Do you want to make money from home on a flexible schedule? Working as a transcriptionist will give you just that. In this article, you will find the best transcription jobs this year. Whether you are an absolute beginner or a pro, there is something that fits your needs.
If you’re looking to work on a flexible schedule and determine your own hours, transcriptionist jobs are perfect for this. You can make some extra money on top of your regular salary or you can treat it as a full-time job. It’s entirely up to you!
When you’re looking for the best transcription jobs, it may become overwhelming. There are so many options. Which one would fit you best?
That’s why I’ve listed the different companies that are offering transcription work online. The majority of them let you control the hours you work. I hope there is something in it that suits you!
First, we’ll go into how much you can make as a transcriptionist. After that, you will learn about the best transcription jobs for beginners. Last, we will go into transcription jobs for professionals with experience.
How Much Can You Make As A Transcriptionist?
The average salary for a work-from-home transcriptionist job is $58,281 in the US, according to ZipRecruiter. That’s a great salary when you consider that you can work from home and have flexible hours.
BUT, making that salary as a beginner will be challenging.
When you’re an entry-level transcriptionist with minimum experience (less than 1 year), you earn $12.72 hourly. If you have between 1-4 years of experience you earn on average $13.37, according to PayScale.
Many companies will let you sign up without any experience, the only thing that you need to do is pass a typing test. Please note these types of companies can pay quite low.
In the beginning, things can get frustrating. You will need to learn which companies are working for you and you need to try out several sites to get enough work.
If you want to up your rate and get more opportunities coming your way, getting a certification can be the way to go.
If you want to learn exactly how to make great money as a transcriptionist, General Transcription: Theory & Practice™ from Transcribe Anywhere is the way to go. This is the best way to get certified and learn everything the professionals know in just 2 months!
Transcription Tests To Practice
Most companies will let you do a test when you sign up for their site. This is a test in order to know what your qualities are and whether you are qualified enough.
There are a couple of websites that let you practice transcribing online before you need to switch to the real deal.
You can check them here:
Let’s Get Started!
To kick off your transcription career this year, I have selected the best transcription jobs. There are transcription jobs for beginners and transcription jobs for those of you who already have experience transcribing.
If you click below, you can go directly to the sections:
Best Transcription Jobs For Beginners
If you’re just getting into the transcription jobs, here are a couple of websites and companies that are great options for beginners.
1. GoTranscript
Core numbers:
- Payment? $0.6 per audio minute
- Payment Mode? Weekly through PayPal or Payoneer
- Restrictions? No experience required
- Costs to Apply? None
GoTranscript is a platform where you can easily apply today, make their test, and get started soon. People from all over the world are accepted, without any experience. With pay of $0.6 per audio minute, that is okay.
GoTranscript doesn’t have any speed typing requirements. They give you up to 6 hours to transcribe 10 minutes of audio, meaning that even if you’re not typing so fast you can make it work. Besides that, they don’t have any monthly quote – so you can work on the time that suits you best.
A common complaint about GoTranscript is that their audio files regularly don’t have high quality.
2. TranscribeMe
Core numbers:
- Payment? $12-22 per audio hour
- Payment Mode? Weekly through PayPal
- Restrictions? No experience required
- Costs to Apply? None
TranscribeMe is a very popular transcription platform that allows anyone, including newbies, to join their platform. You can quickly get started earning extra cash on their platform. Simply fill out their form and passing a test on the TranscribeMe platform, you will get a reply within 12 business days.
On the platform, you will transcribe short audio clips that are between 2 and 4 minutes long. This will make is less exhausting to transcribe and it means that you can do shorter and more clips.
If you have any previous medical or legal background, you qualify for a higher pay rate. The average monthly earnings on the platform are $250, with top transcriptionists getting as much as $2,200.
Average earners on the platform make $150, with top transcriptionists going as high as $1215 per month.
3. Casting Words
Core numbers:
- Payment? $0.085 to $1 per audio minute, plus bonus payout
- Payment Mode? Weekly through PayPal
- Restrictions? No experience required
- Costs to Apply? None
When you want to get started using Casting Words, all you need to do is fill out their form. Depending on your experience, they will determine whether it is necessary for you to take a test.
Once you’re accepted, you can start with the available jobs that are displayed on the dashboard. You can take as much work as you want.
The pay you get for your job depends highly on the grade that you have received for your finished work. The more accurate your work, the higher your grade, and the higher your payout.
What is the bonus payout? When you are rated a 5, you get the base payout. Everything below that needs to be redone. Everything above that, you will get an extra payout. For example, if your work received a 9, you will get 3x the base pay amount.
4. Rev
Core numbers:
- Payment? $0.085 to $1 per audio minute
- Payment Mode? Weekly through PayPal
- Restrictions? No experience required
- Costs to Apply? None
Rev is another popular company that offers transcription for audio and video. It has a huge reach of over 100,000 clients including Google, Comcast, BuzzFeed, and Dropbox. When you get started, you need to pass an online test and you can start.
Once you’re accepted on the Rev platform, you can choose what projects you want to work on. They have a big variety of projects available, from podcasts to lectures. You may actually learn something and you can pick projects that align with your personal interest while making money. Win-win!
5. CrowdSurf
Core numbers:
- Payment? $0.05 to $0.17 per video minute, plus bonus payout
- Payment Mode? Weekly through PayPal
- Restrictions? No experience required
- Costs to Apply? None
CrowdSurf aims to create high-quality video captions, in order to help those deaf, hard of hearing, or second language viewers to enjoy videos. Their videos are divided into 15-35 second clips, to make the work easier and quicker for the transcriptionists.
You can do these short tasks whenever you want, wherever you want!
To sign up with CrowdSurf, create a profile and complete the test. Upload proof of identity and you can start within a week!
One side note here is that their pay is relatively low and you need to deliver high quality of work. You need an average quality score of 3.5 out of 5 to stay with Crowdsurf. However, I’ve heard many people state that they find the clips interesting and learn a lot from them.
6. Upwork
Core numbers:
- Payment? Highly variable
- Payment Mode? Through Paypal, Payoneer, Instant Pay, and local bank transfer
- Restrictions? No experience required
- Costs to Apply? None
Upwork is a huge website where freelancers can sign up and look for work. There are over 5 million businesses posting jobs op Upwork, many related to transcribing.
The more experience you have, the higher rate you can ask. There are no base rates and your payment is entirely determined by how much your client is interested in paying you.
It is a great place to start and build your portfolio. You can gain experience and start building relationships with various clients. That’s always a good idea!
7. Way With Words
Core numbers:
- Payment? $0.45 to $1.73 per audio minute
- Payment Mode? Monthly through Paypal
- Restrictions? No experience required
- Costs to Apply? None
It is a great place to start and they do have great pay. Way With Words have many projects and their audio files are of good quality.
There is just one big thing that you need to know: it is very tough to get in. They have a language test and a transcription test that is 68 minutes long!
Transcribe Anywhere offers several courses that will jumpstart your transcription career, including general transcription and legal transcription. These courses learn you everything you need to know to be successful! They also offer a great free mini-course to build basic knowledge. They offer transcription certification, which will get you further with many transcription companies.
Best Transcription Jobs When You Have Experience
If you already have some experience with transcription jobs, here are a couple of websites and companies that are great options for you.
1. SpeakWrite
Core numbers:
- Payment? $0.005-$0.006 per word
- Payment Mode? Weekly through Paypal
- Restrictions? One year of experience required
- Costs to Apply? None
SpeakWrite is a great company to work with, the only thing is that you need some experience. When you want to apply for SpeakWrite, you should be able to pass the test where you’re typing 60 words per minute with a 90% correct score.
When you pass the test, have at least one year of working experience, and pass the background check, you’re ready to start! You are able to make your own flexible schedule and the requirement is to work at least 15 hours per month.
On the SpeakWrite platform, people earn an average of $300 per month with top earnings going up to $3,000 per month.
2. Quicktate and iDictate
Core numbers:
- Payment? $0.0025-$0.005 per word
- Payment Mode? Weekly through Paypal
- Restrictions? Experience required
- Costs to Apply? $20 for your background check
Quicktate lets you transcribe short audio files that are less than 5 minutes. This can be things like letters, notes, or reports. Clients include CNN, Coca-Cola, and Ford. iDictate lets you work on audio files longer than 5 minutes, like conference calls, meetings, interviews, or YouTube videos.
Both are owned by the same company, meaning that you only need to apply once. When applying, you need to upload 3 references – they can’t be your family members. You will also need to complete a background check, which has a $20 fee.
3. Transcript Divas
Core numbers:
- Payment? $0.84 to $2.98 per audio minute
- Payment Mode? Weekly through Paypal or bank transfer
- Restrictions? Experience has a preference
- Costs to Apply? None
Transcript Divas explicitly state that they are aiming to pay more than the average transcriptionist job in the USA. This means that their pay rate is above average, which can be a huge advantage if you want to make this your full-time gig.
4. 1-888-Type-It-Up
Core numbers:
- Payment? $1-$3 per audio minute
- Payment Mode? Biweekly through Paypal, Payoneer, or Western Union
- Restrictions? Experience required
- Costs to Apply? $59 entrance exam fee
1-888-Type-It-Up is a company that gives you the possibility to earn higher pay, up to $180 per audio hour. When you want to apply for their platform, there is a fee for the entrance exam of $59. This highly reduces the competition you may have when you want to earn serious extra money with transcribing.
Their entry exam is not rated on speed, so no need to worry about your words per minute. The only thing they pay attention to is your accuracy rate. Pay extra attention to that when you take their test.
5. Averbach Transcription
Core numbers:
- Payment? $1 per audio minute, $1.5 per audio minute for jobs with a tight deadline
- Payment Mode? Through Paypal
- Restrictions? 2 years of experience required
- Costs to Apply? None
Averbach Transcription is a high-paying company with $1 per audio minute. With files that need to be delivered on the same day or overnight, you get $1.50 per audio minute. You need a minimum of 2 years of experience and there is also a skill test in place.
You will be working on things like transcribing an interview for research or transcribing TV footage.
6. SpeechPad
Core numbers:
- Payment? $0.25-2.50 per audio minute
- Payment Mode? Twice per week through Paypal
- Restrictions? Typing speed of 40 words per minute, plus experience
- Costs to Apply? None
Speechpad is another company with good rates. In order to apply, you need to pas their transcription test and grammar questions. Based on the work you do, you receive a rating. The better your rating, the better opportunities you get.
SpeechPad requires 40 words per minute, this is fairly little and you will make that for sure.
To earn extra money, you can apply for rush jobs. To qualify for those rush jobs, you need a minimum of 500 hours of audio on their platform and a rating of 96+.
Frequently Asked Questions – Best Transcription Jobs
There are a ton of questions that may be arising right now. I’ve listed a couple of frequently asked questions.
If there are any other questions that you would like answered, please let me know below in the comments!
How Fast Do You Have To Type As A Transcriptionist?
At the moment there is no such thing as a standard or minimum typing speed for the entire industry. Various companies have various speed and accuracy requirements. With 70 words per minute, you can take the majority of the work.
Don’t forget that typing is a skill you can learn. The more you practice, the better you will become. If you don’t meet the 70 words per minute at this moment, no worries. When you practice you will become better and better.
Can I Make Good Money As A Transcriptionist?
Your pay depends on your typing speed. If you type fast and make little errors, you make more money. With many transcription companies, a certification will help you get jobs that pay better. Transcribe Anywhere offers a certification program that will help you to increase your earnings potential and teach you all in the ins and outs of being a transcriptionist.
What Is The Difference Between One Working Hour And One Hour of Audio?
The rates that are quoted by the companies are per audio hour. If you would earn $80 per audio hour, that does not mean that you will get $80 for every hour that you work. An audio hour is the length of the file you need to transcribe. You will be working on that file for more than one hour.
How Long Does it Take You to Transcribe One Hour of Audio?
The rule of thumb is that it takes 4 hours to transcribe 1 audio hour. This is highly variable depending on typing speed, quality of the audio. For beginners, it can be up to 6 hours to transcribe 1-hour audio.
Can I Make A Living As A Transcriptionist?
Generally, yes you can. BUT, that doesn’t mean that everyone who tries this will. It depends on many factors like typing speed, how high are your costs of living, and how much work is available with a certain company. With many transcription companies, a certification will open up more jobs with better pay.
The longer you work on your transcription career, the more you will develop your skills and work faster. This will earn you more on an hourly basis and the chances of you making a living as a transcriptionist increase.
Best Transcribing Software and Equipment?
To start, you need a laptop or computer and an internet connection.
Besides that, you need:
- Headphones – you want headphones that are comfortable to wear for longer periods of time.
- Foot pedal – when you’re working on your transcriptions, a foot pedal can help you to work much faster. You can rewind, pause, and play audio without moving your hands from the keyboard.
- Transcription Software
Do you want to earn more money from home?
Start Earning Money Today!
Start making extra money today! List the companies that seem like they would fit your goals, apply and start your transcribing side hustle.
Within a couple of days, you can start earning extra cash. You can pay off more debt, save for retirement, or have extra room in your budget.
What do you think about transcription jobs?
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Founder of Spark Nomad, Radical FIRE, Journalist
Expertise: Personal finance and travel content
Education: Bachelor of Economics at Radboud University, Master in Finance at Radboud University, Minor in Economics at Chapman University.
Over 200 articles, essays, and short stories published across the web.
Experience: Marjolein Dilven is a journalist and founder of Radical FIRE, a personal finance platform, and Spark Nomad, a travel platform. Marjolein has a finance and economics background with a master’s in Finance. She has quit her job to travel the world, documenting her travels on Spark Nomad to help people plan their travels. Marjolein Dilven has written for publications like MSN, Associated Press, CNBC, Town News syndicate, and more.
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