What Does a Medical Transcriptionist Do?
Recorded dictation from doctors, played back with a drug reference open beside it, fills a medical transcriptionist's working day. From a home office or a hospital records department, transcriptionists turn that audio into visit notes, operative reports and discharge summaries for hospitals and transcription services. Many now edit speech recognition drafts.
Also known as: Medical Transcriber, Senior Medical Transcriptionist
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Clinical Medical Transcriptionist, Documentation Specialist, Medical Language Specialist, Medical Scribe, Medical Transcriber, Pathology Transcriptionist, Radiology Transcriptionist, Scribe.
Medical Transcriptionist Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a medical transcriptionist include:
- Transcribe recorded dictation from physicians into visit notes, reports and letters.
- Edit drafts produced by speech recognition software against the audio.
- Check drug names, doses, lab values and medical terms against reference sources.
- Flag unclear or inconsistent dictation for the provider to review.
- Format reports to each facility's templates and style rules.
- Return reports within the turnaround time set in the client contract.
- Protect patient privacy under HIPAA when handling audio and records.
- Use foot pedals, headphones and text expanders to keep pace with dictation.
- Review work by newer transcriptionists and give feedback on recurring errors.
- Keep personal word lists and account notes on each provider's preferences.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a medical transcriptionist, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Fast, accurate typing
- Medical terminology, anatomy and pharmacology
- Editing speech recognition drafts
- Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS) credential
- Sharp listening for accents and fast speakers
- Grammar and style rules for medical reports
- HIPAA privacy practice
- Self-discipline for home-based work
Education and Training
Typing accuracy and medical vocabulary are the two things employers test, and applicants come from many backgrounds. A certificate program in healthcare documentation, the usual entry route in BLS figures, makes those tests much easier to pass. Professional certification is voluntary.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $34,150 - $48,000 per year, with a median of $40,410.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Medical Transcriptionists.
According to BLS, employment of medical transcriptionists is projected to decline about 4 percent from 2025 to 2035. Replacement hiring should still produce roughly 6,200 openings a year. While speech recognition now handles much of the typing, transcriptionists who can edit its drafts accurately are more likely to keep finding work.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Medical transcriptionists.
Medical Transcriptionist Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $28,250 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $34,150 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $40,410 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $48,000 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $55,950 |
Highest-Paying States for Medical Transcriptionists
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Minnesota ($50,030), Wisconsin ($49,150), Maine ($48,600), Alaska ($48,360), Connecticut ($48,190). Pay is lowest in Vermont ($33,030), Georgia ($28,330), Oklahoma ($27,740).
Median pay in all 50 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $35,340 |
| Alaska | $48,360 |
| Arizona | $36,550 |
| Arkansas | $35,100 |
| California | $45,050 |
| Colorado | $43,080 |
| Connecticut | $48,190 |
| Delaware | $34,070 |
| District of Columbia | $45,110 |
| Florida | $42,050 |
| Georgia | $28,330 |
| Hawaii | $44,310 |
| Idaho | $38,140 |
| Illinois | $45,490 |
| Indiana | $41,400 |
| Iowa | $45,010 |
| Kansas | $35,390 |
| Kentucky | $39,000 |
| Louisiana | $38,040 |
| Maine | $48,600 |
| Maryland | $39,900 |
| Massachusetts | $36,910 |
| Michigan | $37,280 |
| Minnesota | $50,030 |
| Mississippi | $38,600 |
| Missouri | $37,480 |
| Montana | $41,340 |
| Nebraska | $45,880 |
| Nevada | $39,350 |
| New Jersey | $39,020 |
| New Mexico | $37,480 |
| New York | $43,260 |
| North Carolina | $39,300 |
| North Dakota | $44,660 |
| Ohio | $37,060 |
| Oklahoma | $27,740 |
| Oregon | $46,280 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,510 |
| Rhode Island | $34,790 |
| South Carolina | $33,870 |
| South Dakota | $46,070 |
| Tennessee | $44,720 |
| Texas | $42,900 |
| Utah | $39,630 |
| Vermont | $33,030 |
| Virginia | $35,130 |
| Washington | $38,690 |
| West Virginia | $37,440 |
| Wisconsin | $49,150 |
| Wyoming | $48,100 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as medical transcriptionists about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 94% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 92% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 76% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
- 73% work against deadlines every day
- 72% use email every day
- 65% are on the phone every day
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Post-secondary certificate | 39% |
| Some college | 34% |
| High school diploma or GED | 17% |
| Associate's degree | 11% |
Tools and Software Medical Transcriptionists Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy organized work with data, records and clear procedures as well as helping, teaching or caring for people.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Monitoring, Speaking, Critical Thinking.
Knowledge areas used most: English Language, Administrative, Computers and Electronics, Medicine and Dentistry, Customer and Personal Service.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 3 of 5, which means medium preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for a Medical Transcriptionist Job
- Job application letter sample
- How to write the skills section of a resume
- How to describe your work experience
- Job interview tips
- Interview thank-you note
The Job Explorer never charges candidates any money. If someone asks you to pay to apply for a medical transcriptionist job or to get hired, treat it as a warning sign.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 31-9094.00 (Medical Transcriptionists). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.