To SandyGirl: MDI pays 10-11 cpl 65 char., sm
Posted By: ExpMT on 2005-12-16
In Reply to: oh be real and tell the truth ! - SandyGIRL
Spheris pays 10 cpl + incentive.
FC pays 10 cpl and 11 cpl on weekends - IC status.
QT pays 9 cpl - gross line, IC status.
JLG pays 10 to 12 cpl 65 char.
As you can see, there are companies out there who will pay 10 to 12 cpl, albeit IC status mostly, but they are out there.
I hope this helps you find the right company that pays the "big bucks"!
Merry Christmas!
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Two companies, both 65 char lines including spaces, one pays 0.10/l and the other 8.5/gross line. n
x
What is a 55 char gross line compared to a 65-char line including spaces?
t
You're comparing apples and oranges here, SandyGirl. SM
You're talking employee status in NYC. Some of us are talking IC status where we set our own rates and do the work we're most productive at.
I am settled into a comfortable routine. I know just exactly how much work I have and how long it takes me to do it.
You should really be careful about calling folks liars when you have absolutely nothing to go on but what YOU get paid. It makes you look pretty silly and uninformed.
Own accounts; 12 cpl 65 char and 17 cpl 65 char.
Accounts are on the West Coast.
VR pays half of what typing pays...
If you would read her post more closely she said she does VR, which pays half of what straight typing does. I do VR and have made 4 cpl, so 5 is actually good and 4-5 is an industry standard, and may be even less if you are an employee. The problem is that you have to double your line counts in order to make decent money, which is not always easy. I embrace VR because I like it better than straight typing, but it is not productive for everyone, no matter how hard you try.
8 CPL, 65-char w/ sp.
RTI, Inc./California (but I am in AZ as IC. Think I could do better.
0.775 (?? how they figure it) and 0.8 (65-char w/ sp)
/
A 5-char word would be better....
I just counted an entire report that I had done earlier. It's typical of clinic reports that I type every day. No long medical terms, just the basics.
It probably isn't the most reliable way, but using MS Word Count, the report has 394 actual words, 2387 chars with spaces.
So, if you want to say a word is 5 chars:
Divide all the characters in the report (2387) by 5 (the number of chars per word).
Then divide by 8 (for the number of words per line).
This comes out to 59.67 5-char, 8-word lines.
Again, using MS Word Count:
To calculate a 65-char line:
There are 2387 actual chars in the report. Divide 65 into 2387.
*There are 36.72 65-char lines.
To calculate an 8-word line:
There are 394 actual words. Divide 394 by 8 (words per line).
*There are 49.25 8-word lines.
That's an easy way for her to do her line count for this company, as all she has to do is let MS count the actual words in her report, then divide by 8 to get her line count.
Pay for this report:
36.72 (65-char lines) at 0.08/line -- $2.88.
49.25 (8-word lines) at 0.08/line -- $3.94.
With the pay being 0.08/line, comparatively speaking, that still comes out to about one extra 8-word line (for every three 8-word lines she types) when comparing it line for line to the standard 65-char line.
At 0.08/line, a 5-char, 8-word line would be $4.77 for the same report. If the OP wants to go to the trouble of counting this way, she would do well.
She could probably also find a line counting program she could program to generate her bill and simplify everything.
10 cpl per 65 char line
I include all spaces, headers, footers, etc with a 24 hour TAT.
65 char line
while you are in a Word document, click on Tools from the bar at the top. Then click on word count. You will see characters (no spaces) and characters (with spaces). If you are paid by 65 characters with spaces, take that number and divide it by 65. Then take the result and multiply the result by .08 or .09 if you are paid 8 or 9 cents per line. That is the amount of money you made for that one letter.
1385 by 65 char line.
nm
65 char per line is not the same as gross?? sm
You said "Anyway go with gross line, I still quote it as 65 characters per line which it is but I count by gross and 12 font."
65 char per line is NOT the same as gross. How in the world do you come to the conclusion that it is? If it was the same, then the 65-char line would not even exist. Gross line count means that even a line containing only one word is counted as a whole line. 65-char. line means that a line must contain at least 65 characters (i.e., letters, numbers, or symbols) to be counted as a whole line.
Gross line does not equal 65-char. line and you are doing a huge disservice to your clients and to the other MTs asking for advice here by saying it is. Clients do sometimes check the line counts to see if they match (obviously yours don't so you have been lucky so far) and if you bill them at gross lines and they are counting at 65 chars per line, your line count will be quite a bit higher and it will look like you have been padding your line counts.
Please, do clarify how it is you feel a gorss line is the same as 65 char. per line. Also, font does make a difference when using gross lines but does not make a difference when using 65-char lines so again, your theory that you are switching fonts tells me you are, indeed, charging gross lines and yet are quoting clients at 65 chars a line.
Does anyone else think this is just a tad on the shady side ???
I'd count it too via 65-char just as you are doing the rest - sm
especially since you print it out, ink costs money, as does paper.
Gross lines vs. 65-char
A gross line is anything on a line IS a line - usually the standard is Courier 12, 1 inch margins - that way, if a doc wants Arial or Times New Roman or any other font, he will know that it will always be counted in Courier 12 regardless of the font he uses.
65-char means based on a 65-char per line basis, lines are counted, so it is not a "line" unless there are 65 characters on it - the counting programs that count this convert the document to one big long document without returns, etc., linking all the characters in one long line and counting them that way. Clearly you can see how many fewer lines you would get by this method. When this was brought into the business it was touted as a "fairer" way of counting - but the only one it is "fairer" to is the doctor - it cuts the lines vs gross lines an average of over 30% - for example, if you are making 7 cpl for a 65-char line, you are in reality making 4.8 cpl gross lines - quite a difference.
.11 cpl/60 char. line for hospital
account that I do from home and am also considered an employee. They pay my insurance and also offer family insurance for 110.00 a month. I also have another account for a brain and spine trauma center that pay me .13 cpl/65 char. line.
Here's the thing. We were paid on a 50-char line SM
because we were on new software and it was hard (before EDiX). Then we went to 60 char and you have never heard the screeching and griping (LOL. We just didn't know).
I have told this story before, but for five years I was the supervisor in the MT dept. All I did was evaluate MTs, line counts, average lines per hour, just endless figuring. I could tell you off the top of my head what any particular dictation should count out to.
In fact, after I decided to go back to transcribing, I knew the very day that my former employees started cheating - our line counts were posted by ssn on a computer-generated list. I knew that work like the back of my hand.
When EDiX did their spiel, I was eager to start with them because I knew how they supposedly counted their lines and I knew how many lines a day I could type. Man, I was gonna be RICH.
Not one line count EVER matched what it used to. Bad thing about that is, I just got blank silence on the telephone when I asked what was the deal. When I asked my immediate supervisors how they were counting these lines, I got "I don't know. I'll get back to you." Nobody ever answered my question. I gave them a year full time, and then I had to start working other jobs to make ends meet so I quit.
They asked me to come back, and I said I would, part time. They said they really needed me on that account. All told, I was employed there three times in three years. I never made enough money to even cover my basic expenses. I cannot live like that.
My biggest problem with nationals, and the reason I refuse to work for them, is that the money goes to the suits first, the MTs next. People who do what we do simply do not need that much supervision. If they hire newbies who do need extensive supervision (and they do, we all did), we all pay for it in that situation -- I'm not against hiring newbies, by the way, but the $ it takes to hold their hands the way the need their hands held should not come out of the pocket of the veteran MT who sits down and chugs out her work day in, day out.
So no more nationals for me. I make three times what I made at EDiX now, working for a company that could be considered a national because we're scattered out, but it's still run by the owner, and her aim in life is for us to make as much $$$ as possible because then SHE does. That's the way it should be.
National companies treat MT as a cost center and that is not right. That's for the facilities to do. The MTSO should treat us as an income-generating entity instead of a hole to divert money away from their executives. They've got it all wrong!
Gross versus 65 char line
Can someone tell me how a gross line is calculated. Thanks.
I charge by 65-char line with spaces...sm
The two accounts I've worked on wanted 0.5 inch margins on both sides. One of the accounts wants 10-point Times. The other wants 12-point Times. They want the margins so big because they are trying to save on their paper costs, because the sticky back paper (I think that's what they use) is apparently quite expensive. I send the documents via e-mail for them to print on their own. Anyway, charging for a 65-character line with spaces nets me more than a gross line because of the margins, font, and typeface. Try it with your line counter. I have one built into my Instant Text (which I don't use for invoices) and SylCount. Both of them show that the gross line is quite a bit less when the margins are this big.
Why not charge for spaces? You type 'em like you type a letter or number! 
Gross lines versus 65-char, etc.
I think the above poster misunderstood me. I was trying to simplify the difference between counting a gross line and counting a line via character - which IS basically blowing out the document to full 65 character lines (with or without spaces)and counting them, versus counting anything on the line as a line.
That is true, though - the best way to compare documents is to look at the gross line count (after changing margins and font to 1" and Courier 12 respectively), then taking the character count and dividing by 65. Many who have never been paid by gross lines or have not really compared the difference would be amazed to see how many less lines you get on a 65-char count.
10 cents/line 65 char. w/spaces,
Small company (about 7 of us, I'm the only part-timer) Acute care, mix of dictators, 1 year part-time experience.
Can someone please tell me what $5.00/1000 words converts to in cpl when 5.5 char=1 word? nm Thanks!
Only if that is coupled with a line definition of greater than 55 char.
.
65-char line to client and charge for gross? sm
That's a bit underhanded. If they ever get suspicious, your line counts are going to exceed what they count at 65 char. a line. You said yourself that 65-char/line and gross line are two different things, so why do you contract with the client saying you bill for one and actually bill for another ?? That's shady, IMO, and I would never quote my client a 65-char line and then charge them for gross line.
At 40 hours a week? Is that gross line or 65 char?
You'll never get an accurate comparison unless you have every single detail lining up, i.e., same rate per line, same amount of hours, same type of work, same doctors dictating, same amount of Expander entries, same typing speed, same method of payment, etc., etc.
It just doesn't matter what anyone here posts -- it's going to be different for each individual. There is no real true way to predict what you will make at this profession!
then they'll offer you 8 cents/ 65 char line. very sad nm
dfd
THANK YOU! That is my point. She still pays taxes, her DH still pays taxes...
so who exactly is getting cheated? And just who are you talking about when you talk about whether it is "fair" or not. I don't give a crap how much taxes my neighbor pays. It's none of my business. And if I found out they were paying less in taxes than me, I would ask them how they heck are they doing it so I can do it too!
I just want ask, is it necessary to get personal and insult? You disagree with me, fine. But I've been called a liar, a cheat, a no-ingetrity thief, my intelligence has been insulted, and I have had my parenting skills questioned. That is a little over the top. If you cannot debate an issue without resulting to personal attacks, then YOU are the stunted one!
It is a very good thing that some of you work at home, ALONE! You are sorely lacking in people skills and diplomacy. Let me guess, when you worked in the office you were one of those girls who didn't like to share her desk, griped if someone dropped a crumb on your desk, and kept track of everyone's breaks, lunches, and line counts just so you could tattle to the supervisor! I've worked women like you, it was like working with kindergarteners. That's why I came home to work. Do us all a favor, looking in the mirror, count your wrinkles, and realize that this isn't high school anymore!
127 if based on 65-char line (8243 divided by 65 is the formula) nm
c
Industry standard used to be 65 char and font didn't matter...
but that's all up in the air now - sometimes lines are gross lines, sometimes it's character count divided by 65. If you are on a line count that just takes characters and divided by 65, then font doesn't matter. It might SEEM it takes you longer to make your line count but not really relevant.
I quote a price per gross 65 char line, say 12 cpl, but then convert
I have one client who doesn't want bulk and is Franklin condensed 10; another is on Garamond 12 with a 1 inch margin R and L. I take a large block of type, put in a format that gives me 65 char per line and do a line count that way and get a price for the whole block, for example, 58 gross lines at 12 cpl = $6.96. Then I take the same type and format it as the client wishes, get a line count and divide the dollar amount by the lines. If their formatted version came to 28 lines, then 6.96 divided by 28, would come to 24 cpl for their format. I always include a line on the invoice to indicate their 65 char line rate. Something like
2586 extended lines at 0.24 cpl = $620.64
(your line rate converts to 0.12 cpl for standard 65 char line)
I always educate the client as to the industry standard of the 65 char line which allows clients to compare apples to apples...
I just re-read his email and he said he paid 9 cpl per 55-char line! Must be offshore. sm
I'm going to bring up the offshore issue with him and HIPPA issue as well. My OB/GYN just switched over to that practice to do just GYN and specialize in urological gyn, so they have my records too and I sure don't want them overseas. Even if they don't want to hire me, that's fine and I'm not going to sales pitch him at all, but I don't want my records outsourced.
who pays 40% tax?
I'm an IC and keep track on my gross income and taxes on an Excel spreadsheet. I use this link to calculate my taxes: http://www.pensoft.com/taxcalc.asp
I claim married status, one dependent. I'm paid semi-monthly. I make certain to double the SS tax at the bottom of the page.
My taxes are between 22% and 25% of my gross earnings, depending upon what the gross pay is. Never had a problem with the IRS yet.
So, if 40% of your gross earnings goes for taxes ... something is WRONG!!!! 
no-pays
What do to if the company you work for doesn't pay for two months and stops answering mails and work is stopped as well? I am in a different state than Ohio.
no-pays
Here is their web site: www.prioritymedicalresource.net
Please send me suggestions how to get this woman behind bars? Is it a very long process? She is not responding to phone calls, e-mails, faxes.
VR - Who Pays The Best?
My hands hurt and I am thinking about getting into VR. Who pays the best for VR these days? Are slow typist more productive with VR than straight typing? Thanks
IC with two accounts, one pays 20+ cpl
Mine currently pays .13
Which MDI pays 10 to 11? MDI-MD told me
x
What company pays this much
Would love to know who pays this much for VR editing.
Whoever pays you, you do what they want. If you don't like it find a job where they do it your wa
:+
Yes, transcription actually pays them better...sm
but that doesn't mean we should be sending confidential, private information over to them, where it can be spread all over the Internet and used in whatever way they choose, not to mention taking jobs away from U.S. workers. Frankly, I'm SICK TO DEATH OF IT!!!
When a country can't pay their own doctors, dentists, nurses, etc. a living wage, this is why they need a new government, a new way of running their country, not the old ORDER OF CRAP they have had for so long.
how can they both be union and one pays so much more?
x
My job pays by the keystroke!
nm
MedQuist pays more. They pay 80% of your
nm
I know a doc in FL that pays 4.5 CPL to India
Editing pays less. sm
The VR is crap and ever since we started it, WMX, I have continued to make more by typing from scratch. VR only helps the people who usually do a low line count, less than 150 lph. That is with my company. Some people love it, make more. I am sure it has to do with the VR software. Ours is crap.
Editing Pays More
Without a doubt, I can make more money by editing. I can edit more than twice as fast as I type. Also, I can edit longer without taking a break. The editing process is not as physically demanding as typing.
I get 3.9 cents per line for editing and 8 cents per line for typing.
MQ pays 70% of your MT rate, much more than
nm
Yes, there is. SE the employer pays 1/2 of your SS tax. sm
As IC, you pay all of your SS tax.
MDI Maryland pays 10+ cpl
Their range is 9-11 cpl, statutory. I've been with them for a year and a half and they're a good company. By the way, that's not "incentive" based - the rate is the rate. Peace of mind for those days when you just can't crank out line number 1701 LOL.
So you're saying someone pays you
around $50/hr, HOURLY not production, to MT? So a hospital, doctor's office, or MTSO, pays you $50/hr for an hourly position? Whaaaaat?
My national pays .11 cpl (nm)
nm
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