Home     Contact Us    
Main Board Job Seeker's Board Job Wanted Board Resume Bank Company Board Word Help Medquist New MTs Classifieds Offshore Concerns VR/Speech Recognition Tech Help Coding/Medical Billing
Gab Board Politics Comedy Stop Health Issues
ADVERTISEMENT




Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

I make around $4000 a month..but it's not worth it.

Posted By: Stupidworkaholic on 2008-06-13
In Reply to: Anyone care to share how much their pay is monthly?? - MJ

I work 2 jobs 7 days a week, sometimes up to 15 hours a day. Can you say burn out.. I knew you could.


Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu


Other related messages found in our database

Oh, she does make $4000 a month.....sm
what she DOESN'T tell you is that it's not from editing. She gets a lump sum for doing other things in addition to editing.
Yes, is that 4000 dollars a month? If so,
At 6 cpl, you must've transcribed around 67,000 lines in that month. Now, do you have any idea what you could've made somewhere else? Well, at 8 cpl, you would've made around $5,360 and at 9 cpl, you would've made $6,030. You are soooo undercutting yourself by staying at a job that only pays 6 cpl.

Oh, and by the way, assuming you work approx. 40 hours a week, you must transcribe upwards of 400 lph. Most companies would LOVE to have someone that fast on board and would pay a whole lot more than 6 cpl for such a high producer!!! You should really check your options.
$4000 a month for a national with a low line rate. nm
nm
4000 lines a month of dollars? Either of which is not that great! So, what are you bragging about?
x
I make 2-4000/mo cant be that bad.
Missing out on a great company.  BUT if you all like working miserably without a flexible schedule to each his or her own.
I make $4000-5000 but NOT WORKING for a national
I just couldn't even make $1800/month working for a national because they kept running out of work, or had me tied to a computer for 7 days a week, or I was getting up at 4 a.m. just to try to get some work before running out. I certainly would never work for MQ because I would have made less than $1800/month, but that's just me. I now do it independently, and I'm not bragging, but most of my months vary in the $4000/range. A couple have been less, and the most has been $7000/month. JUST NOT FOR A NATIONAL. NO WAY, NO HOW!
Not a big deal ... have unlimited with SBC for $49/month -- for $33+ per hour, it's worth it. :)
x
8000-9000 a month and it is so worth it. I do work a weekend day though.
sxx
Im thinking by the hour and make it well worth your while. nm
x
Totally unrealistic as long as Indians make it worth their while.
nm
WWWaah. I used to make good money til the health problems hit, now it seems hardly worth my time!
x
I guess I do ... well worth it for business, plus I make tons of LD calls to friends/family. nm
x
I make around 4,000 a month, but
I work Sunday-Thursday.  I have 2 of my own clients and I also am gone from the house 2 days a week for a few hours for deliveries.  I work basically when I want.  If I want more, then I take more from the true IC online job that I have where there are no set hours, quotas to meet, or line count requirements (TRUE IC). 
Yeah, they gotta make that $40/month!!
nm
I make about $1,500 a month working about 20 hours per week.

Believe me, I'm not bragging or slamming anybody at all.  No way.  I'm frustrated with my own income because I'd like to make more.  I'm willing to put in more hours to do it, too.  Honestly, I'm not that fast.  I have one very small local account and one small MTSO I subcontract for.  None of it is verbatim, it's clean up the grammar as you go, which totally slows me down.


I won't work for a national any more because I couldn't make enough money there.  I wasn't willing to tough it out for three months until I could make their line counts, especially when they had me on their worst accounts, pools of hundreds of dictators per hospital so I couldn't use my expander, and a new account every week.


I've said before that if I'm going to do MT, it's going to be on my terms.  I won't chain myself to a desk or be "on call" all day long waiting for work to come in.  Nationals don't pay you to sit there and wait for work.  That's bull.  Being on call IS working.  Other businesses pay their "on call" people at least minimum wage.  They skirt around the issue trying to use SE and IC terminology, but it's just a way of paying us less to be at their beck and call.


Don't give up on MT entirely.  You'll find your fit.  It just takes some searching.


I have been a MT for four years and I make $1800.00 per month. I am happy with my pay at this
stage
I make 1300 per month 10 hours per week (IC) extra job

My account went to India, have been struggling to make any money for the last month, crappy work. nm
xx
I suppose 4000/mo is too low for you?
What world do you live in?
I use MS 4000 ergonomic - worked for me..
I developed tendinitis and some numbness and tingling in my fingers, but didn't have enough money to buy an expensive ergonomic keyboard so tried the cheapest I could find. I noticed that by holding my hands outward and up a bit, it relieved some of the pressure and that is what this keyboard essentially does.

It has taken about 2+ months, but the pain in my wrist is gone. It took a bit of getting used to and the keyboard sounds like a an old rattle trap, but now I like it and wouldn't go back. It might be an option if you don't have a lot of money to spend...mine was about $60.
$4000 - PT - 20 hours week as IC. nm
x
4000-5000+ lines per day of correcting awful VR? No thanks.
x
I use the Microsoft wireless 4000 comfort keyboard
and had no trouble switching to it from my split keyboard.  It is curved, so has a similar feel.  I love being wireless.  I use it with my laptop and work on it all day.  I think I've been working wireless for about 2 years now and couldn't go back.  I work with my keyboard in my lap, so the wireless is great.
Monthly, I bring in $3500-4000, about $1800 every 2 weeks.
I work about 5-6 hours a day, Monday through Friday.  Sometimes I work a little extra if I didn't get the line count I wanted that day due to dictators, etc.  Consistently, I bring in this much as an IC.   It hasn't always been this way, you need to get to know your accounts and then it will come.  I have the same accounts and dictators every day working for a national.
On Google Finance they had under 4000 in December..total employees

I was told several new accts are coming on this month and also next month, so
I'm not worrying.
Pay period goes from 1st of the month to the 15th, then 16th to the end of the month. sm

So, I guess you could maybe get by with less than 1000 a day, although the incentive tier would make it worth your while to do a bit more.  I am using ExText, and yes, I find it easy to use, but then I used it for a year with another company.  I think their other platform is Mongoose, and I know nothing about that, so really cannot say.


Yes, they are hiring now.  In fact, there is a $500 sign-on bonus.  I think it is all just acute care.  I'm sure they would love to have someone with your experience.  Rhonda Durham is the recruiter.  I am sure she could answer any of your questions.  I am happy to help too, if I can, but I am relatively new.  The account I am working on is mostly psych, it seems, and I am loving it.


Another nice thing, their benefits start after 60 days, not 90 like most.


Good luck to you.


TransHealth starts 1st day of month after month SM
you start, BC/BS, good rate on single, don't know about family premium.
Last month was slow on my account..but this month (sm)
we've been swamped...
The new insurance is very reasonable. I pay $200/month and they pay $200/month. sm
Unfortunately, I have had to use it a lot since it changed and I am very happy. They have covered everything.

The insurance is actually $80 cheaper per month than I paid at the local hospital, which is a large employer.


WHY isn't it worth it?
j
For what it's worth ...
I don't know about smaller nationals, but Spheris doesn't pay for those things either. If you run out of work, you can flex your time and make it up. If you don't want to do that and had rather have the time off you are allowed to do so. If you cannot get it made up AND you don't have PTO to pay yourself, then you still file for PTO and it covers you as far as failing to make minimum production -- that way you're not in trouble.

When I first started with TEM (now Spheris), they paid downtime by the hour but cut that out with their new pay plan about a year or more ago.

I don't know of any remote company that pays only on a production basis that would really afford such an offer -- paying downtime for no work. The hospital I used to work for has remote employees but they are all paid by the hour, period (yes, even at home) with incentive that pays out an extra hourly for production. If you are going to be down for 2 hours in a day, you are expected to drive to the hospital and work your day or flex it to a later time or PTO the missing time.

I'm not saying I agree with it or am thrilled about that situation but MQ is not the only company and, in fact, I would think right in line with everyone else.
Definitely worth it!
go for it
I think DRC - they'd be worth a try. nm
xx
Keep trying. It is worth it. nm
zz
Not worth it

The 12-hour window was nice and the account I was on was great. The people were nice but the payscale was just too low. Like many others have stated nice doesn't pay the bills.


The whole training in Trinidad and other countries really irked me too. The way it was presented and handled just stunk.


You are worth more than that
I have about half your experience and make more than that. You deserve better. But, I do agree with you since I make less than I did 5 years ago that the industry is drowning.
worth a try

All of the companies that I have left told me before doing so that I was welcome back at any time.  You never know if that rings true or not until you ask for your job back. 


I asked for my job back at 3 places....


The first one accepted me back no problems but had to jump through all of the hoops again.  I decided after receiving ALL OF THE paperwork late that that is basically the reason I left in the first place (lack of any kind of decent communication) - also noticing that the send back by date on my paperwork was due 3 days before the overnight package even got to me (if that tells you anything).  Plus I wasn't able to get an old account back (that I knew had the work) so I would be going back into a situation where I might or might not have work again.  From the looks of it would be running out frequently.


So, I decided to stick with the place I was with - hoping the workflow got better and that I would actually start making a paycheck again - It didn't.


I asked for my job back with the other place - they got back to my inquiry within minutes telling me I could come back!  Boy was I thrilled.  I left to test the waters with VR because I thought it would be easier for me -- boy was I wrong and stupid.  I've been back there for a month now and couldn't be happier!!!!!!  I've been through H*LL the past few months with companies and it makes you appreciate what you did have. 


The third one, well, I didn't burn any bridges (minus leaving the in the first place which I think made her angry) - it was one place that I was sure would accept me back - or at least send me an I'm sorry we dont have any positions at this time.  that is the kind of work relationship I thought we had -- because I bent over backwards for them as an IC basically 7 days a week.  I do know the e-mail was sent and received (basically as soon as it was sent) and I never received a response back.  Then again, thinking back on it, when I said that I was leaving (twice) first time never got a response, second time I got the coldest response out of any company that I have ever been with and I was with this one for almost 2 years making 7 cpl IC.  So, I guess I saw the true colors then and regret now even asking for a position back with them. I can't believe I was willing to take a 2 cent pay loss to go back. 


SOOO-- moral of my story is -- follow your heart on this one. You left, match up the reasons why you left to is it WORTH going back.  If it is worth it, don't waste your tiem in asking for your position back!! 


Good Luck to you!!! 


 


Not worth it
TTS - This lady is actually contracting MTs to work for the company she works for. Very poor communication, much chaos. Pay not dependable and on time, although I did get all money owed but was such a hassle, not worth it!

No, not worth it
Editing by the line can be profitable, but not with this company.  Reason being just about all the work is typed offshore and needs to be listened to, even though some are just said to be read throughs.  There is also a constant lack of work.  The changes are what drove me out the door.  Person after person just GONE.  I had an account manager who had been there more than 10 years and just all of a sudden her job was gone.  The HR lady is GONE, the other HR person is now helping manage accounts.  No new accounts in ages.  No information is the worst thing, people leaving, pay dropping, and no explanation why.  They used to be an awesome company, but not now.
Why is it that men know what they are worth...
...and most women have that 'awesome' attitude in your opinion that we do not count, do not matter, and should be happy just to have a jobs, no matter how we are treated, how low we have to go, how much heavier the work load gets year after year...

sorry, but that attitude is not going to get your anywhere but the unemployment line in the long run...good luck with that.

When your companies start weeding you out, because they WILL eventually, get back to us on how great they are and how happy you are about it.

Seems like you not only agree with that, but you like it.
We always think we are worth more, don't we? (sm)

LOL - seriously though, this profession is not what it was 10 or so years ago.  I am very happy at TT.  They are very easy to work with, I love their platform, and I especially like the tech support which was practically nonexistent where I was before.  I plan on retiring from this company.


Job not worth it
I know how you feel. Now they are going to be cutting our holiday incentive in half too. We only get 2 holidays now as it is.
Not worth it at all

I have done seminars, meetings and all of the above.  With everyone talking very hard to do.  In 60 minutes of taping,  I easly got over $100 for line counts so $50 is WAY UNDERPAYMENT.   Again it is not easy to do.  I did a three day seminar once and make close to $1000 but it was an orthopedic one and with all the questions, etc. very hard to understand and lots of blanks.   No way you can get 98% accuracy and if you have to look over all the presentation material to see what they are talking about, you are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy down there for pay.  My two cents worth.


 


 


Definitely not worth it.
I made $52,000 one year. No social life, bad health, bad attitude, and that aged me about 10 years in one year. I worked in a transcription office all day, went home, ate dinner, and worked until I could no longer see, finally crashing on the bed (if I made if that far) around 2 a.m. Why did I do it? Looking back 10 years later, I have no freaking idea. It definitely wasn't worth it and I would never, ever do it again. I've learned to live with less, changed my spending habits, and now, as an IC, I take off when I feel like it. My life is way more important than my annual income.
please say it was worth it lol
/

What I am saying is, and take it for what it is worth....
Leads usually have quotas too. Work is directed to other transcriptionists and even though they say it is first in first out, that is usually not true! If you have a way to see who is working, what jobs they are getting you will see this is true. What she said was she took a stand for no work, realizes that the consequences were and went with it. Do you know how much time and lines you lose checking back and back for work? They could have let her go as most companies probably would or maybe a higher up would do something about the unfairness, though I doubt it. It is not going to change until we make it change, I certainly don't have an answer but when you cannot see what is in the dictation pool and leads and managers know this, anything can be done to you and is. Leads have quotas too and they also know where the dictation is. Probably how the girl got dictation, she knew probaby the person would be asked why she was quitting. No Transcriptionist that is solely working on line count is stealing dictation from you, you know that. She just got lucky. You should be mad that her company would give her jobs that should have gone to everybody working, where were they that they could be produced. You said it was showing no work for you. I am on your side too because it happens to me too.
MT worth
I see a lot of people say pay me what I am worth, so I would like to know - what do we think MT is worth and how did you come to that figure? What do you do to make yourself worth that? Do you proofread? Do you follow the BOS or whatever the client preference is? Do you know proper grammar, punctuation, etc? I am really curious as to what the consensus is on what an MT is worth and why? I am starting my own business, lining up several accounts, and looking to work with only the best. What things do you look for from a company? What is most important to you? What would make you want to work with someone or not work with them?
Worth of MT......sm

I would have to wonder also, would MTs rather be paid production or hourly? When I was paid hourly I had the time to proofread, research terms and do a fantastic job, however, when I went production, it is just produce, produce, produce. Don't get me wrong, I still research terms, I never guess what a doc might be trying to say, but, I will only listen for so long before leaving a blank, but, when I was hourly I might take the time to look at a previous report for the same doc or a previous report for the patient. 


I am wondering if MTs paid hourly, with the same benefits as most full time employees, such as paid time off, paid holidays, health benefits, retirement plans might not show more accuracy and feel more appreciated and therefore do a better job.


You have great questions, I would like to hear what others have to say.


I don't know how to determine what pay should be, however, I know what I make compared to many on these boards and I can say I wouldn't be able to pay my mortgage on what some of these companies want to pay. For an educated Transcriptionist with 3-5 years experience, I don't think $26-30k is out of the question. There are some on here that may make more than that, there are probably some that make less.


Anyone else have a figure that they think is fair?


Not worth it. (sm)
Crappy pay. Expect lies when they lose accounts and have no work for days on end, and the worst part, it's not true IC - they expect you to keep the schedule you set in the beginning. Yes, you get to set it, however.... when I was interviewing on the phone, the VP asked me to hold on while she IM'd some people asking where the hell they were because they were supposed to be working and weren't sticking to their schedules. They called me once at 8 a.m. on a Sunday asking me why I wasn't working, even though I worked second shift! I was an idiot. Don't make the same mistake I did.
Not worth it for me,
I do 325-350 LPH, so VR would be a huge paycut for me. No thanks!