Hourly pay versus production pay

• Hourly pay versus production pay - Sim
  • Depends if there is much work or not... sm - Anne
    • I appreciate the info - Sim
  • I was better on hourly. Quality of work was better - too, since I wasn't always rushed. - N/M
  • Dermatology and radiology experience - Sim
  • Much better for me on production - Happy MT Robin
  • If you are working at an hourly rate in a hospital setting, then you are - sorry
  • years ago I did it. It took quite awhiel sm - MT too long

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To those of you who are paid production (other than MQ) - are you limited to working 39 hours a week? I don't understand being paid by the line, yet being treated as an hourly worker. Just curious as to whether this is the norm at other places. 

If you are paid on production, then I wouldn't even spend five minutes researching a physicians name because it's the MTSOs responsibility to make sure have up to date physician lists available to you.  Nothing irks me more than starting a new job with an MTSO who expects you to hit the ground running, but gives you very little to start with!

If you are paid hourly, then I would spend up to 10 minutes trying to figure something out.

If you had the choice between a shift lead type position at somewhere between $14 to $16 an hour or production on an account with a lot of normals.  The shift lead gets you experience editing, supervising, etc., but the production account you are just transcribing. You can make a lot more money at the production job, but the shift lead will get you started in a more management type of position, which would you choose? You will be stuck at that hourly wage with the lead position, but there are possiblities of moving up with the company.  But, the money on the other account is quite good, as there are a lot of free lines.  I am just so confused and have to make a decision, as I cannot work them both at the same time.   Any suggestions, comments, or feedback?  Thanks.

I've been offered two QA jobs; one that pays $15 per hour and one that pays 4 cpl.  I'm told that I can make more than $15 per hour on production because you get credit for all lines in a report, even if you make only one correction.  So I figured that to make the equivalent of $15 per hour, I would have to QA 3000 lines a day.  So here's my question, is 3000 lines of QA in an 8 hour day feasible and is it possible to do more lines than that in an 8 hour day?

Both offer employee status, benefits, etc.  Benefit plans are pretty much exactly the same down to the same health insurance company. 

I am checking into other options for transcription.  Can anyone tell me how to compare all of these types of lines & also payment per word?  I know companies use different scales, so I wondered how they compare.  I have been paid on a 65 character line with spaces, but I may be making a change in the future - don't want to get burned.

Thank you in advance!

I have always charged or been paid by 65 or 60 character lines or per letter or space typed, but have never been paid or charged per gross line.

What is the advantage of this?  If I were to charge 11 cents per 65-character line including spaces, what does this figure out to for an average line rate and how do you do this calculation? 

I'm wondering if it is financially beneficial for me to bill by gross line or to keep it the way I have it.  I do know some accounts will only pay per 65-character line, as this was the deal my first own account I recently acquired.  They were adamant on a 65-character line, but didn't specify with or without spaces and I personally would never not charge for spaces.

Thanks for explaining this.  I appreciate it and hope everyone has a speedy day.

A hospital where I worked long ago (in a galaxy not far away) had a hybrid pay system- a basic hourly rate plus incentive bonus for production over a certain amount.  I think this is the fairest way, because sometimes I'm fast and sometimes I'm slow, but I'm always accurate.  My first transcription supervisor back in the dark ages said "No one who reads that report will know or care how many lines you type per hour.  They only know what that report looks like".  I still believe that.

I went hourly....kinda.  My advantage is that I know what my paycheck will be and I don't have to worry about the difficult dictators that take FOREVER!  I am also paid for tech time and during phone calls and software issues.  On the negative side, production does nothing for me at all.  BUT, then again, what I make is about the same as 220 lines an hour.  I do get raises just like everyone else.  If there was never a chance for a raise, I would not do it.

I'm sure with your 15+ years of experience and your speed you will do very well pay-wise.  Be sure your internet research skills are honed and this will make you even more successful.  You may want to try and find an account that is all cardiology or all operative notes if you really want to hit the ground running.  Good luck to you! 

does anyone ever think of that?  Everyone keeps saying we are paid to fill in their work, but does anyone ever consider that I get paid by how many jobs I do in a day?  Filling in 20 blanks on 1 report versus filling in 1 blank on 20 reports makes a difference to me.  Nobody ever thinks a lot of us get paid just like you do, by how much work we produce.

Maybe you worked at one of those very rare places where they compensated a MT for her knowledge and expertise and not just her production.   

I worked in house for about four months last year and went back home.  Hated the office politics crap, but I made significantly more per hour at home than I did in the office.  I was considered a newbie and so wasn't paid as much  hourly as the women who had been doing it for years.  Because I'm MUCH faster than they are, though, I make more than they do working from my home.

It all depends on your line rate and your speed, and what you think good money is.

I disagree with the hourly rate.  I like to know that I get paid for the amount that I produce.  It would really be hard to regulate an hourly scale.  If you feel bad now how would you feel knowing that someone is goofing off or typing slower or whatever and getting the same rate of pay that you get?   I have a couple of subs and I know about how long it takes to do one of the psych reports but how could I know what that person is doing.   I really think that the hospitals/accounts would have a problem with this especially with us working at home.    Also how could we clock in and out at an hourly rate.  I am a pretty trusting person and trustworthy but there are times I stop and take a break and go to this board, etc.  That is why they went to the per line charge. 

And yes, I can do 2500 lines per day. For one account last month I had them keep track of the errors that they found and it was 5 out of 10,.973 lines for that month.  So I feel I do a good job but if I were to go to hourly I would lose money as with this account it takes me about 30 to 35 hours a month with delivery, printing, etc. to make $1100  to 1200 a month.   They would not pay me $35 to 40 an hour. 

After years as an MT, I'm thinking of switching to Editing...Can anyone please tell me what is the standard hourly rate to request for an Editor? BTW I live in the Midwest with a fairly low cost of living. Thank you!

during down-time and the only approved down-time is meetings and computer malfunction.  Lack of work was not approved so if there is lots of work available we have no worries, if not then we will be scrounging around for work.  I don't have time for that.

I will have to ask my supe if that is how it is because that is how I understand it.  If so, I maybe putting in my 2 weeks notice.