line rate

• Need advice on line rate - Tomatoe
  • From my typing school days - (sm)
    • Yes, same with me, a word is/was considered - sm - Laura E.
  • line rate - MT
    • Better get that confirmed... - pdqtrans
      • Yes, this does make sense... - Tomatoe

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I have someone asking me what line rate I would be willing to work at on a 13 words per line basis, and I have no idea what to answer. Can someone please give me some advice on this?

Thank you!

Can anyone tell me the going rate per line for employee status?  I am currently IC, but looking for employment.  Any help appreciated. - Newbie!

I am thinking about going to one of the top 2 schools.  If I graduate and am hired as a FT employee by one of the nationals, what do you think would be a reasonable/average rate of pay per line? 

I am trying to get an image of what my finances might look like in the year following graduation. I need to sell this idea to my husband as it is a considerable financial outlay and I need to assure him it will be worth it.  I assume I will have a minimum line count per pay period (say 10-12,000 every 2 weeks).  Is it reasonable to think that after a month or two on the job FT a newbie from a good school could possibly make 120-150lph production?

Thanks for any feedback.

I'm a student MT who will graduate in May. Right now at my current job I make $15/hour. I decided to become a MT for a career change. I'm worried after reading the post below that new MTs can start out between $5 to $9 an hour? I just don't understand why anyone would take that as acceptable pay as an MT when it is a obviously an important job. Don't we deserve more than that, even as a new MT? Minimum wage in my state is $8.07/hour, why would anyone accept less? 

I just could not let this pass unanswered.

What you forgot to mention Dianne is that you also paid for the online course and some great Instructors.  I should know, I graduated earier this year and I had two job offers within two weeks.  They really know how to teach MT!

One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch.

Brenda

I respect what each of you have written.  Many benefits that this job gives us ARE truly priceless.  But that is beside the fact. 

If the companies keep seeing people posting here saying that they essentially are willing to trade decent pay for these benefits, then that pulls EVERYONE down to a lower level of pay -- which includes people such as myself who have this as their only income.  There is no incentive to companies to even CONSIDER paying us more if we basically tell them give us our candy and we'll be good little kids and then let them walk all over us.  We can't demand higher pay and say we're satisfied with what we have at the same time. 

For some of you the pay may be just fine.  You have husbands or savings or family, etc.  There are others who MUST make a living at this for one reason or another and MUST make as much as they can.  Some of us are caregivers, some have disabilities, some are trying to attend school, etc.  It hurts us when people make compromises and send that message to the MTSOs. 

I've said it before and I will keep saying it -- anyone who works from home can have the benefits you mentioned but they also deserve a decent salary for their work.  They are two completely different things.  No home accountant, dentist, car repairman, electician, physician with office in their home, lawyer with office in their home -- you think they lower their rates because they have the above-mentioned benefits?  Think again.  I use quite a few of them and they charge no less than anyone else. 

Working from home = good for the employee/IC.

Working from home with decent pay = good for the employee/IC and just as well. (as in "justice.")

Working from home for less pay just to get to work from home = a compromise that affects more than just a few and overall not a sound decision because you are not fighting for what you are worth (whether you feel you need it or not).   You are letting emotions override reason.  Yes, there are savings in gas, etc. but we still deserve more money. 

People who take public transportation to a job outside their home save money in gas too but they are not paid a lower wage because they take the bus or ride the metro!  People who wear uniforms are not paid a lower wage because they don't have to get dressed up!  People who are allowed to bring their kids to work (I worked for such a firm) are not paid a lower wage because they can bring their kids to work.  So what makes that acceptable for us?

Same goes for the question of benefits.  You may not need them.  Others do.  It matters very much what a company's benefits are.  Good for those who don't have to worry about it.  They can decline.  But all of us should be offered the best so that those of us who do need them can afford them.   

And if you reply, well, if you don't like a company you can change jobs, it's not about that either.  It's about the salary range overall for the transcription profession period.  Benefits come second and are an entirely different category.  The standard of pay affects each and every one of us from the most experienced to the newest newbie.  Benefits affect some of us but they ARE important and are also worth fighting for.  If you don't need them, there are enough who do.  

Companies watch one another.  They watch this board to see what we want.  They watch this board to see how little they can give us and still retain us.  Right now we have people saying "unionize!" and others saying "It's okay.  I get to stay home which is something I'm willing to take less pay for."  You honestly think the MTSOs are taking us seriously??? 

Look, I'm not trying to come down on you -- good for you for what you are able to have.  I'm glad for you.  Just please look at the overall picture, look at us as a group of professionals who deserve what any professional deserves working from home or not.  Why should we be treated any differently?  Why should we make compromises?  You are deserving of a decent, living wage and all the benefits a company can give period.  Anything else is icing on the cake.  At least, it is in other professions.  Let's NOT be "specialists" in compromising.

Are we a team or not?  We're giving the MTSOs mixed messages here folks!  Let's look out for one another. 

The VLC has had numerous complaints against them and people demanding refunds.  I was in a position to KNOW that people that couldn't get jobs because they couldn't pass MT employment tests after the VLC course.  How is that being immature?  Evidently, you're one of the VLC reps lurking on the boards so you can jump in and refer your school.  Otherwise, you wouldn't be taking it so personally.

Can someone please help me with the whole line count, WPM, total dollars concept. I'm trying to figure out my potential income doing MT. I know there are a range of answers but there must be some averages. I would be brand new at MT. What's your best guess of amount of work in say a 6 hour/day schedule? After 6 months experience? Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi all,

I'd like to take an on-line MT course; can anyone recommend one over any others? I plan on doing an internship for experience when I'm done for a while so I can get an actual paid position. How hard will it be to start working from home as I have a 20 month old that I want to stay at home with.

Thanks!

Hi! I got offer of 7.5 cents per gross line. No idea is it better than 7.5 cents per line including spaces? Please advise!

Yes, at 6 or 7 cents a line, that is strictly training wages.  Don't settle for anything like that, especially if you have experience and you know you are good at what you do.  These companies make anywhere from 14.5 cents on up for the work they receive throughout outsourcing so, in essence, whatever you make, they make, except you are the one doing all of the work, paying for your phone line/internet, etc.

If they only want to pay 6 or 7 cents a line, let them get new grads or someone with no experience, that way they will get what they pay for.

Where I work the line count is 6000 lines a week, 40 hours.  I do not think it matters how much experience you have as to what your line count is.  Company's have a set amount no matter what your experience.

Where I work the line count is 6000 lines a week, 40 hours.  I do not think it matters how much experience you have as to what your line count is.  Company's have a set amount no matter what your experience.

I am in need of a new line count program.  My (old) original is on a floppy disk and I no longer have floppy access.  What is a good/reliable program to use?

Has anyone heard about Med-Line school? Has anyone heard good/bad things about? Anyone go there? What were your experiences like? They are AHDI approved and provide a paid internship, and so far there program appeals to me - but I'm just wondering whether employers will hire folks who studied there - and equally important - whether Med-Line adequately prepares students for MT.

I realize that Andrews and MTech are the two top schools - but I'd like to keep my options open before committing.

Thank you!

Dorland's has a wonderful on-line dictionary for those who cannot afford their own. I use it all the time, even tho I have my own; it's just easier to click to a website!

Here is the link.  Either click or copy and paste in your web browser:

http://www.mercksource.com/pp/us/cns/cns_hl_dorlands.jspzQzpgzEzzSzppdocszSzuszSzcommonzSzdorlandszSzdorlandzSzdmd_a-b_00zPzhtm