs are not offered more than they were in the late 1980s to early 1990s.




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It is time to seek you own accounts to be paid what you are worth! nm
x
Not worth it if you work your fingers to the bone and then never get paid
Good luck
What we're worth
  Right now I get $23/hour.  Seems like a lot, but where I work we're subjected to a lot of abuse.  So right now I'm starting to wish I could make more.  I only know how many minutes of dictation I do on an average day (about 130-140), but have no idea how many lines that translates to.  Wish I did know, to see if maybe I should be working somewhere else on a per-line basis.
That's because we're worth it!

My two cents, for what they're worth.
Leasing never worked out for me simply because I put too many miles on a car at that time just going back and forth to work, etc. It did, however, work out wonderfully for a friend a mine who lived about 2 miles from work, took one car trip per year, etc. In fact, she came out great at the end of her lease and leased another one. She will probably buy this outright at the end of its lease.

Now that I'm no longer traveling for work, I would very seriously consider leasing were it not for one thing. I have now built up value in my car and it's simply not the best option for me.

Two ways to look at this thing.....good luck!
You're absolutely right that we are worth more, so when are you going to stop

.


I'd hire an attorney and do a quickie divorce. They're cheap and well worth it.
If it's uncontested the attorney can help you amicably sort through what needs to be split and do it fairly and according to the laws of your state. This will avoid potential problems later.
We're usually paid by the line SM
I think MTEC is worth it, at least from what I hear.
If you're paid on production, SM
I'd very strongly recommend buying a program. Looking things up in a book takes so, so much more time, and wild card searches are the pits at very best.
If you're not paid for your time
you shouldn't account for your time.  It's none of their business if you have to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water or even load the washer or pet the cat.  They just want control which they don't want to pay for.l
Actually, no, it's poor you! You're the one who paid all the money
ha
Why does that bother you? You're getting paid to type
what is dictated. What does it matter if it is "Mrs. Smith" in paragraph 1, "Ethel" in paragraph 3, or "the patient" in the recommendations? LOLOLOL


Of course not, and that's why we're paid the BIG BUCKS to transcribe.
x
You don't care WHAT you're paid???? Gee, that's real sad........
 
Depends on where you work and how you're paid
kj
But we're not paid by bytes anymore..sm
in case you haven't heard lately, am I am being honest about it.  We're paid half of what we were paid 10 years ago, salary is going down yearly on a more or less geometric level...this is line by line, got it?
If you're paid by the hour, and not by the line, YES.
.
We're paying 9 cpl and everything transcribed plus spaces is paid for.
/
Why would they care? Management is paid salary and that's all they're concerned with.
We're an expendable commodity to those people. If we quit, we're easily replaced.
Yes. Three months paid training? That's just ridiculous unless you're working
in the office.  What service can afford to pay an MT for three months of training?
Just wait till you're 10+ years into it and getting paid half of that.
x
You're expected quota depends on whether you are paid hourly or per line. SM

I'm paid hourly and I was told the requirement was 50 or more reports per day.  I've never worked QA per line, but I'm sure their line quota is pretty high, at least 2000 or better per day, as you get credit for every line in every report you QA.


Hope this was the answer you were looking for.


What a lame excuse. Move forward on your lawsuit, cuz you're not gettin paid.
k
For QA consulting I'm paid per hour; QA instructing (college) paid salary, QA editing paid per li
I am an IC and work for two different MTSOs as well as instruct at a business college.
if mt paid 9, editor paid 4 or 5...how can company charge 14 and make it..sm

I know the going rate in our area is 14 cents per line.  As MTs most companies here pay us 8 or 9 cents a line.  Now add in the Editor rate at 4 or 5 per line..you are paying OUT more than you can charge a line.  How would companies stay in biz?


Unless all work is sent by the company overseas at pennies per line, this would not pay for a company.


just curious how this works out


But how much are the US EDs gonna be paid? Typically this work is paid at 2-3 cpl. nm
:+
You don't get paid an hourly rate you get paid by line - sm
so because of how you are paid (not an hourly rate) you don't get OT, especially if you are an IC.
I would move on. I think it is so unfair not to be paid for spaces! I think we should get paid

per keystroke, but that'll never happen.  I just think that these national companies are going to keep finding ways to cheat us.  I found a job working for a hospital as an employee, paid hourly plus incentive, and they let us expand everything!  Somebody's gonna have to kill me to make me give up this job.  I will never go back to the national's again.


I feel for you though.  I know that for us MTs those good jobs are few and far between and some have little choice but to work for the nationals.  I just happened to luck into the job I have now.  I just applied at the right time. 


Good luck to you whatever you decide.


If those companies paid a fair wage, and paid more
all came out equal, people wouldn't feel the need to try to make up the deficit by going for the good stuff. I actually prefer the harder, juicier reports. But I can't make a living doing only that, because the pay is not commensurate with the difficulty. So even though I prefer not to, sometimes I have to pick up some of the easier, more boring 'line-o-matic' reports just to make ends meet. Tell your MTSO to make it work their while, and MTs will stop taking all the easy work away that you obviously would prefer to keep for yourself.
You wont show UE being paid because it is employer paid -
the employee will never have to pay this.
What you "should" be paid and what you "are" paid

sadly are two very different things.  Good luck on demanding more..because someone else will just come along and take it for what they offer and they know it. 


10$ late if invoice is not paid within 10 days. At day 15 work stops until invoice is paid. Hardly
xx
For Pete's sake, you're not terminating a pregnancy, you're just typing a report after the
It's already been done before you even hear about it, and NOTHING changes regardless of whether you or someone else types it. Sheesh.
It's not funny when you're on a board where language is one skill you're selling.
.
Hope you're gonna have a glass of wine while you're relaxing

in your spa goodies. Congrats!


Well, you're all complaining that accounts are current and work is low, so, gee, maybe they're
focusing on WORK, as in CLIENT and transcribing, as maybe half of you should be focusing on!!
If you're experienced, try for 9cpl or higher, and you're lucky to get that! nm
s
Skip it. No one cares. Either you're good on the test or you're not.
x
You're probably right. Plus we're losing our percentage of good people by .... (sm)
allowing every loser from every 3rd world country on the planet to just stroll on into our country, some legally, most illegally, and take advantage of the social services all us hard working little gerbils pay for by having money taken out of our pay every month. But I don't think we're all lazy. Just the ones on permanent welfare driving around town in brand-new Cadillac Escalades. Saw one just today on the Bayshore Fwy. Brand-new black Escalade with expensive spinner wheels, with 5 or 6 Mexicans in it. Well, who knows - maybe they stole it and it was on its way to a chop-shop. Smart-and-hungry people aren't always hard-working and honest.
You're not going to find a word expander for free. You're going to have to pay
g
You're forgetting all the stuff you can't buy when you're UNEMPLOYED!
Unemployed people have a hard time buying anything, including cheaply made offshore products. How many will have to end up depending on public assistance? That means more tax dollars being eaten up - besides the taxes NOT being collected from the overseas workers. In the long run, are you really enjoying a lower price?
If you're on the job, ask for samples to do it how they want it. If you're testing, separate o
s
You're not losing it, you're burned out on your main job.
I feel for you... I am having my own "version" ;-) of these kinds of struggles. Lots of recent changes at the admin level have made my job do a 180, going from a really great one to a really crappy one.

For me, it's a struggle to get through the day with a shred of motivation. I get distracted in the way you discuss as well.

I just try to make my environment as comfortable as possible and make the best of it while I decide what the best way is to deal with the burnout... I figure if I can't change my inner brain workings so that I still like this job, I need to find another one, or this feeling will possibly get worse!

I hope it works out for you. Wish I had some better advice for you, but this really does look like burnout and extreme job dissatisfaction to me. We all wear it differently. Try to be good to yourself while you figure out a solution.


Don't know what you're complaint you're making with this post. sm

You stated in your original post that you don't want to work weekends or odd shifts. What is your definition of an odd shift?  Second shift?  Third shift?  Sounds like you want to work M-F on days.  Sounds kind of rigid to me. 


Personally I like second shift, so everyone working days means more work for me! 


A job worth doing is worth doing well ...
If you do not want to do your best, get another job.
But that is what I would do - worth the $.30
nm
what are your worth?

To do business at this rate, the hospital would have to be contracting the jobs themselve.  Most hospitals I am aware of, go through a service, which has overhead.  So to that 7 cents you have to add pay for management, building, utilites and all the other costs of doing business.  The services I work for charge anywhere from 11 to 13 cpl, so it really isn't any cheaper to go through a service or have your own accts from the hospital point of view.


And is it worth the $189?
It sounds quite interesting, but that's a lot of money to shell out for an expander. Do you find your production is a lot higher compared with regular word expanders?
For what it's worth...SM
I did say that in my opinion, drinking on the job, regardless of amount, was unprofessional and somewhat irresponsible. (I stated MY opinion of the SITUATION, not directed at anyone in particular.) I think most employers would agree with me on that one. You obviously do not. This topic has been discussed and removed several times now - if you don't like the "unpleasant" posts, why keep bringing it up? Do you need the validation from complete strangers?

Don't post the topic if you're not prepared to deal with multiple viewpoints. Simple as that.
Worth it?
YES! An ergonomic keyboard does take a couple of days to get used to, but I doubled my typing speed after those couple of days and do not get "tired" hands as quickly. I would strongly recommend getting one!:)
Yes, it is worth it! sm
We have VPI (Veterinary Pet Insurance--should be on the web) and it's great. You can pay monthly or all at once. It doesn't help much with the little bumps and bruises, but our boxer had a major ACL repair done and it saved us tons of money. She's worth it!