best transcription Jobs
Transcription is one of the most lucrative ways to earn money from home and this post will share the best transcription jobs.
For those of you who don’t know, you will need to become a transcriptionist and your jobs requires you to convert audio or video files into text.
While you don’t need any formal certification or prior experience to sign up with transcription companies, you do need qualities like good typing speed, accuracy, time stamping skills and excellent listening skills.
Online training courses can also help you sharpen your skills and find better opportunities. You can find a free course here.
Read on if you think you have these skills, and these transcription job can help you earn a living from home.
In this article, you will gain knowledge about online transcription jobs for beginners, the best transcription companies to work with, the best transcription training courses, and more.
The post includes affiliate links.
Best transcription jobs for beginners
There is a considerable demand for transcriptionists these days.
Not only do the medical and legal industries require transcribed documents, but the entertainment industry, blogging world, market research companies, educational institutes, health professionals, and journalists do as well.
Professional transcriptionists can make up to $45,000 per year, depending on the platform for which they work.
You must choose a good transcription platform to work for so that you get good workflow and timely payments.
Here are some of the best transcription jobs for you.
ONLINE TRANSCRIPTION JOBS FOR BEGINNERS
1. SpeakWrite
SpeakWrite is a well-established transcription company that has over 6,500 clients from various sectors, including law enforcement, legal, government, and private clients.
It is definitely one of the best places to find online transcription jobs for beginners.
To work for SpeakWrite, you need to pass a test with a writing speed of 60 words per minute and 90% accuracy.
You should have some knowledge of Microsoft Word, must be fluent in English and have perfect grammar knowledge.
Pay: $.005- $.006 per word. An average earner makes $300+ per month. You can earn a 10% bonus for working a specific shift.
Payments are made by direct deposits or checks twice a month.
2.Speechpad
Speechpad (previously known as Speechlink) is a company that hires people from all around the world.
Most of the work on this platform is transcribing insurance company interviews.
You need to pass a transcription and a grammar test before you start working for this company.
You should have a typing speed of a minimum of 40 words per minute.
All their workers have ratings. The better the rating, the better are the work opportunities.
Pay: You can earn up to $0.25 to $2.50 per audio minute. You get payments twice a week through PayPal.
3. Tigerfish
Tigerfish is a well-known transcription company and has been providing transcription jobs since 1989.
If you are a USA citizen and are over 18 years old, you can apply for a job with Tigerfish.
Most of the work here involves transcribing interviews, police interrogations, documentaries, and films.
As a part of the application process, you have the sample videos provided on the site, transcribe them, and then send them to the official email. You will be informed within a week if you are chosen.
Pay: $0.03 to $0.04 per line transcribed. You are paid every two weeks through PayPal.
4. Daily Transcription
Daily Transcription provides transcription services to corporate, legal, and entertainment clients and a few educational institutions with the same-day turnaround time.
If you live in the US or Canada, you can apply here.
The application process involves a skills assessment test and a transcription test.
Typing speed of a minimum of 50 words per minute is acceptable. They also provide a training video and style guide and practice tests.
You can sign up for slots on their schedule, and you will be assigned work based on that. Daily Transcription does not guarantee a specific amount of work.
Pay: $0.75 to $0.85 per audio minute. Transcriptionists can make $250 to $950 per week. You will be paid weekly through checks.
5. TranscribeMe
TranscribeMe is a popular transcription platform.
This platform does not require any previous experience, and getting started is easy. All you need to do is fill a form and take a relatively easy test.
You will mostly be transcribing short, 2 to 4 minute-long audio clips from various industries.
There is no registration charge, and you can decide the hours that you will be able to work.
Pay: $15 to $25 per audio hour. You will get regular payouts through PayPal.
6. CastingWords
CastingWords has been around since 2005, and it welcomes both beginners and experienced people to work as transcriptionists.
You can sign up for free, and you may also have to take a test. Once you are accepted, you will get access to the jobs available.
All the jobs have the duration of the video written on the side. Pick the task that suits you and submit it for review.
Once your work is approved, you will be paid for it. You will be graded for your work by CastingWords administrators.
If you have a higher grade, you can get work with higher payouts.
Pay: $0.085 to $1 per minute, depending on the job and your grade.
7. GMR Transcription
GMR Transcription is a US-based company that takes freelancers from all over the world.
They provide transcription services for legal files, market research, medical research, educational use, and podcasts.
After you submit your resume, you will have to pass a transcription test. If you are selected, you will be contacted within two weeks.
You will be on probation until you transcribe two hours of video or audio accurately.
Pay: $ 0.085 onwards. You will be paid every week via PayPal.
8. 3Play Media
3Play Media is based in the US and has transcription jobs for English and Spanish Transcription editors.
To work for 3Play Media, you need to be able to type at 75 words per minute.
To apply for a job here, you must fill out an online application and take a transcription test. 3Play Media will get back to you if you are selected.
At 3Play Media, you can choose the project and the time you want to work.
Pay: $10 to $30 per hour, depending on the project.
9. CrowdSurf
CrowdSurf provides on-demand transcription and captioning services that make online media more accessible and enjoyable for deaf and hard of hearing as well as second language users.
The job mainly involves captioning videos.
These are mostly 15 to 35-second videos that you can complete at your convenience.
There is no specific typing speed required, but you do have to take a transcription test before you qualify.
Pay: Average $ 5 per hour, plus bonus.
10. Athreon
Athreon offers medical and general transcription work, including police, media, legal, and business transcription.
They have a good customer base, which allows them to provide their transcriptionists with a steady flow of work.
To work for this company, you need to be a graduate of a training program or should have at least two years of work experience.
You must work at Athreon five days a week and complete at least 500 lines a day.
Pay: $0.03 per line. Payments are made weekly through PayPal.
11. Ubiqus
Ubiqus started in France in 1991 and has since then expanded to other parts of the world, including the US.
They provide transcription services to clients from corporate, medical, legal, and foreign language transcription.
They hire people with 1 to 5 years of experience and also consider current transcription students.
They hire US residents who have a computer, headphones, and stable internet connection.
Pay: Around $7 per hour.
12. Verbal Ink
Verbal Ink is an excellent transcription platform for beginners.
To qualify to work in Verbal Ink, you must be a US citizen and pass their eligibility test.
You can set the number of hours you can work in a day. It is mandatory to have a foot pedal and a headset.
Pay: Beginners can earn up to $8 to $10 per hour. All payments are made through PayPal.
13. Go Transcript
Go Transcript was founded in 2005 in Edinburgh in Scotland. They hire workers from all across the globe, and you don’t need previous experience.
You need to pass a test to get started. The test requires you to transcribe an audio file of non-native English speakers.
A lot of their work has data like that. There is no minimum typing speed requirement.
Pay: $0.60 per minute of audio or video file. Payments are made weekly via PayPal.
14. Rev
Rev is a highly rated transcription company providing work to beginners and experienced transcriptionists.
People with relevant skills can also find translating and sub-titling jobs here.
You can take a quick typing test, followed by a 10-minute grammar test and a sample transcription.
After you receive a confirmation, you can choose from jobs transcribing lectures, media interviews, and podcasts.
Pay: $0.40 to $0.75 per minute. Payments are made weekly through PayPal.
15. QuickTate, and iDictate
The same company owns both these platforms, and you can apply to work for them through one application process.
If you work for QuickTate, you will be required to transcribe letters, memos, voicemails, legal notes, medical reports, and other short audio files.
At iDictate, you will transcribe longer files like lectures, sermons, and conference calls.
To apply, you will need three references, and a complete background check will also be done.
There is a $20 fee for the background check. You will also have to pass a transcription test.
Pay: $.0025 to $0.005 per word. Payments are made through PayPal.
16. Scribie
Scribie is one of the highest-rated platforms for beginners but is also among the lowest-paying ones.
The files they give for transcription are easy and mainly from phone calls, speeches, and interviews.
The jobs with Scribie are very flexible, and you can choose the time when you will work and the files you want to transcribe.
Pay: $5 to $25 per audio hour through PayPal
17. Transcript Divas
Transcript Divas is a New York-based company that offers academic, legal, and video transcription services.
They provide high standard service, which is why they choose only the best in the field.
To apply for the job, you must fill out the application on their website.
If Transcript Divas like your application, they will set up a test and a phone interview.
Pay: $ 1.39 to $2.98 per audio minute.
18. Voxtab
Voxtab offers an array of transcription services, including legal, medical, academic, business, sermons, videos, and podcasts.
Voxtab offers high-quality audio-to-text solutions like transcriptions, subtitles, and captioning, among many others.
You can choose to work for them on a full-time or part-time basis. VoxTab hires only native English speaking transcriptionists.
To apply, you must fill out their recruitment application form.
Pay: They don’t mention their rates on the website, but according to some of their employees, they pay $27 per audio hour.
19. Babbletype
Babbletype specializes in market research transcription.
They focus on transcribing interviews, focus groups, and similar recordings in English or other languages.
To apply for a job at Babbletype, you should be above 18 years and a native English speaker.
They look for highly skilled transcriptionists who can transcribe any file they are assigned.
Pay: $1.4 per audio minute. Payments are made weekly through PayPal.
20. Transcription Hub
Transcription Hub specializes in transcription services for academia, legal professions, healthcare, media, government, businesses, and more.
They offer fast, accurate transcripts of meetings, conferences, interviews, videos, and much more.
People from any part of the world can join Transcription Hub. When you apply for the job, you go through an evaluation process.
Based on that evaluation, you are rated gold, silver, or bronze and will be paid accordingly.
Pay: There are no fixed payment rates. Transcriptionists are paid through PayPal on the 1st or 5th of every month.
These are the top transcription websites to find online transcription jobs for beginners.
Frequently asked questions about online transcription jobs
1. What does a transcriptionist do?
A transcriptionist listens to video or audio files assigned to him and converts them into accurate and readable texts.
They are paid according to the length of the audio. It usually takes around an hour to transcribe 15 minutes of recorded speech.
So, the transcriptionist will take about four hours to transcribe one hour of audio or video.
Transcriptionists translate in clean verbatim style and edit the test lightly so that it is easy to read.
They can also transcribe in the true verbatim manner and include nonessential filer speech such as ‘uh’ or ‘um.’
A transcriptionist can either find independent gigs or get an online transcription jobs for beginners.
2. What equipment do you need to work as a transcriptionist?
In addition to a smooth working PC with word-processing software and high-speed internet, you will need digital transcription software as well.
You also require a good-quality headset and a foot pedal to control audio or video playback with your feet so that your hands are free.
3. Do online transcription jobs have long working hours?
Your work hours can depend on your chosen industry. People who work in offices, work full-time hours.
People who work from home have the flexibility to choose their work hours.
4. What skills do you need to be a transcriptionist?
You need many different skills to be successful as a transcriptionist. These include –
1. Typing speed
You should be able to type fast so that you can meet the deadlines and produce transcriptions on short notice.
Though there is no minimum standard for typing speed, at 70 words per minute, you can qualify for most jobs.
2. Typing accuracy
You should maintain a high accuracy level when you type.
Accuracy is critical for medical transcriptionists as the correct diagnosis is dependent on them.
3. Grammar and punctuation accuracy
Transcriptions should be easy to read, so they require light editing.
You should be able to use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling to produce a clean transcript.
4. Listening skills
You should be able to understand dialogues despite the background noise.
In situations where the voice is too soft or difficult to understand, you should be able to make intelligent guesses.
5. Focus
It takes about four to six hours to transcribe one hour of audio.
You must be able to focus on your task for long hours to complete the task assigned to you.
6. Adaptability
As a general transcriptionist, you have to offer services across many different industries.
You must adapt and learn quickly to be able to produce high-quality transcripts across a range of industries.
7. Industry knowledge
If you want to be a medical or legal transcriptionist, you should be familiar with their terminology.
A legal transcriptionist should be knowledgeable about legal procedures and systems.
A medical transcriptionist should know about anatomy, physiology, medications, and procedures.
5. Which industries use transcriptionists?
Many industries use transcriptionists. These include:
- Medical
- Legal
- Police
- Financial
- Market Research
- Entertainment
- Corporate
- Government
- Religious
- Educational
6. How much can I earn as a work-from-home transcriptionist?
How much you can earn as a transcriptionist depends on how many hours you can put in and for which field you are transcribing.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary of a transcriptionist is $35,250.
The average hourly wage of a medical transcriptionist is $17.50. A legal transcriptionist can make between $20,000 and $60,000 annually.
7. What training do I need to become a transcriptionist?
The level of training you need to become a transcriptionist depends on whether you want to specialize in medical or legal transcription or whether to want to do general transcription work.
General Transcription
To become a general transcriptionist, you do not need extensive training.
A certification can, however, give you an edge in the job market.
Medical Transcription
To become a medical transcriptionist, you should complete an associate’s degree program or a one-year certificate program for medical transcription.
These programs cover topics like anatomy, medical terminology, healthcare documentation, risk management, in addition to grammar and punctuation.
You can do these programs online or at a community college or vocational school.
Legal Transcription
To become a legal transcriptionist, you need a certificate or associate degree in either court reporting or legal transcription.
Some states in the US require certification or licensure for legal transcriptionists.
Through this certification program, you will be trained in legal terminology, documentation, research, and legal systems.
Best training Course on Transcription
If you’re looking to make a career in transcription and don’t know where to start, TranscribeAnywhere.com is your best bet.
Janet Shaughnessy, the founder of this platform, ran Zoom Transcription for almost ten years while offering training to general, legal, and medical transcriptionists.
TranscribeAnywhere is an e-learning platform with multimedia training tools, videos, practice, templates, quizzes, and thorough how-to marketing tutorials that aren’t available anywhere else.
The platform offers a free mini-course through which you can learn the basics about transcription and decide whether this career is for you.
Other courses include –
- General Transcription – Theory and Practice ($597)
- Legal Transcription – Theory and Practice ($697)
Final thoughts on best transcription jobs and transcription websites
Now that you have seen our list of the best transcription jobs and transcription websites, you must now know that there is no shortage of transcribing jobs.
Whether you are a beginner or a trained and experienced transcriptionist, there are plenty of options available for you.
If you are looking for a part-time job working from home, transcription can be the ideal option for you.
You may not be able to earn a full-time living from this job, but you can earn a fairly decent side income.