Medical transcriptionists salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28,250 | $13.58 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $40,410 | $19.43 |
| Mean (average) | $41,710 | $20.05 |
| 90th percentile | $55,950 | $26.90 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Medical transcriptionists pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 51 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $35,340 | $26,820 | $51,250 | 410 | 0.73 |
| Alaska | $48,360 | $33,400 | $54,660 | 110 | 1.25 |
| Arizona | $36,550 | $31,110 | $50,850 | 700 | 0.81 |
| Arkansas | $35,100 | $27,160 | $47,020 | 280 | 0.82 |
| California | $45,050 | $35,990 | $62,620 | 5,860 | 1.2 |
| Colorado | $43,080 | $32,010 | $62,290 | 610 | 0.8 |
| Connecticut | $48,190 | $40,050 | $59,360 | 390 | 0.86 |
| Delaware | $34,070 | $31,200 | $40,560 | ||
| District of Columbia | $45,110 | $37,460 | $47,370 | 70 | 0.38 |
| Florida | $42,050 | $28,720 | $59,240 | 2,650 | 1 |
| Georgia | $28,330 | $24,530 | $53,750 | 950 | 0.73 |
| Hawaii | $44,310 | $31,540 | $52,310 | ||
| Idaho | $38,140 | $30,890 | $50,030 | 400 | 1.76 |
| Illinois | $45,490 | $31,760 | $55,070 | 970 | 0.6 |
| Indiana | $41,400 | $25,710 | $51,240 | 790 | 0.92 |
| Iowa | $45,010 | $25,600 | $52,660 | 180 | 0.43 |
| Kansas | $35,390 | $23,640 | $51,580 | 420 | 1.08 |
| Kentucky | $39,000 | $27,940 | $52,420 | 690 | 1.29 |
| Louisiana | $38,040 | $30,600 | $51,160 | 420 | 0.81 |
| Maine | $48,600 | $40,280 | $58,440 | 80 | 0.49 |
| Maryland | $39,900 | $31,840 | $60,140 | 230 | 0.32 |
| Massachusetts | $36,910 | $36,440 | $47,000 | 400 | 0.41 |
| Michigan | $37,280 | $30,840 | $49,670 | 1,130 | 0.96 |
| Minnesota | $50,030 | $43,970 | $64,580 | 270 | 0.34 |
| Mississippi | $38,600 | $23,660 | $48,460 | 300 | 0.96 |
| Missouri | $37,480 | $29,570 | $49,810 | 310 | 0.4 |
| Montana | $41,340 | $31,470 | $56,350 | 80 | 0.61 |
| Nebraska | $45,880 | $36,370 | $53,080 | 230 | 0.83 |
| Nevada | $39,350 | $36,400 | $51,730 | 210 | 0.5 |
| New Jersey | $39,020 | $32,220 | $55,950 | 1,710 | 1.49 |
| New Mexico | $37,480 | $30,730 | $55,950 | 210 | 0.89 |
| New York | $43,260 | $35,950 | $56,750 | 2,710 | 1.05 |
| North Carolina | $39,300 | $21,850 | $51,360 | 1,020 | 0.78 |
| North Dakota | $44,660 | $26,280 | $50,260 | 120 | 1.04 |
| Ohio | $37,060 | $28,190 | $51,170 | 680 | 0.46 |
| Oklahoma | $27,740 | $22,110 | $49,470 | 560 | 1.22 |
| Oregon | $46,280 | $37,080 | $68,910 | 510 | 0.97 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,510 | $32,070 | $52,510 | 1,130 | 0.7 |
| Puerto Rico | $31,200 | $22,430 | $36,450 | 140 | 0.58 |
| Rhode Island | $34,790 | $31,880 | $56,520 | 80 | 0.62 |
| South Carolina | $33,870 | $29,020 | $48,360 | 390 | 0.63 |
| South Dakota | $46,070 | $36,160 | $59,870 | 240 | 2 |
| Tennessee | $44,720 | $26,420 | $60,250 | 1,450 | 1.65 |
| Texas | $42,900 | $22,540 | $49,410 | 7,520 | 2 |
| Utah | $39,630 | $27,460 | $49,490 | 210 | 0.45 |
| Vermont | $33,030 | $32,060 | $45,080 | ||
| Virginia | $35,130 | $27,110 | $43,400 | ||
| Washington | $38,690 | $35,780 | $59,920 | 620 | 0.66 |
| West Virginia | $37,440 | $32,360 | $51,550 | 90 | 0.47 |
| Wisconsin | $49,150 | $38,900 | $57,050 | 590 | 0.75 |
| Wyoming | $48,100 | $36,440 | $63,960 | 40 | 0.47 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for medical transcriptionists
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 6,200. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for medical transcriptionists
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Medical Transcription/Transcriptionist CIP 51.0708
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Return dictated reports in printed or electronic form for physician's review, signature, and corrections and for inclusion in patients' medical records.
- Produce medical reports, correspondence, records, patient-care information, statistics, medical research, and administrative material.
- Identify mistakes in reports and check with doctors to obtain the correct information.
- Review and edit transcribed reports or dictated material for spelling, grammar, clarity, consistency, and proper medical terminology.
- Transcribe dictation for a variety of medical reports, such as patient histories, physical examinations, emergency room visits, operations, chart reviews, consultation, or discharge summaries.
- Distinguish between homonyms and recognize inconsistencies and mistakes in medical terms, referring to dictionaries, drug references, and other sources on anatomy, physiology, and medicine.
- Set up and maintain medical files and databases, including records such as x-ray, lab, and procedure reports, medical histories, diagnostic workups, admission and discharge summaries, and clinical resumes.
- Translate medical jargon and abbreviations into their expanded forms to ensure the accuracy of patient and health care facility records.
Technology skills
- Microsoft ASP.NET (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Allscripts healthcare automation software
- Boston Bar Systems Corporation Sonnet
- Bytescribe Development Company WavPlayer
- Calendar software
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Crescendo Systems Corporation MedRite-XL
- Crescendo Systems DigiScribe-XL
Transferable skills for career changers: Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Social Perceptiveness, Complex Problem Solving, Coordination, Instructing.
Common job titles: Clinical Medical Transcriptionist, Documentation Specialist, Medical Language Specialist, Medical Scribe, Medical Transcriber, Medical Transcriptionist, Pathology Transcriptionist, Radiology Transcriptionist, Scribe, Transcriptionist.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do medical transcriptionists make?
The national median annual wage for medical transcriptionists was $40,410 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $28,250 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $55,950. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do medical transcriptionists need?
BLS lists postsecondary nondegree award as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is medical transcriptionists a growing career?
BLS projects employment of medical transcriptionists to change -4.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 6,200 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay medical transcriptionists the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Minnesota ($50,030), Wisconsin ($49,150), Maine ($48,600). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.