Are you looking to earn additional income, perhaps as a side hustle, and have intermediate to advanced typing skills? You might consider part-time or full-time jobs from home. Perhaps you were searching for “transcription jobs for beginners,” and if that’s the case, you’ve come to the right place. While some transcription companies only employ experienced transcriptionists, others offer beginners the opportunity to develop their skills and earn a position.
We spent hours researching the best transcription jobs for beginners to start earning money from home. Also, we left out the companies that had less-than-perfect reputations. Indeed, it’s because we want you to be successful. In addition, we outline the skills and tools you’ll need to succeed in this growing and flexible industry.
What Is Transcription?
Transcription, or transcribing, involves converting audio content into a written format. Many services and businesses utilize transcription services. Examples include:
- Legal Transcription – Attorneys and court systems use legal transcriptionists (or court reporters) to transcribe all legal files and proceedings, from hearings to letters to depositions. Legal transcription jobs require beginners to have a familiarity with legal terminology.
- Medical Transcription – The medical industry uses medical transcriptionists to record physician comments and notes into written text for medical records. Most companies offer medical transcription jobs.
- Academic Transcription – Undergraduate and graduate students, professors, and researchers require transcription services.
- General and Business Transcription (corporate and creative services) – Businesses often transcribe recorded meetings into written or electronic text for employees and investors to review. Sales meetings, market research projects, and even email threads get transcribed. Podcasters and other creative clients often have their audio files transcribed to assist those with hearing impairments.
What Is a Transcriptionist?
A transcriptionist listens and transcribes (or records) information from an audio source into a written text transcription format. As an employed or freelance transcriptionist, you will listen to hours of audio and transcribe audio files with one or multiple speakers with different accents simultaneously in various settings.
Transcriptionists listen to recorded interviews, lectures, & news broadcasts. Also, they may listen to music performances and speeches from many types of audio sources. You might also convert speech into text on websites and social media platforms. Based on the number of transcribed words, this work tends to pay per project or by audio or video minute. An experienced transcriptionist may even earn more per audio minute.
How to Start Working From Home As a Transcriptionist
Job Requirements For Beginner Transcriptionists
For starters, beginning transcriptionists should at least have intermediate typing skills. Individuals desiring a transcription career without typing skills should take an online typing course. Most companies require some type of assessment exam after completing their application form.
Other skills that successful transcriptionists possess are:
- Excellent listening skills.
- A command of the English language.
- The ability to understand heavy accents.
- The ability to concentrate for extended periods.
No matter what the transcription job entails, beginners pursuing entry-level transcription jobs must be able to type the words and sounds that they hear accurately and quickly.
Transcriptionist Earnings
The average earnings are $15/hour, depending on experience and transcription skills. However, individuals with transcription experience can earn $60,000 or more annually working from home. Most transcriptionists get paid by the audio minute. And, your monthly earnings and average rate will depend on how much you work and the audio minute rate paid.
The Best Companies Offering Transcription Jobs For Beginners
Several websites offer transcription jobs as part of their online workforce. So, we’ve completed hours of research, and here are our recommendations for the best online transcription jobs for beginners.
Daily Transcription
Daily transcription specializes in legal, corporate, and medical transcription. This company always looks to hire professionals, novices, and beginners for transcription jobs.
Before reviewing an interview, you’ll need to pass a “skills assessment test” and a transcription test.
Regardless of your experience level, their team will offer training and feedback. Daily Transcription values people who have an eye for detail and can meet demanding deadlines.
The company claims to pay higher rates than its competitors, such as Rev, Scribie, etc.
An entry-level transcriptionist makes roughly $0.75 to $0.85 per minute, and a top transcriptionist earns between $250 and $950 per week.
AccuTran Global
For beginners, AccuTran Global offers transcription work frequently. First, you don’t need any special qualifications or vocational skills.
You will work with audio files from clients in various industries, such as business, legal, and medical transcription.
Based in Canada, AccuTran Global hires only citizens of the United States and Canada and must also have a minimum typing speed of 70 Words Per Minute (WPM) to qualify.
Starting, AccuTran Global pays $0.0055 per word and can earn as much as $20 per hour.
While working for this company, you will receive your payment on the 15th day of the following month.
Keep in mind that AccuTran Global considers its work a priority. Once you have accepted a job, you should complete it immediately.
Ubiqus (Verbal Ink)
If you are interested in high-paying online transcription jobs, Ubiqus rates high as a trustworthy company.
The company offers medical, legal, and corporate transcription and translation services.
To apply, you must have at least one year of experience in transcription. However, applicants who can demonstrate transferable skills may be accepted.
Unlike many other transcription companies, Ubiqus occasionally hires full-time transcriptionists, complete with benefits.
Most transcription work is part-time contract work, which gives you the flexibility to work according to your schedule.
The average pay rate is Roughly $1 per 170 words, and it is the website to know more about the jobs.
CastingWords
CastingWords offers a variety of transcription and translation services to its customers. According to the company, they are always looking for talented freelance transcribers and editors.
The company provides general transcription services for virtually any industry. Pricing and delivery differ from other transcription companies.
Typically, transcribers get the payment by the minute, but the rate changes depending on the package selected.
They offer crowdsourcing transcription services to clients; in other words, they distribute projects to freelancers.
CastingWords also offers a guaranteed 24-hour turnaround. If you’re a lightning-fast transcriber, get in touch with them. Moreover, you must be 18 or older.
The company provides most transcription services in English, but they also offer transcription services in French and Spanish.
Professional Transcriptionist Skills and Essential Equipment
What skills do beginners need to get a transcription job?
If you do not already have the following skills, you may want to work on them and purchase the essential equipment beforehand. Amazon is an excellent online source for essential equipment and speech recognition software.
- Attentive Listening & Accurate Typing: One of the essential skills to be a successful transcriptionist. You must be able to listen to audio recordings and type what you hear accurately and quickly.
- Fast Typing Speed: If you want to deliver your project on time and increase your earnings, you must uphold a fast typing speed (WPM). If not more, you must aim for 50 words per minute.
- Good Grammar, Spelling, And Punctuation Skills: As you become more proficient with these skills, you will be better able to type what you hear.
What equipment does a transcriptionist use?
- Reliable Internet Connection: You’ll need access to a reliable high-speed internet connection to transcribe audio and video. Certain companies may also use transcription software that requires broadband connections.
- Foot Pedal: A foot pedal allows you to control the audio recording with your foot while transcribing. You can rewind, fast forward, and pause the recording without taking your hands off the keyboard. It is the best way to improve transcription speed.
- Express Scribe: Express Scribe is a free audio player software used by typists worldwide. You can use Express Scribe software to transcribe audio recordings on your PC or Mac.
- It uses keyboard Hotkeys to make controlling the audio and video more accessible. For example, F4 is for stops, F9 plays, F7 rewinds, and F8 fast-forwards. You can quickly control the audio/video once you master these keys.
- Both free and paid versions are available. It also works with the foot pedal and other special equipment.
- Headphones: To transcribe, you’ll need to hear the audio. For this task, you will need headphones or headsets. Headphones will help you focus on the audio to type accurately. It will also be helpful if you work from home and need to avoid distractions.
Transcription Companies That Pay Well
Some companies offer transcription jobs to beginners and the opportunity to earn money from home in days. On the other end of the spectrum for transcriptionists, some companies require experience, which will come with much higher pay rates.
While researching this article, we came across Transcription Outsourcing, LLC. They hire U.S.-based transcriptionists with a minimum of 6-12 months of experience or a certification from a reputable transcription school.
We’ve included them here because they pay more than the companies listed above. Transcription Outsourcing and companies like them almost always require a criminal background check because of the confidentiality of their work. So be ready to provide them with your identification, such as your social security number and physical address, if you want to work there. Most companies that pay more will require you to take a proficiency test and get a 95% or higher score.
Pay rates vary from $.80 to $1.10 per audio minute. Overnight or rush rates for some legal and law enforcement transcriptions can pay up to $5.00 per audio minute from companies that require experience.
Final Thoughts
There are many reasons why so many people find legitimate ways of earning extra income online. And, as more people want to work remotely, they look for additional sources of supplemental income. The good news is that many of these companies pay well, provide some training, and allow you to control your hours per week.
