Lots of variables
Posted By: Happy MT on 2008-12-20
In Reply to: MT pay survey! - curious girl
There are a lot of variables to what you are asking. It also depends on what your definition of good money is. I have a FT job and a PT job, both of which pay 8.75 cpl. I average about 200 to 220 lph, so it's a good living for me. I don't have any credit cards, my car is paid off and my mortgage is fairly low. I also don't have a family - just lots of cats. I should qualify that the FT job doesn't start until January. I had a FT job in-house at an Oncology practice up to about a week ago making $14 an hour.
I work for Landmark part time (and I've been VERY pleased with my association with them so far) and the new FT job is with Probity. I've read mixed reviews of them so far on this board, but my dealings with them so far have been very good and extremely professional.
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There are lots of variables there....
It took me approximately two weeks to really get the specifics down on the account I am currently working on. That is just the account specs. The DO's and DONT'S. It is about 75 pages long. I still am not used to all of the doctors yet because I have not had the opportunity to transcribe for all of them enough to be able to get used to them. I work for a national, but my account is for a large hospital, so there are doctors there that I have not even come across yet. I have been on this particular account now for 3 months. I have the specifics down cold, and like I said, that only took a couple of weeks to get.
I have had other accounts that only took a few days to get used to because they were smaller and didn't have that many specifics.
The bottom line is that it depends on the account itself. The client is going to be the one that will determine how long it will take you to get used to an account based on how many instructions, etc. they dish out for their accounts. Each and every account will be different. You may notice a pattern at some point, but you can't really count on a set amount of time or categorize it into a specific time frame.
Just my opinion.
Lots of variables
There's a lot of variables that go along with that, primarily on how good your Expander is and how much you have in it. I happen to know from the last couple of days that I am more than twice as fast with an expander. I've been typing without it because of a software glitch. The company I work for wants every abbreviation expanded and I do mean everything. I had to type percutaneous endoscopic gastronomy tube out at least 6 times for a 25 minute discharge summary.
There are lots of variables. How fast you
type, do you use an expander, do you have good dictators or lots of ESLs and crappy dictators, is the platform user friendly, are you doing acute care of clinic, do you have lots of normal/templates, do you get paid/counted for spaces, gross line versus 65 character line.
You really can't compare yourself to anyone else. A lot of people (not all) care about producing lines and don't care about quality of the product. They refuse to proof reports, say that is what QA is for. Some people just seem to have a talent for MT, have lots and lots of expansions/templates, have an extensive knowledge base so they don't have to look up much. If you do clinic you tend to have one speciality and only a handful of dictators so you can make lots of normals so you can produce more lines.
I can do 2000 lines/day on occasion, but can't do it every day. I've done 3000 lines before, but that is rare.
neither slow, nor stupid, but I think there are lots of variables that need to be addressed..
such as all the crap some companies want you to put into headers, cc's, etc., and make sure you know every word in the client's profile and check every day to see if anything changed - (of course, they don't PAY for time spent researching client profiles) - it's like "who's on first?"
BBQ, slaw, cornbread, ham, casseroles, lots of veggies, chicken pastry, lots of desserts!! BIG fami
.
Lots of inexpensive decorations at Big Lots. Had a party last year.
s
LOTS and LOTS of video tapes and DVDs.
x
Variables. sm
It probably varies. In my situation, she gets a sufficient retirement check, not rich by a long shot, just barely adequate enough to get by. We get no aid what so ever. She has been on a waiting list for over 3 years to have house cleaning help. There is transportation to and from doctors available almost anywhere, but they essentially "dump" them out with no help. My parent cannot see, she just cannot be dumped out and left to do on her own.
Too many variables
Basically because there are too many variables and can only give you a range of cpl. Depends on your experience, what type of service you will provide -- digital or tapes with pick up, printing and delivery, etc. Are you talking gross, or 65 character per line, font, margins, spaces, headers, footers. Without all the information it is hard to answer a question. But I would figure a guess in the range of 12 to 14 cpl for clinic notes. But that is a range only, your area could be higher.
Variables
There are so many variables that it is hard to "point you in the right direction". Each of my account works somewhat different. You have to decide how to count your lines for your accounts and what you will charge, will it be gross or cpl? As for software that also depends on each account. Know the HIPPA guidelines. Also if you are just starting out -- at least I felt this way and still do -- you have to be ready to accept any and all accounts if you want your foot in the door - so that means having the capability of doing tapes, picking up and delivering, digital, etc. If you limit yourself your chance of failure goes up. Again my opinion. As for contracts a lot do not agree with me but after so many years with the same accounts I do not work with one. But when I did, I simply wrote up stating what I would provide and what the client would provide, outling turn around time, rate per line, etc. But even with a contract they can quit your service at anytime stating "poor quality" or something like that. There are no big secrets of getting your own accounts and no book to go by, you simple go out and hand out or mail out brochures/flyers, etc. letting people know that you are available and what service you will provide. But if you want someone to hold your hand step by step you will have to go out and hire a consulting marketing firm to do that for you. You do need to see if your city needs you to have a business license, see if you need to file your name with the State, etc. I keep mine as simple and uncomplicated as possible and all my clients seem to appareciate that. They give me the tapes, I type and return back in an agreed upon TAT at a agreed upon price. Good luck.
There are a lot of variables to consider
I would say 500 lines on an account you know and in Word (I do not work on MT platforms) would take say 4 hours tops, but it all depends on how much experience you have as an MT and also how well you know your accounts.
many variables
Farther on down there are some comments/replies to this question. It depends on whether or not you are doing digital, picking up tapes and delivering back hard copies, etc. Also your experience. As much as everyone thinks that we MTSO's rake in the big bucks by subcontracting our work -- we are lucky to make 10% after the cost of gas, if we deliver and pick-up, the non-billable hours of invoicing, QA the account, the marketing, the customer service to the account, etc. Also be prepared that you will be the one to cover when that IC decides not to work -- as an IC they have that choice, call in sick, or whatever and if that happens with 2 out of 4 you are up all night typing. That is why I have cut back to have enough for mainly myself and one I/C that works a very small account and if something happens I can cover easily. Also think about who will cover for you and the administrative part of the job when you go on vacation or get sick. But all that aside, start small with one account for yourself and charge what you feel you need to make a decent hourly rate, .11 to .13 cpl either gross or character count seems to be a good starting point if that is what the going price is in your area. Pay your IC's .08 to .09 cpl so that they can make a "decent living" that they want. I am not trying to tell you not to just pointing out some of the pittfalls and to start off smaller with just one account for yourself, get used to the "business" aspect of it as well as the medical and then in a while if all goes well grow. Also remember that just as easily you get that new account, you can lose one and then you will have to lay off your IC's as you yourself will need the work. Also remember that when those docs are on vacation, around holidays or the summer the workload goes down and that is usually when the IC is clammering for more work and wondering where is the work. Remember to keep enough money is reserve to pay your IC's on time so that when the clinic runs 30 to 45 days late in payment, you can pay them and not yourself or your bills. Even though they are a business also, they want their money whether or not the account pays. Have enough work on hand to keep the accounts happy with 24 TAT and those "emergencies" of being one person short but not too many so that your help runs out of work and especially when the account decides not to dictate for 3 days and then you get it all at once. There are accounts out there but you have to probably send out 100 to 200 flyers/contacts made to land one and if you are willing to put in the time -- go for it. It is not as easy as everything thinks but for those with the determination and drive it is there for you. Good luck. Patti
Too many variables
Depends on what rate per line they pay. This is gross line which is good but if itis 5 to 6 cpl per gross line versus 9 cpl for 65 characater probably not. Also is it clinic notes, same docs, Basic 4 or what. too many variables here, not enough information. Only you can tell by what your paycheck shows.
variables
With all due respect, there are many more variables from the side of the MT than you have mentioned. I admire you for giving the information in your ad that you say you give, and I am sure you have had more than your fair share of MTs with little to no work ethic or those desperate for a job who will say they can do it just to get their foot in the door and be given an opportunity to try hoping it will work out--and for some of them, it doesn't. I can appreciate the bind this places you in.
But if you are dealing with ICs, then maybe they are not necessarily hiding from your calls and e-mails but just working the hours they choose to work. ICs are not employees as you know. I am an IC and the company I work for expects "employee" status from me in many ways and they are wrong to treat me as an employee and not give me the benefits of being one. This has me thinking more and more of going elsewhere. Perhaps, just perhaps some MTs perceive your company as being like this and they get frustrated and quit. Just perhaps.
Also, no MT knows what a job is going to be like until they actually do it for a while. Listening to some voice files and seeing templates helps, but there is so much more. Until you work the platform, until you see how many lines you can do for a particular dictator per hour, until you have done this for a few days, you cannot judge whether this particular employer is for you or not. In my present job, I get feast or famine with the same TAT expected. Feast can burn out an MT. Famine can scare one off. And when I get good speed on an account, they take me off of it and give me a new client because they say I am good and they want me to do the client's work so the client will stay. Very flatering to me, but not necessarily financially the best thing for me. Constant change slows production--more variables from which an MT must decide to stay or not. This may not be your situation, but this another variable we MTs must consider.
I've done other types of secretarial work and it is much like MTing -- you don't know the job until you've been there and tried it. All either side can do -- you and the MT -- is try to find the best fit and see if it works out to the advantage of you both. I don't think either side wants to waste their own or the other's time.
What you may consider is a good account may be horrible to the MT after he/she has done it for a week or so. You may think your platform is top of the line but maybe the MT finds it cumbersome, slow, a time-waster. He/she moves on because there are bills to pay. Even your line rate, good as it sounds, cannot salvage a bad fit. I'd rather work at a lesser rate and speed right along and produce tons of lines than struggle every day for a high rate. Now I'm not suggesting you lower your rates LOL!!! Goodness, we NEED rates like that!! I'm just saying if the MT for whatever reason decides he/she cannot make good money with you--a good hourly rate of production, good lines--they will move on.
They might have been totally honest with you on their resume but when confronted with all the variables of the job, they found it just did not work for them. And you, as an MTSO, have no way of knowing whether someone is being truthful or not, or of knowing if they will be pleased once they begin to work for you, or if you have someone who is careless and misrepresenting themselves and just biding their time until something else comes along at which point they abandon your ship.
You sound like a fair, honest person who has been burned too many times. But MTs get burned too and I guess at this point in our profession we are suspicious of one another and the low wages overall makes the MTs quick to move on if it looks like the job won't give them what they need. We can't afford to wait it out and see if it gets better with this or that company. If it does not work from the beginning, we have to move on because our time is precious too.
Some of the actions from MTs which you describe are NOT right and those MTs pull this profession down to a lower level of respect. But this, for many, is today's work ethic unfortunately no matter what business you are in. I've seen it in corporations and in healthcare settings. It's like people just don't care anymore about their job. And for that, I have no answer to give you as it leaves me amazed too.
Everybody is different and every day is different. Too many variables. SM
What I earn depends on work type, staying focused, concentration, etc. I have been through 5 jobs this year due to lack of work. I currently have 2 but my motivation is lacking, trying to get my mojo back. Good luck. Don't judge yourself on what other people earn. I personally know a lot of MTs who make fantastic money. I made in the mid 30s.
variables
There's a lot of variables involved - your typing speed, your Expander software, the platform you will be typing on, etc. When I first started out as a brand new MT, I was lucky to do 100 lph. Now that I've been doing this a little bit more, and have good Expanders and shortcuts set up, I can do 250 lph. My goal is to get up to 350 lph - I've talked to a lot of people who say it can be done.
If you're just getting back into it, I would say figure 150 lph as a good base, and then once you get back into the swing of things, you'll increase from there. Don't plan on that right off the bat, though. I just started a new job on Monday and I'm working very closely with QA. I'll be lucky to make $100 by the end of the pay period, but that's the way it works at the very beginning sometimes.
There are too many variables. It depends
on how many lines you can produce, how company counts lines and if it is hard to get lines due to their system, do you have lots of bad dictators that slow you down, how hard you are willing to work, how smart you work (macros, expanders), what shift you work and if there is a shift differential, etc.
There are many MTs that make $20,000.00 or less and many that make $40,000.00+ based on past postings to that same question.
Agree with you -too many variables.
I pay my IC's 8 cpl for my psych work as it has a long Turn Around Time and all they do is type, I pick up, print, QA, deliver, etc. to the psychologists. But even at that, they can average one report of 400 to 500 lines in 60 minutes, depending on the tests, done, etc. but I made so many templates when I was doing the account that it is very easy to do and very good money. But then if you compare that with one of my clinics that has a very nice doctor but talks 220 words per minute and it slows down to only 200 to 250 lines per hour. So there is a difference there. You can only assume the lines you would be typing in a day and times it by 8 cents and then times how many days you are working a week, etc. Too many variables -- what if there is no work?
Patti
Because of all the variables involved, sm
I think it's ridiculous that your team leader would post such a thing. Every MT's situation is different--different accounts, shifts, work types, hours, etc.--and a team leader should know that. As far as working for a national goes, I feel less "communication" is better. Why stir things up? These companies ought to just let us transcribe and keep their silly emails to themselves. Don't they know the old saying, "Familiarity breeds contempt?" Maybe your team leader needs more real work to do. Don't let it bother you. Just do your part and forget about it.
One time I told a national bigwig (because my opinion was requested) that if I were asked to draw a cartoon which described this company's relationship with its MTs, I would draw the MT in a cage, sitting at her computer, with a (particular) "suit" poking the MT with a big stick, saying "They produce more when they're angry."
Fortunately now I am a happy IC with a very nice company that treats its MTs with respect. Ya have to kiss a lot of toads in this life, ya know?
Probably would depend on a lot of variables.
what I would do. I would have to be in the situation, I guess.
There are so many variables involved that you
really can't compare things. A lot of the people making that money have their own accounts or are working many hours. You don't know if the person making 60,000 is an IC and has to pay their own taxes. IC positions generally pay better than an employee position. One acccount may not pay for spaces or headers. You might actually be doing the same amount of lines, but they aren't being counted.
At one time it wasn't that difficult for someone to make that amount of money if all the variables were favorable. These days it is harder because line rates are overall lower and companies are always reconfiguring how to count lines in their favor.
If you are pleased with the amount of $$ you are making that is all that really matters and I would not feel that you are inadequate.
The problem is they are trying to standardize that which has too many variables.
Important details in documentation are going to be left out. Patient care is going to suffer. Forget about our jobs, we should worry about the medical treatment we will receive from doctors who do not have our full and complete histories.
But there would be variables at ANY line rate. (nm)
s
Wow. I don't know that there is "an average". So many variables here.
Depends on if it is known accounts or new accounts/dictators; familiar specialties, etc.
My overall average line count in transcription is about 275 lph. This would include HPs, Ops, Dis, Cons, ERs, clinic notes sometimes and anything else that might pop up here and there like a procedure note, etc.
I know as many MTs (or are we considered MLS's now? lol) who average much more and those who cannot make that.
Guess I didn't help much, huh?!
I agree with Patti . . . too many variables
Here's a link to an article I found some time ago, which suggests multiplying gross line count by .70 to attain an estimation of an equivalent 65-character count line (or 30% less, as Patti also suggested). It really just depends on too many factors though.
http://www.mtworld.com/tools_resources/line_counts.html
There is a reason they are called variables.
The most lucrative setting is where you get paid a better than average line rate to produce reports dictated by clear-speaking doctors who say the exact same thing for each work type and never backtrack while you work on a platform that has no headers, footers, or demographic entry that you don't get compensated for.
However, that is hard to come by so you will have to decide for yourself what suits you best from the options available to you.
Line rates can also be regional. Too many variables to
give somebody else hope that they might someday get the same rate. If you don't like the rate an employer offers, don't take it -- that's the only way to make them listen. It's not the baloney you seem to think it is.
There are so many variables at play that it's dangerous to compare to others along these lines. s
I know that there have been occasions when I've had a run of one of my more familiar docs -- one for whom I have a lot of canned text and who tends to dictate with a great deal of regularity, and quickly -- and I've been able to break the 500 lph barrier, but only briefly. Otherwise, working a large hospital account as I do, with dozens of regular docs and a hundred or so others who just crop up now and then, I can't conceive of anyone averaging anything close to that ... I'm luckly to average above 250-275 lph on a typical day, and some days -- when it's resident and ESL heavy -- that can go down to 150-200.
But, again, it's really pretty silly to compare lph between different MTs unless the variables are the same.
variables: clinic v. acute, employee (benefits) v. IC (pay taxes);
nm
Lots of us did.
Been here 8 and got $130. One lady got 2 cents and another 1 cent. It's CRAZY!
I have lots of them...
Hello! Email me if you still need sites for OP notes - I have quite a few good ones I can send you...
Laura
LOTS
I'm on my 4th since July.
Tried Transolutions, what a joke. Told I would be on the windows system, ended up on the old DOS system with 40 pounds of manuals to look through. Had 3 accounts assigned at once and one of the team leaders was absolutely nasty.
Tried Precyse, had absolutely NO work whatsoever for 10 days and was supposed to be full time.
Tried Interpro, what a joke!!! They act like you are taking up precious time if you even ask a single question (like how to set up the stupid program they send you).
Tried a foreign company, the work I saw that they were sending to the hospitals was so bad I didn't want my name associated with any of it!
Been with eTransPlus now since August 8, so far so good. Wanted to go with Transcription Solutions but they don't do training on any shift but days and I'm a night person.
Still looking for a part-time job, but with 20+ years I'm NOT working for 6-7 cpl without spaces!
I saw in a newspaper last night that nursing assistants are making 15 an hour now and LPNs are making 25. I would make more doing something like that, but I can't. When I see phlegm, I turn a lovely green color..lol
I think there are lots of us
I don't worry about it. I'm content being mateless. Whether we realize it or not, we're probably extending our lives this way---much less stress. No relationship drama.
I just got one for $499 with XP and lots of...sm
other great things. I was going to buy this $319 Dell one, but if you spend $499 they waive the $100 shipping and handling fees. It's all there at their website....delldotcom.....and you customize whatever you want. I had forgotten that I needed a floppy drive and went right back to the website when I ordered that 'puter and added it on. I need a floppy drive to put private MDs work on diskettes so they can upload them to their systems.
Thanks--Lots to think about
I will think it over and see what I can come up with. Thanks again!
Lots and lots sm
On one of my personal computers where I had (as usual) TONS of AutoCorrects and AutoTexts stored every once in a while Word would freeze up or close down (I forget now which) and everything would be lost. So, I made sure to back up the normal.dot and the .acl (I haven't had to do this for a few years so I'm not sure I have that 100% correct) often so I could reinstall them. I also saved the documents I was working on every few minutes and made that easier by changing the F12 button to a "Save" button. One day I had a brilliant idea and went in to AutoCorrect Options and unchecked everything I could that was not important to me and it stopped happening! I only mention this in case someone else out there has this problem. 
But I have TONS and TONS of entries and I have never had one just disappear without some other reason for it other than I had too many in there.
Not only that, but lots of MTs get a little
if they have too many mistakes or blanks. So the insinuation that we would be so lazy as to just send in ALL blanks is pretty silly. If our payscale is tied to our quality, the last thing we want is to leave lots of blanks.
Lots of
unhappy people here. Glad I'm not one of them. ;-)
Lots longer
I don't know - I've been an MT over 25 years, am a super fast typist, use expanders, and have a great platform and accounts, and it takes me a good 5-6 hours, with a 15 minute stretch break here and there, to make 1000 lines. Bad dictators - a good 8 hour shift to make 1000.
THANK YOU ALL, lots of inspiration! NM
.
There are lots of differences
Acute care is so much broader as far as need for knowledge of terminology in many different specialities. Clinic transcription can be of any specialty, but usually if you have a clinic account it will be limited to one or two specialties.
There are many different work types in acute care. Clinic work consists of mostly a history, physical exam, and plan. Acute care includes things such as operative notes, consultations, etc. which are "a whole different ballgame" as far as terminology.
there are lots of good MTs like you.sm
but they are NOT the ones that are always applying to companies...they are not the ones that leave a client in the lurch or fit the description.
I have had a lot of really good ladies working for me for a LONG LONG time now and would do anything to keep them because a good Transcriptionist is so hard to find.
But there are those that give MTs a bad reputation just like in all professions.
Good MTs do not sit on these boards blasting people asking legit questions. Good MTs are the ones always answering the word boards, equipment boards, etc with kind and thoughtful answers. There are many of those...just wish I could find one or two more
Actually there are lots of happy MQ MT's...
but it all depends on which "office" they work for - Columbus=Happy/Amherst=Unhappy.
No consistency! 
LOL! Lots of OPs? Or are you an MQer too? ;)
..."was reamed," lol.
Me too, lots of bankies.
Also hubby, dogs and cats.
i do rad work & i need lots more of it!
Yes, tea has lots of antioxidants -
But there are lots of fields where you can come right out
what you get a degree in. Something like sociology, anthropology, etc. - no, probably not many jobs. Psychology you really need a graduate degree. Social work you can find jobs with a bachelor's but not that well paying, so would need a graduate degree.
But look at a lot of the medical professions - heck, nursing, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, medical technology (except they call it something else now), radiology, pharmacy, etc. etc. - all are BOOMING. Just gotta be smart about what you get your degree in.
There are lots of options out there.
Oh, I can relate. It took me 2 years before I made any money, wanted to give it up several times but stuck it out. Now I'm glad I did because working at home is worth all you have to go through in the beginning. Keep watching the job seekers board. You will eventually find something you like. One thing I love about this industry is there is a fit for everyone, if you don't have it now, you can find it. In any case, don't give up, MTs are hard to come by (the reason so many companies offer sign on bonuses). I worked as an IC for 10 years, loved it but had to go as an employee. Anyway, where I'm at doesn't quite cut it so I'm off to a new adventure with a new company. The bottom line is, you can find your dream job, just don't get discouraged in the hunt, but keep looking.
Wow, there are lots of people on
132 people on right now. I suppose maybe because so many people don't have any work to do.
Lots of posts about them nt
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