You are being hypothetical while we are trying to find a co. where we can make a decent living,,,,nm
Posted By: Go waste your time elsewhere. on 2006-01-13
In Reply to: You are taking my post a little too seriously - orig. poster
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I have an easy account and make a decent living.
And while you are at it, TT Management,
BITE ME!!! You were fools to file this lawsuit. $294.50 to lose all credibility in the MT World. Sad, truly sad...
And many thought you were one of the good guys.
Can an MT make a decent living earning 7 cents per line
Just thought I would add my 2 cents worth. It would be great to be paid 10-11-12-13 cents per line (as an employee not IC), but that is not a reality in this job market. Yes, MTs will take jobs that pay 7 cents per line, but that MTSO is not necessarily underpaying or demeaning the MTs that work for them.
Bottom line is that you have to do your homework because, yes, there are people who can make a living on 7 cents a line and will take those jobs. It really depends on your skills and how dedicated you are to making your maximum possible lines per hour. The MTSO that is offering only 7 cents a line but has easy dictators can actually pay you more per check if you type more lines per hour than an MTSO that is offering 10 cents a line but has horrible quality, ESL dictators, nasty QA, etc and you can barely type 100 lines an hour because of it.
MY TIP: When you interview, ask what the approximate minimum and maximum lines per hour that the other MTs that are doing EXACTLY the same accounts that you are going to be doing are achieving per hour/day/pay period. If the recruiter/MTSO will not tell you that information, you probably don’t want to work there anyway so just terminate the interview before wasting any more of your time. The slowest MTs are probably new and the ones achieving 200-250-300 lines per hour have been there a long time and know the account(s) forwards and backwards. If you plan to make that MTSO a long-term employer, you will have a pretty good idea of what you can potentially achieve if you stay there long enough. Don’t let them tell you the “average” of all the MTs that work for the company or what their perfect employee Suzie Q types. We all know every account is different, so Suzie Q who just started last week and is already doing 150 lines per hour may have easier accounts than the one you are going to be working on, so that is not very representative of what your account(s) is really going to be like. Ask specifically about the accounts you will be assigned to and don’t let them distract you. Again, if they don’t want to tell you, terminate the interview.
According to the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, in 2004 !!!, the MEDIAN hourly earnings for a Medical Transcriptionist (probably mostly hospital and office based) in May of 2004, was $13.64 an hour.
Just for reference, it seems like most MTSOs have a 6000 lines per week minimum production standard which is about 150 line per hour (40 hour week) on average for full-time MTs.
· If you are being paid 7 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (150 x 0.07) = $10.50 per hour.
· If you are being paid 8 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (150 x 0.08) = $12.00 per hour.
· If you are being paid 9 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (150 x 0.09) = $13.50 per hour.
· If you are being paid 10 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (150 x 0.10) = $15.00 per hour.
If you are one of the highly trained experienced MT and type 200 lines per hour on average, you are even better off.
· If you are being paid 7 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (200 x 0.07) = $14.00 per hour.
· If you are being paid 8 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (200 x 0.08) = $16.00 per hour.
· If you are being paid 9 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (200 x 0.09) = $18.00 per hour.
· If you are being paid 10 cents per line, you are making a minimum of (200 x 0.10) = $20.00 per hour.
The median hourly earnings in 2004 was $13.64 per hour. That was almost 4 years ago. With a minimal 2% per year cost of living/inflation increase, by 2008 the median hourly earning should be about $14.76 per hour.
2004 --------- $13.64
2005 x 2% = $13.91
2006 x 2% = $14.19
2007 x 2% = $14.47
2008 x 2% = $14.76
So, in my humble opinion, if you are an experienced MT with 5 or more years of experience, when you call that MTSO offering 7 cents per line the accounts you will be assigned to should be easy enough so that you can make an average of 210 lines per hour within a relatively short period of time. If they say their experienced MTs are only doing 175 to 200 lines per hour on average, that MTSO is drastically underpaying their experienced MTs and it is time for you to move on. If they say their MTs are averaging 250 to 300 lines per hour, then that MTSO may be worth looking into further, even if their starting wage is lower than what you originally thought you should be getting paid.
I think if WE ALL start doing this, the MTSOs will start to figure out that we are not going to work for companies that underpay our skills and experience. If enough experienced MTs hang up on these companies, eventually they will figure out that the recruiters/supervisors need to be more honest with us regarding their pay structure and the difficulty of their accounts.
Some food for thought !!
More information from the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook:
Medical transcriptionists had median hourly earnings of $13.64 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $11.50 and $16.32. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.67, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $19.11. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of medical transcriptionists in May 2004 were:
General medical and surgical hospitals |
$13.83 |
Offices of physicians |
13.40 |
Business support services |
13.40 |
If you want more information, check out the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics web page for Medical Transcriptionist.
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos271.htm
Decent living..
In short....the answer about Is it possible to make a decent living with them, without having to work 40 or 50 hours per week?.... NO 
When I find decent people who know the value of decent wages, I will!
tyvm
Thanks. Can you make any decent pay with them and are the accounts decent. What is your feeling
that. Thank you.
How do they make a living if they don't get paid for their
services. I don't know that they get a percentage of the line rate, doesn't make sense that it would be like that, but I'm sure they get a flat fee. The MT doesn't pay, the company does. I didn't ask them about getting paid because that was none of my business. Maybe they don't get paid unless the MT accepts a position. A lot of companies offer referral bonuses, could be the same thing with TM.
We have to make a freakin' living
..
Terrible....can't make a living on that.
`
and when you can't make a living anymore--sm
due to schloping American jobs to third world countries..it will be too late for ANY solution.
Can you make a living at home?
I have been an on-site MT for 15 years and have clinic-only experience in several specialties. I am considering a change to working from home. I am wondering if it is possible to work from home and still make good money. Do you folks feel that you do just as well as you would working on-site?
Does anyone really make a good living doing VR??? sm
I currently work for one of the larger MT companies that is mostly VR, platform isn't bad, but just not able to get my line count up. I was curious if it just me or if there were MTs out there who were doing good on VR and glad they have made the switch. Thanks. 
Oh, but its OK that the MTs barely make living wages?
Shall we feel sorry for the poor MTSOs now? Please...buying meat past the expiration - most of this winter I had to hit the FOOD BANKS, and while working full time.
Sounds like you can make a good living, just can't
There's quite a difference.
Yes, but can we make a living with 3c/l doing the editing??? That's what I'm afraid of. nm
nm
I guarantee you, you are not the norm. Why lead someone that needs to make a living into a
situation that is getting worse all the time with lost accounts and over hiring and not knowing yet what the pay scale will be.
i am not in this for competition, just to make a living and feed my family you
insensitive b*****
Move on, girl - gotta make a living
.
WOULD LIKE TO FIND A COMPANY THAT HAS DECENT FAMILY INS. BENEFITS AND PTO
I have been working in-house at a hospital and would like to go home to work, but I am having a hard time finding a company out there that offers decent insurance benefits and PTO.. Any ideas are appreciated..
Looking for more opinions on Voice SYstems in Georgia. Anyone know about ability to make a living
here etc. Have already been told disorganized but would like more info.
Companies are hardly offer FT employees any decent benefits so I think is going to be rare to find
them for PT employees. I would love that too, unfortunately, I work too much just to get below average benefits. Best of luck in your search. Honestly, I think the only place you'll find benefits for part-timers is going in-house at a hospital.
You can make a decent salary but
you have to have good platform and not a lot of people training. I did 750 the first hour today, times that by 4 and see what it came up to.
Some make a decent check
so you cannot lump all together.
MTSO gift to their at-home MT's who make their living for them and all the office staffs' livi
Why is it so hard to share their profits with the at-home MT's? ? ? Give me MONEY for Christmas because so much has been taken throughout the year -- I won't it back -- or at least some of it ! I will buy my own gift or pay my light bill or buy my children/grandchildren a gift with it.
In general, the top echelon is getting so greedy at most MTSO's! They would have nothing w/o the MT's constantly tapping those keyboards . . . and I mean it gets more and more difficult for us MT's as with each passing year to make a decent living . . . I dare say a living of any sort. Only those MT's who have husbands to support them are happy with whatever few cents they are offered, because it is only play money for them anyway. Hubby pays all the bills. I guarantee you that if a poll were taken of the Happy MT's with their at-home job, it would either be hubby making living for them OR mommy not having to pay a babysitter to work outside the home. Those in HR/management, with a little research, can easily see how our paychecks are dwindling month by month due to lower wages because ASR/VR is taking away the decent dictators and leaving only the horrible dictators (who take lots of time to transcribe a quality report), lack of cost-of-living raises, rising electricity bills at home that the MT has to pay, high-speed internet/phone bills higher and higher and loaded with taxes, rent/mortages/taxes/insurance continuously rising.
The office staff don't have to think about those at-home costs, as theirs are paid by the MTSO during their working hours/shift, nor do they have to worry about the lack of raises, etc, because in-house employees get raises automatically with tenure or with a 6-month or annual review or at the discretion of management at any time.
Personally, my line count continues to decrease; I don't know what the reason is because in the past many years, I could transcribe 200-400 lines per hour, and I do good to transcribe 100 or 150 an hour with the horrible dictators sifted out by the VR machine Dictaphone ExText.
Please don't yell at me -- because I am thankful for a paycheck -- but why is the burden put on my fingers to WORK HARDER AND HARDER to earn that paycheck. Don't say try ASR/VR because it will double your income, because I have tried that and know better and have proven that theory to be wrong -- at least on Dictatphone ExSpeech you can't !
The other thief of a good line count/wage for the U.S. MT's is the majority of our work going offshore because it can get done CHEAPER ! Who is all that extra money saved by offshoring our work going to ?? Not the at-home MT. That is exactly why I request MONEY for my Christmas gift from my employer, rather than some promo gift that is handed out to any and everyone.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL US MT's in the good 'ole USA ! ! !
I might add that I make a decent hourly rate doing
QA, but I really earned excellent money doing MT. I cannot complain about my hourly QA rate at all. I earn more than many I know working hourly.
Believe me, one can make decent money at TransTech.
There is plenty of work and I don't think the incentive plan is low at all. A good MLS should have no problem hitting the first tier and the QA incentive should be automatic. The starting line rate is also one of the best I had run across. I'm not trying to convince anyone to come to TT, its not a good fit for everyone, just wanted to share my experience. If one is getting a negative vibe about a company, I don't blame them for not wanting to give them a try.
How can anybody make a decent line count there
I couldn't
if your platform is decent at OSI and you make line count....
nm
Are you able to make decent money? I don't mind editing either...
.
can you make decent money straight typing for .08 cpl?
with Expanders for low ESL docs?
Any of the former or current employees, can you make decent money there?
Thanks
You are also being hypothetical
If you think you are going to find a company where you can 'earn a decent living'as an MT, you, my dear, are also being hypothetical. LOL!
it's only hypothetical
x
IC often find make more on own rather than as
x
You make my point. Find what works for you. You
s
I do. I hope you find something to make you happy and
that is something you can depend on. Whether in this business or not. I wish that for us all!
Make your own nest. Find a couple of good
accounts, multiple companies if you have to. Work on them every day just to stay on top of it. I used to bend over backwards to try to help where needed, but all I ever got was kicked in the head, so now I just do my routine. When they start appreciating people, (and not just an occasional 'oh how wonderful you are' when they are backlogged and know you can do a lot of work), by some type of recognition like a raise or promotion, then you can go back to being the nice guy.
When there is a lot of work, do you find it hard to make 1100?
cause I sure do.
Keystrokers do you find it difficult to make lines? Almost
a year ago I was offered a position with KS. There were lots of rumors going around about my company so I started looking, but I fell for the lies my MTSO told and stayed put. The rumors became fact and I had to find another job. I just cannot make decent lines with new company. I went from gross line to 65 characters, which by itself can make 100+ lines a day difference. The platform is boggy and I prefer to do Ops only, but doing everything but due to my scheduled work time and the tight TAT of Ops and I'm just not happy.
I was hired for an acute care account doing Ops at KS, but I can't remember any of the other details (other than of course pay). I'm thinking about calling them to see what they may have to offer (they said call if I changed my mind), but don't want to have to start all over again only to find myself in the same situation I'm currently in with no able to make lines.
Also, what kind of Expander can you use. New job uses SH and I really don't like it.
your post doesn't make much sense. Find another job then? That's what the rest of us do!
If there is a way Spheris can make a dollar at the trans expense, they will find it.
nm
Did find a Wright Watson Sten-Tel in Austin if their site isn't old. Find 'em with Google. nm
s
Trying to find info on Encompass on this board, can't find any recent. sm
Anyone have any current info. Any employees out there? Give me the low-down if you can! Thanks a million.
Isn't that what we do for a living?
That's why keyboards were invented.
They will not hire MTs living in CA or CT.
nm
How can she pay living expenses on that? nm
X
making a living
Is there anyone out there supporting themselves and able to make living with a transcription company? i I have been wanting to make a switch but need a push. thanks so much
making a living
I have been an independent contractor for over 20 years (MT for 30) and have 5 kids which I have raised alone with no support from their dad. I have bought my own house, have a decent car, pay all my bills and my kids have many excurricular activities (which runs into moocha dollars). Hope this answers your question.
making a living
I would definitely recommend Transtech for you, and if you are full-time, they offer you benefits, and can provide you with a computer if needed.
This is where living in a certain state...
makes a HUGE difference in such things. I currently pay for the insurance for my husband and I (no kids but still need family plan) through DeVenture and it costs me a brutal $136 per WEEK, and the copays for office visits and drugs are still hefty. This is one of the main reasons so many people in this state (Maine) are uninsured...it's just too frickin' expensive
MQ looking to earn a living
With ASR making money is getting tougher and tougher. Years of transcription experience counts for nothing here.
You either need a job to fit your cost of living or a cost of living to fit your job. sm
While I agree that you cannot live in California on $35,000 a year, no one is forcing you to live in California. Suze Orman says either find a way to lower your expenses or find a way to earn more money. It's common sense :)
There was a post a few weeks ago about not everyone being cut out to be an MT. I agree.
The original poster needs to stop whining and either get a job that pays more or get a new career. She can make $15,000 on minimum wage at a mall or Walmart.
BTW, it was insulting of her to say that MOST woman don't need to work. How dare she? In this day and age, most adults need to work. This is not 1958, this is 2008. I am not a bra burner, but my husband and I both make similar money, clean the house, cook, raise our 3 children. I am just lucky to have a job where I can work from home. I hated commuting anywhere, hate traffic, no patience.
But that doesn't mean that I work less. I treat my job like a job. I work in my home office but I work all day. I do not do laundry, chat with friends, cook. I go to work each day by getting ready as if I were leaving for an office, pour my coffee, make sure I have everything I need and start. I take bathroom breaks and a lunch break and take the full hour that I would somewhere else. I work 8 full hours as I do not include my lunch hour, so my day is 8 to 5. When I am done for the day, I turn everything off, leave the room and close the door, as if I were in an outside office.
My husband has a salary of $71,000 and I make near the same as him each year. I do not work overtime except very rarely, an occasional Saturday here and there, just like if I were on salary in another profession.
I am not perfect, but I love my job and do it well. I also know that MT'ing is not for everyone, although it seems as if a lot of MT's who are not very good at their jobs have a sense of entitlement.
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