Medical Transcriptionists
- Summary
- What They Do
- Work Environment
- How to Become One
- Pay
- Job Outlook
- State & Area Data
- Similar Occupations
- More Info
Please enable javascript to play this video. Video transcript available at //www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO3cnRsMDuI. Medical transcriptionists listen to voice recordings that physicians and other healthcare workers make and convert them into written reports. Most medical transcriptionists work for hospitals,
physicians' offices, and third-party transcription service companies that provide transcription services to healthcare establishments. Others are self-employed. Medical transcriptionists typically need postsecondary education. Prospective medical transcriptionists must have an understanding of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology,
grammar, and word-processing software. The median annual wage for medical transcriptionists was $30,100 in May 2021. Employment of medical transcriptionists is projected to decline 7 percent from 2021 to 2031. Despite declining employment,
about 9,300 openings for medical transcriptionists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for medical transcriptionists. Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of medical transcriptionists with similar occupations. Learn more about medical transcriptionists by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a
source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
Summary
Quick Facts: Medical Transcriptionists 2021 Median Pay $30,100 per year
$14.47 per hour
Typical Entry-Level Education Postsecondary nondegree award
Work Experience in a Related Occupation None
On-the-job Training None
Number of Jobs, 2021 59,600
Job Outlook, 2021-31 -7% [Decline]
Employment Change, 2021-31 -3,900
What Medical Transcriptionists Do
Work Environment
How to Become a Medical Transcriptionist
Pay
Job Outlook
State & Area Data
Similar Occupations
More Information, Including Links to O*NET
What Medical Transcriptionists Do About this
section
Medical transcriptionists review medical reports for accuracy.
Medical transcriptionists, sometimes referred to as healthcare documentation specialists, listen to voice recordings that physicians and other healthcare workers make and convert them into written reports. They also may review and edit medical documents created using speech recognition technology. Transcriptionists interpret medical terminology and abbreviations in preparing patients’ medical histories, discharge summaries, and other documents.
Duties
Medical transcriptionists typically do the following:
- Listen to the recorded dictation of a doctor or other healthcare worker
- Interpret and transcribe the dictation into patient history, exam notes, operative reports, referral letters, discharge summaries, and other documents
- Review and edit drafts prepared by speech recognition software, making sure that the transcription is correct, complete, and consistent in style
- Translate medical abbreviations and jargon into the appropriate long form
- Identify inconsistencies, errors, and missing information within a report that could compromise patient care
- Follow up with the healthcare provider to ensure that reports are accurate
- Submit health records for physicians to approve
- Follow patient confidentiality guidelines and legal documentation requirements
- Enter medical reports into electronic health records [EHR] systems
- Perform quality improvement audits
Traditionally, medical transcriptionists used audio playback equipment to listen to an entire dictation in order to produce a transcribed report, and some transcription is still done this way. It has become more common for medical documents to be prepared using speech recognition technology, in which specialized software automatically prepares an initial draft of a report. The transcriptionist then listens to the voice file and reviews the draft for accuracy, identifying any errors and editing the report, when necessary. Transcriptionists use word-processing and other specialized software to prepare the transcripts, as well as medical reference materials when needed.
Medical transcriptionists must be familiar with medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, diagnostic procedures, pharmacology, and treatment assessments. Their ability to understand what the healthcare worker has recorded, correctly transcribe that information, and identify any inaccuracies in the transcript is critical to reducing the chance that patients will get ineffective or even harmful treatments. Medical transcriptionists also may need to be familiar with EHR systems.
Medical transcriptionists who work in doctors’ offices may have other duties, such as answering phones and greeting patients.
Work Environment
About this section
Medical transcriptions must understand what the healthcare worker has recorded and correctly transcribe that information.
Medical transcriptionists held about 59,600 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of medical transcriptionists were as follows:
Administrative and support services | 43% |
Offices of physicians | 25 |
Hospitals; state, local, and private | 12 |
Self-employed workers | 5 |
Medical and diagnostic laboratories | 2 |
Administrative and support services includes companies that provide transcription services.
Medical transcriptionists may work from home, receiving dictation and submitting drafts electronically.
Work Schedules
Most medical transcriptionists work full time. Medical transcriptionists who work from home may work outside typical business hours and/or may have some flexibility in determining their schedules. Their work can be stressful because they need to ensure that reports are accurate within a quick turnaround time.
How to Become a Medical Transcriptionist About
this section
Transcriptionists listen to dictated recordings made by physicians and other healthcare professionals and transcribe them into medical reports, correspondence, and other administrative material.
Medical transcriptionists typically need postsecondary education. Some choose to become certified.
Education
Employers prefer to hire transcriptionists who have completed postsecondary education in medical transcription, which is offered by vocational schools, community colleges, and distance-learning programs. Medical transcription programs are typically 1-year certificate programs, although there are also associate’s degree programs.
Programs normally include coursework in anatomy, medical terminology, risk management, legal issues relating to healthcare documentation, and English grammar and punctuation. Many of these programs include supervised on-the-job experience. Some transcriptionists, especially those already familiar with medical terminology from previous experience as a nursing assistant or medical secretary, become proficient through refresher courses and training.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Although certification is not required, some medical transcriptionists choose to become certified. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity offers the Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist [RHDS] and the Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist [CHDS] certifications. Both certifications require passing an exam and periodic retesting or continuing education.
The RHDS certification, formerly known as the Registered Medical Transcriptionist [RMT], is for recent graduates with less than 2 years of experience and who work in a single specialty environment, such as a clinic or a doctor’s office.
The CHDS certification, formerly known as the Certified Medical Transcriptionist [CMT], is for transcriptionists who hold the RHDS designation. In addition, CHDS candidates must have at least 2 years of acute care experience, including experience handling dictation in various medical specialties.
To maintain certification, medical transcriptionists must complete continuing education requirements every 3 years.
Important Qualities
Computer skills. Medical transcriptionists must be comfortable using computers and word-processing software, because those tools are an essential part of their jobs. They also may need to know how to operate electronic health records [EHR] systems.
Critical-thinking skills. Medical transcriptionists must assess medical reports and spot any inaccuracies and inconsistencies in finished drafts. They must also think critically when doing research to find the information that they need and to ensure that sources are both accurate and reliable.
Listening skills. Medical transcriptionists must listen carefully to dictation from physicians. They need to hear and interpret the intended meaning of the medical report.
Time-management skills. Because dictation must be done quickly, medical transcriptionists should be comfortable working under short deadlines.
Writing skills. Medical transcriptionists need a good understanding of the English language and grammar.
Median annual wages, May 2021 Pay
About this section
Medical Transcriptionists
The median annual wage for medical transcriptionists was $30,100 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $22,810, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $48,190.
In May 2021, the median annual wages for medical transcriptionists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Medical and diagnostic laboratories | $46,150 |
Hospitals; state, local, and private | 38,360 |
Offices of physicians | 36,750 |
Administrative and support services | 29,120 |
Some medical transcriptionists are paid based on the volume of transcription they produce. Others are paid an hourly rate or an annual salary.
Most medical transcriptionists work full time. Medical transcriptionists who work from home may work outside typical business hours and/or have some flexibility in determining their schedules. Their work can be stressful because they need to ensure that reports are accurate within a quick turnaround time.
Percent change in employment, projected
2021-31 Job Outlook About this section
Medical Transcriptionists
Employment of medical transcriptionists is projected to decline 7 percent from 2021 to 2031.
Despite declining employment, about 9,300 openings for medical transcriptionists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Technological advances in speech recognition and electronic health records [EHR] software allow physicians to document some information in the moment, reducing the need for medical transcriptionists. In addition, these technologies increase medical transcriptionists' productivity, allowing more transcription by fewer workers.
Meanwhile, as healthcare providers seek to cut costs, some will contract out transcription services and not do in-house transcription.
Employment projections data for medical transcriptionists, 2021-31SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program | |||||
31-9094 | 59,600 | 55,700 | -7 | -3,900 | Get data |
The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics [OEWS] program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link[s] below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information [LMI] or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment
growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved. CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational
profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code. State & Area Data About this section
Occupational Employment
and Wage Statistics [OEWS]
Projections Central
CareerOneStop
Similar Occupations About this section
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of medical transcriptionists.
| Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners | Court reporters create word-for-word transcriptions at trials, depositions, and other legal proceedings. Simultaneous captioners provide similar transcriptions for television or for presentations in other settings, such as press conferences and business meetings, for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. | Postsecondary nondegree award | $60,380 |
| Information Clerks | Information clerks perform routine clerical duties, maintain records, collect data, and provide information to customers. | See How to Become One | $37,450 |
| Medical Assistants | Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks in hospitals, offices of physicians, and other healthcare facilities. | Postsecondary nondegree award | $37,190 |
| Medical Records Specialists | Medical records specialists compile, process, and maintain patient files. | Postsecondary nondegree award | $46,660 |
| Receptionists | Receptionists do tasks such as answering phones, receiving visitors, and providing information about their organization to the public. | High school diploma or equivalent | $29,950 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | Secretaries and administrative assistants do routine clerical and organizational tasks. | High school diploma or equivalent | $39,680 |
| Interpreters and Translators | Interpreters and translators convert information from one language into another language. | Bachelor's degree | $49,110 |
Last Modified Date: Thursday, September 8, 2022