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

what? that's what I said.....$14 hour is realistic

Posted By: not $50,000 on 2007-04-01
In Reply to: even if you are only doing 1400 lines a day at 8 cents a line that is still $15 an hour... - passing through

I think $14/hour is decent....that is what the poster asked for....decent.


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

    Realistic. nm
    v
    this is not realistic
    nm
    That is not realistic. sm
    You have to decide for yourself.  That is the way it is in this cuthroat business.  I know DR does not steal lines, and it has been my experience that some, not all, companies do.  That is the only company I had experience with in the past, but you are expected just to be a sheep while the bigwigs get rich after your hard work.  This is not exclusive to DR, that is the way it is.  We really messed up when we gave up our hospital jobs to go home. Good look where you land.
    Certainly not realistic for a newbie, but
    there are plenty of MTs making 40K or more.  I easily make 40 to 45K full time without overtime, strictly 40 hours a week, employee status with very good benefits.  It is certainly possible, but MTs should not expect to graduate and make 40K the first year, it may take a couple years.    
    3 states away? try to be realistic
    nm
    Thanks! Sounds like their pay is more realistic than most! -nm
    .
    Yeah, that's realistic . .NOT

    That's the kind of unrealistic crap that'll keep us down.  One of the reasons hospitals outsourced to begin with was because services proved to hospital administrators that their production MTs would produce double, sometimes triple, the volume of in-house hourly MT workers.


    There's a fine balance between urging for change, and throwing ourselves off of a cliff.  I suggest you don't take another step backwards. 


     


    I think the other poster is more realistic
    In 2002 I was making 9 cpgl that on average (in a stand-alone DOS working environment) averaged 11 to 13 cpl.  When you work on someone else's network through someone else's internet connection, your speed drops and I would be amazed if that 6 cpgl averaged to anything about 8.5 cpl.  Nothing to make you shout from the roof tops but more than enough to keep you from qualifying for food stamps.
    Be realistic - not everyone can get the smart source
    account because not everyone lives in the states that are applicable to those accounts. I was stuck doing the multiple cruddy hospital accounts. It would have been fine if I could have stayed on one hospital, but I was jumped from hospital to hospital and hospital. Let's face it, it gets pretty damn hard to get a 1200 line count when you are being jumped from one account to another to another throughout the day. But I'm sure there are super transcriptionists with every company that can do it; I'm not one of them. I had no problem reaching 1800 on one account, but I had to be left ON ONE ACCOUNT to get to it!

    And to the poster above - yes, the recruiterS (with an S) do pose as employees on this board. So keep on laughing. It's not a big secret at the company.
    Actually I have a really good attitude towards everything..im just REALISTIC!
    Yes you are right the AAMT sets standards then changes them..to make money.

    I am a very happy upbeat person and people like you drag the happiness down ... BORING PEOPLE...that is what I would consider a poor attitude LOL.

    I was expressing the way things are...realistically...not saying people SHOULD NOT be professional, but you CAN be professional and LAID BACK AT THE SAME TIME..unless you have difficulty with multitasking LOL.

    Don't be such a drama queen about it..i'm entitled to my opinion. Don't worry BE HAPPY SWEETIE!! Life is grand...live it to the fullest..arguing makes ya old!
    Thanks so much for the realistic point of view.
    I need some reality-based grounding and your post really helps a lot. I don't want to make any rash moves out of fear of the unknown. But it is so hard, as you know, when your bread and butter relies on the unknown (almost). I am sorry the stress is taking its toll on you. I hope that things get better for you. At least the pay has not dropped considerably because that would be really bad. With the econmony the way it is it is impossible to get credit and really it would not be good to live off of credit cards anyway. We have to keep a roof over our heads and it is really scary to try new things while needing the money. Thanks again for your point of view. It really does help.
    Be realistic. Someone has always had to work the weekends (sm)
    Used to be in house we floated them around until you had enough seniority to opt out. Sometimes we got extra people to work weekends. Now we have so many newer MTs who have never had to work in house and put up with holiday and weekend rotation. Not blaming them, of course none of us want to work them. But because we don't/won't work them or the really crappy night hours, MTSO have resorted to using other means to get the work done.

    We, and our preference for M-F day shift schedules, have contributed to the outsourcing issues. Like it or not. We have done some of this to ourselves.

    Have been doing MT over 30 years and paid my dues as far as weekends/holidays go, but I am still working a Sun-Thur schedule and find a way to make it work. Have never had a problem flexing my schedule around on a Sunday if something comes up I want to do or take a PTO.

    This is a real job and if we are not willing to work when they need us, perhaps they won't need us any more.
    Thanks, Justme, for an uncommonly realistic input. NM
    x
    You need to be realistic. Most places do not give you equipment any more. Too many problems. I do
    no msge
    think, people! If she does 250 lines/hour, same docs daily, will make $15/hour
    nm
    100,000/year - no way. I charge $35/hour and work 10 hour days - sm
    AND I DO NOT CLEAR $100,000/YEAR.


    what's not to believe - I said that I charge $35/hour and work 10 hour days AND DO NOT MAKE - sm
    I DO NOT MAKE $100,000/YEAR

    try READING the post.
    $35/hour x five 10-hour days = $1,750 gross/week.
    x
    $20 an hour is not even average for radiology. You should not make less than $25-30 per hour. sm
    I work for Keystrokes and have for 3 years. I average 25 reports an hour, which is $31.25 an hour. I have 401, health insurance, direct deposit, life insurance. My lead tells me I'm wonderful when I talk to her, but I do not need a daily pat on the back.

    I also have a good friend who works for them on a clinic. She only makes 0.08 per line but does 300 lines an hour, which is $24 an hour, again higher than your $20.

    I don't think we're selling ourselves short. There are companies out there that are good to work for, 6 or 8 of them that I know of personally. Don't settle for $20 an hour.
    Well if I could do 500 lines per hour, I would be making 35.00 an hour. sm
    nothing to sneeze at. More than fair for having a 2-year degree. Come on people, we are all acting like we expect 6-digit incomes! Whatev!
    If that's $9.50 an hour, that would be just under 6.5 cpl at 150 lines an hour. nm
    s
    Are there any QAs out there that are getting paid by the hour at 15+/hour? If so, where are you and
    how are the work conditions/requirements/benefits,etc?
    For example, I count every hour on the hour with my job
    and while I was posting here and also checking email in between I averaged $22 an hour for 2 hours, not bad for someone who is a) slow or b) does not have a lot of time in transcription work; therefore making me a prime candidate for VR.
    The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Let's be realistic. sm
    Voice recognition is not perfect and works best with a Transcriptionist working on it as well or it does not work. It is VERY expensive, and the estimate is that only 10% of transcription with go this way, and most of that is radiology.

    I also believe that offshore transcription will be less and less tolerated by hospitals. The work returned is terrible, the TAT is not what is promised, and the fact that private medical records are leaving the country is a HUGE factor.

    I think we just need to work through it, and it will come back to the U.S.

    Remember when we were told that computers would replace us???????
    hour

    Anyone know of a service that pays by the hour for full-time and lets you work at home?


    24-48 hour TAT and that's what they get....NM
    x
    For 13.50/hour to QA - um - no thank you
    x
    24-hour TAT
    Many of you post about having a job with a 24-hour TAT and/or no scheduled times as long as the work gets done.  Are there nationals that offer that or is it usually a local arrangement?  I want to find something that doesn't have a specific shift, just letting me work as I fit it in during the day.
    24-hour TAT

    We actually have 48-hour TAT.  I work for a local cardiology group in my area.  We can work whenever we want as long as the work gets done within that amount of time.  We can work weekends to make up for time during the week, etc..  That is the main reason I hate to give up my job.  I could make a little more elsewhere, but I prefer the flexibility.


    $10 less an hour
    I was laid off from HIS about 2 years ago. I had quit Edix to go to work for HIS as it was a better job. When I was laid off, I was denied unemployment, as I had quit the prior job. I hope those of you who just got laid off have better luck with unemployment. It is estimated from previous employment, unless you have worked for HIS for 1 year.
    Do I take a job that is -10 per hour? sm
    I got a job offer already but it is $10 a hour less than I was making at Heartland as a QA. The only perk is the bennies. Do I take it? Even unemployment would pay more I think!
    $20+ per hour for QA.........
    which is what is should be! Do you realize the admission clerks or people that greet patients and input info into the computer can make 16 or more an hour for data entry type work?!?! Can everyone please start respecting themselves and this profession. It's really starting to upset me :(
    $8 hour an hour
    I hope I misunderstand your response. Are you saying $8 an hour is a fair wage for a professional MT? Furthermore a true IC should be compensated approximately 50% more than the going rate to cover taxes, lost benefits, time off, etc. If companies could not get MTs to work for 7-8 cents a line as ICs, then I truly think we would be in this position. Unfortunately, we have become the trailer trash of the medical field because some, not all, MTs are willing to settle for less than they are worth. I am wondering what the long-term consequence will be for this field. Certainly it will not attract the level of professionals it should.


    Too low - more like $16-20 per hour. nm
    x
    24 Hour TAT
    I don't know of any national companies, but have you tried local doctor's in your area? I have a 48 hour TAT for the 5 doctors that I work for. Good luck in your search.
    Pay per hour
    If you are an experienced MT (10 years) with Meditech, Dictaphone Extext experience, Word, and experienced in various programs to access voice files, what would be the hourly wage offered to you to work in-house in the state you currently live?  Thanks.
    12-24 hour TAT job
    See the info. on LTS on the company board. I have worked there for 5 years, good people, pay on time, no spaces though; but you have about a 24 hour TAT, depends on when you get the sound files I guess off the FTP. I used to get my work at about 5pm, due back by 3:30 the next day (though some is due back by 10 a.m. due to it being picked up by the courier for delivery). I am now getting my voice files by 10 a.m. so I have at least 24 hour TAT (more actually). So it is a true IC job which is nice; you tell them how many minutes of work you want and then have it back to them the next day no later than 3:30 p.m. and everyone is happy. The only thing they ask is a little warning if you are not planning to work a day, week, whatever, the more notice the better. But good people and will work with you with emergencies, etc. They know life happens.
    MDI-MD gives you a 24-hour TAT. nm

    They are saying $8 to $9 per hour...

    but this seems low to me.  I was just wondering what the range was in different states or this would be the normal range for this position.  Thanks.


    at LEAST $30/hour
    i was there last year and made at least that much without trouble.
    I have a 12 hour
    They set them up around dayshift or afternoon.  I work a 12 hour window on dayshift and it is between 5AM and 5PM.  Works perfect for my schedule around the house. 
    Pay by hour
    I don't think I've ever heard of an MT being paid by the hour to work from home.  Our small local hospital MTs work from home and they are paid per line.  They are  hospital employees.  Even if you did find one willing to pay by the hour they probably wouldn't pay more than minimum wage.  Very sadly when I started MT on-the-job training in a hospital, I was paid minimum wage and it looks like we're going to go full circle.
    how much per hour?
    i am trying to figure out the rates for speech editing relative to MT. I figure that at 8-8.5 cpl, i can make $20+ per hour with decent docs. but i haven no idea about speech - you say 5 cpl. can you make $20/hour at 5 cpl. that is 400 lines an hour - i sure couldn't type 400 lines. can you actually edit 400 lines per hour? wouldn't you like fall asleep after just reading and listening to reports for 4-5 hours. what happens if you miss stuff?
    $10 hour + 7 cpl

    Making at least that hourly, plus 7 cpl, plus employee status (PTO, holidays, blah blah blah.)


    Doesn't sound like I'm getting that raw of a deal.


    Why? I am doing $32 to $35 per hour at 8.5 cpl sm
    My next career I'll be billing out at $90 an hour, but I have not finished my degree yet.  Still, $30 an hour even is excellent for being home, calling your own shots and working at your own pace. 
    I believe they pay more than 5.5 an hour, but
    nm
    $25 an hour
    Are you on a specialty account? I would like to hear from somebody who is thrown into a pool with hundreds of doctors and interns who averages $25 an hour from home. Must be superwoman/or superman. Maybe inhouse with all the macros? Maybe there is just something wrong with me? Share your secret.
    $50-70/hour??
    To MTHeaded - Please tell us the name of the company you work for and how much you get paid (per line?, per hour?, per page? ) as I have never heard of anyone making between $50 and $70 an hour routinely. Do you have a lot of normals? What's the secret?
    That's $20.00 an hour...sm
    I feel for you.  What chump change.
    One hour more is a lot to some of us. I, for one, have a s/m
    large family including small children and older children who need to be run everywhere, etc. I already get up at 5 a.m. to start my work to get finished by the time my first child comes home from school. One more hour IS a lot to parents who are already stretched too thin as it is.

    It is easy to sit back and give someone a hard time and say they are whining, but until you have been in the shoes of a frazzled single parent or otherwise, whose schedule is harried as it is, please do not criticize us for having an opinion on the extra hour. You aren't gaining anything by saying we have a sense of entitlement. What, by chance, entitles you to criticize us? I am glad you have extra time in your day, but some of us do not. I wish to God that I did.
    24 hour tat
    nm