SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Transcribe medical reports recorded by physicians and other healthcare practitioners using various electronic devices, covering office visits, emergency room visits, diagnostic imaging studies, operations, chart reviews, and final summaries. Transcribe dictated reports and translate abbreviations into fully understandable form. Edit as necessary and return reports in either printed or electronic form for review and signature, or correction.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 31-9094.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $28,250 | $2,354 | $543 | $13.58 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $34,150 | $2,846 | $657 | $16.42 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $40,410 | $3,368 | $777 | $19.43 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $48,000 | $4,000 | $923 | $23.08 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $55,950 | $4,662 | $1,076 | $26.90 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Medical Transcriptionists is $40,410, which is 21% lower. Among the 17 occupations of the field Healthcare Support, it ranks number 11 by median pay. With 41,550 jobs, it makes up about 2.7 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Medical Transcriptionists pay by state
The highest median pay was in Minnesota ($50,030), Wisconsin ($49,150) and Maine ($48,600). The lowest was in Oklahoma ($27,740), Georgia ($28,330) and Puerto Rico ($31,200). The most jobs were in Texas (7,520), California (5,860) and New York (2,710). The occupation is most concentrated in South Dakota, where its share of all jobs is 2.0 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 270 | $50,030 | $52,570 | $24.05 |
| Wisconsin | 590 | $49,150 | $48,750 | $23.63 |
| Maine | 80 | $48,600 | $49,150 | $23.36 |
| Alaska | 110 | $48,360 | $44,090 | $23.25 |
| Connecticut | 390 | $48,190 | $50,410 | $23.17 |
| Wyoming | 40 | $48,100 | $49,440 | $23.12 |
| Oregon | 510 | $46,280 | $48,840 | $22.25 |
| South Dakota | 240 | $46,070 | $46,740 | $22.15 |
| Nebraska | 230 | $45,880 | $45,530 | $22.06 |
| Illinois | 970 | $45,490 | $44,420 | $21.87 |
| District of Columbia | 70 | $45,110 | $43,140 | $21.69 |
| California | 5,860 | $45,050 | $47,770 | $21.66 |
| Iowa | 180 | $45,010 | $42,660 | $21.64 |
| Tennessee | 1,450 | $44,720 | $43,760 | $21.50 |
| North Dakota | 120 | $44,660 | $40,920 | $21.47 |
| Hawaii | not published | $44,310 | $42,880 | $21.30 |
| New York | 2,710 | $43,260 | $44,320 | $20.80 |
| Colorado | 610 | $43,080 | $45,670 | $20.71 |
| Texas | 7,520 | $42,900 | $38,890 | $20.62 |
| Florida | 2,650 | $42,050 | $42,750 | $20.22 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,130 | $41,510 | $41,370 | $19.96 |
| Indiana | 790 | $41,400 | $39,870 | $19.90 |
| Montana | 80 | $41,340 | $43,000 | $19.88 |
| Maryland | 230 | $39,900 | $43,080 | $19.18 |
| Utah | 210 | $39,630 | $40,030 | $19.05 |
| Nevada | 210 | $39,350 | $45,080 | $18.92 |
| North Carolina | 1,020 | $39,300 | $37,840 | $18.89 |
| New Jersey | 1,710 | $39,020 | $41,480 | $18.76 |
| Kentucky | 690 | $39,000 | $39,790 | $18.75 |
| Washington | 620 | $38,690 | $44,060 | $18.60 |
| Mississippi | 300 | $38,600 | $37,940 | $18.56 |
| Idaho | 400 | $38,140 | $39,480 | $18.34 |
| Louisiana | 420 | $38,040 | $39,660 | $18.29 |
| Missouri | 310 | $37,480 | $39,900 | $18.02 |
| New Mexico | 210 | $37,480 | $41,140 | $18.02 |
| West Virginia | 90 | $37,440 | $40,590 | $18.00 |
| Michigan | 1,130 | $37,280 | $39,360 | $17.93 |
| Ohio | 680 | $37,060 | $38,480 | $17.82 |
| Massachusetts | 400 | $36,910 | $40,060 | $17.75 |
| Arizona | 700 | $36,550 | $40,060 | $17.57 |
| Kansas | 420 | $35,390 | $37,600 | $17.02 |
| Alabama | 410 | $35,340 | $36,990 | $16.99 |
| Virginia | not published | $35,130 | $35,290 | $16.89 |
| Arkansas | 280 | $35,100 | $36,430 | $16.87 |
| Rhode Island | 80 | $34,790 | $39,300 | $16.72 |
| Delaware | not published | $34,070 | $35,010 | $16.38 |
| South Carolina | 390 | $33,870 | $37,530 | $16.29 |
| Vermont | not published | $33,030 | $34,970 | $15.88 |
| Puerto Rico | 140 | $31,200 | $31,020 | $15.00 |
| Georgia | 950 | $28,330 | $35,410 | $13.62 |
| Oklahoma | 560 | $27,740 | $32,060 | $13.34 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Phlebotomists$45,230 a year
- Psychiatric Aides$44,910 a year
- Nursing Assistants$42,260 a year
- Occupational Therapy Aides$39,160 a year
- Orderlies$38,290 a year
- Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers$38,150 a year
Common questions
How much do Medical Transcriptionists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $40,410 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $28,250 and the highest-paid 10% more than $55,950.
How many people work as Medical Transcriptionists?
About 41,550 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.