Medical Transcriptionists
Medical Transcriptionists (SOC 31-9094) earn a median $40,410 a year ($19.43 an hour) in the United States, with 41,550 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Minnesota.
What medical transcriptionists do
Medical transcriptionists transcribe medical reports recorded by physicians and other healthcare practitioners using various electronic devices. The reports cover office visits, emergency room visits, diagnostic imaging studies, operations, chart reviews and final summaries. They transcribe dictation for reports such as patient histories, physical examinations, consultations and discharge summaries, and translate medical jargon and abbreviations into their expanded forms. They review and edit the transcribed material for spelling, grammar, clarity, consistency and proper medical terminology, and they distinguish between homonyms and recognize inconsistencies in medical terms, consulting dictionaries, drug references and other sources. When they identify mistakes in a report they check with the doctor to obtain the correct information. The finished reports are returned in printed or electronic form for the physician's review, signature and corrections, and for inclusion in the patient's medical record. They also set up and maintain medical files and databases. O*NET alternate titles include medical scribe, clinical scribe, medical language specialist and documentation specialist. About 39 percent of respondents report a postsecondary certificate and 34 percent some college courses. Medical records specialists are counted in a separate code.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a postsecondary certificate as the typical level of education for this occupation (39 percent).
Also called: Certified Medical Transcriptionist, Clinical Medical Transcriptionist, Clinical Scribe, Data Transcriber, Documentation Specialist.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.58 | $16.42 | $19.43 | $23.08 | $26.90 | $20.05 | 41,550 |
| Annual | $28,250 | $34,150 | $40,410 | $48,000 | $55,950 | $41,710 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where medical transcriptionists earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $21.14 | $22.83 | $24.05 | $27.73 | $31.05 | $25.28 | 270 | 0.09 | 0.34 |
| Annual | $43,970 | $47,480 | $50,030 | $57,680 | $64,580 | $52,570 | ||||
| Wisconsin | Hourly | $18.70 | $22.17 | $23.63 | $25.47 | $27.43 | $23.44 | 590 | 0.20 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $38,900 | $46,120 | $49,150 | $52,980 | $57,050 | $48,750 | ||||
| Maine | Hourly | $19.37 | $20.38 | $23.36 | $26.43 | $28.10 | $23.63 | 80 | 0.13 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $40,280 | $42,380 | $48,600 | $54,980 | $58,440 | $49,150 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $16.06 | $16.89 | $23.25 | $25.90 | $26.28 | $21.20 | 110 | 0.33 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $33,400 | $35,140 | $48,360 | $53,870 | $54,660 | $44,090 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $19.26 | $22.11 | $23.17 | $26.90 | $28.54 | $24.24 | 390 | 0.23 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $40,050 | $45,980 | $48,190 | $55,950 | $59,360 | $50,410 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $10.84 | $14.10 | $20.62 | $22.19 | $23.76 | $18.70 | 7,520 | 0.53 | 2.00 |
| Annual | $22,540 | $29,330 | $42,900 | $46,160 | $49,410 | $38,890 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $17.30 | $18.58 | $21.66 | $25.50 | $30.11 | $22.97 | 5,860 | 0.32 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $35,990 | $38,650 | $45,050 | $53,040 | $62,620 | $47,770 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $17.29 | $18.43 | $20.80 | $22.21 | $27.29 | $21.31 | 2,710 | 0.28 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $35,950 | $38,330 | $43,260 | $46,200 | $56,750 | $44,320 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.81 | $17.12 | $20.22 | $23.72 | $28.48 | $20.56 | 2,650 | 0.27 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $28,720 | $35,610 | $42,050 | $49,340 | $59,240 | $42,750 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $15.49 | $16.35 | $18.76 | $21.60 | $26.90 | $19.94 | 1,710 | 0.40 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $32,220 | $34,010 | $39,020 | $44,930 | $55,950 | $41,480 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $21.60 | $23.80 | $28.00 | $28.00 | $28.85 | $26.80 | 680 | 0.29 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $44,930 | $49,500 | $58,240 | $58,240 | $60,000 | $55,750 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $22.15 | $24.14 | $27.61 | $37.13 | $37.13 | $29.58 | 200 | 0.18 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $46,070 | $50,220 | $57,420 | $77,220 | $77,220 | $61,530 | ||||
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | Hourly | $21.58 | $22.44 | $26.87 | $26.87 | $34.51 | $25.64 | 30 | 0.25 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $44,890 | $46,670 | $55,890 | $55,890 | $71,790 | $53,320 | ||||
| Portland-South Portland, ME | Hourly | $23.36 | $24.53 | $26.60 | $30.17 | $30.17 | $26.40 | 30 | 0.11 | 0.40 |
| Annual | $48,600 | $51,020 | $55,320 | $62,750 | $62,750 | $54,920 | ||||
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | Hourly | $18.24 | $21.03 | $26.36 | $26.90 | $27.93 | $24.41 | 100 | 0.16 | 0.59 |
| Annual | $37,940 | $43,730 | $54,830 | $55,950 | $58,090 | $50,770 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $15.49 | $18.43 | $21.16 | $22.06 | $28.24 | $21.39 | 2,910 | 0.31 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $32,220 | $38,330 | $44,010 | $45,870 | $58,730 | $44,480 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.27 | $18.58 | $18.58 | $21.70 | $29.66 | $21.23 | 2,290 | 0.37 | 1.37 |
| Annual | $35,920 | $38,650 | $38,650 | $45,140 | $61,700 | $44,160 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $13.94 | $14.10 | $16.78 | $19.43 | $23.52 | $17.85 | 1,300 | 0.32 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $29,000 | $29,330 | $34,910 | $40,410 | $48,930 | $37,140 | ||||
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | Hourly | $8.30 | $10.79 | $13.17 | $22.00 | $22.08 | $14.82 | 780 | 0.70 | 2.60 |
| Annual | $17,260 | $22,440 | $27,400 | $45,760 | $45,930 | $30,820 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $13.39 | $15.27 | $18.61 | $23.81 | $25.03 | $19.56 | 720 | 0.16 | 0.60 |
| Annual | $27,850 | $31,760 | $38,700 | $49,530 | $52,050 | $40,680 | ||||
Top industries employing medical transcriptionists
Offices of Physicians employ 38.2% of medical transcriptionists nationally (15,880 jobs) at a median $44,670 a year ($21.48 an hour), followed by Business Support Services (27.0%) and General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (10.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offices of Physicians NAICS 621100 | 15,880 | 38.2% | $44,670 | $21.48 |
| Business Support Services NAICS 561400 | 11,220 | 27.0% | $32,220 | $15.49 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 4,440 | 10.7% | $47,150 | $22.67 |
| Outpatient Care Centers NAICS 621400 | 1,910 | 4.6% | $46,110 | $22.17 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services NAICS 541600 | 1,680 | 4.0% | $46,160 | $22.19 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (41,550). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $30,100 for medical transcriptionists in May 2021 and $40,410 in May 2025, with employment of 55,830 and 41,550.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $30,100 | $14.47 | 55,830 |
| May 2022 | $34,730 | $16.70 | 48,680 |
| May 2023 | $37,060 | $17.82 | 52,420 |
| May 2024 | $37,550 | $18.05 | 43,070 |
| May 2025 | $40,410 | $19.43 | 41,550 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
50 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota profile | $24.05 | $50,030 | $43,970 | $64,580 | 270 | 0.09 | 0.34 |
| 2 | Wisconsin profile | $23.63 | $49,150 | $38,900 | $57,050 | 590 | 0.20 | 0.75 |
| 3 | Maine profile | $23.36 | $48,600 | $40,280 | $58,440 | 80 | 0.13 | 0.49 |
| 4 | Alaska profile | $23.25 | $48,360 | $33,400 | $54,660 | 110 | 0.33 | 1.25 |
| 5 | Connecticut profile | $23.17 | $48,190 | $40,050 | $59,360 | 390 | 0.23 | 0.86 |
| 6 | Wyoming profile | $23.12 | $48,100 | $36,440 | $63,960 | 40 | 0.13 | 0.47 |
| 7 | Oregon profile | $22.25 | $46,280 | $37,080 | $68,910 | 510 | 0.26 | 0.97 |
| 8 | South Dakota profile | $22.15 | $46,070 | $36,160 | $59,870 | 240 | 0.54 | 2.00 |
| 9 | Nebraska profile | $22.06 | $45,880 | $36,370 | $53,080 | 230 | 0.22 | 0.83 |
| 10 | Illinois profile | $21.87 | $45,490 | $31,760 | $55,070 | 970 | 0.16 | 0.60 |
| 11 | District of Columbia profile | $21.69 | $45,110 | $37,460 | $47,370 | 70 | 0.10 | 0.38 |
| 12 | California profile | $21.66 | $45,050 | $35,990 | $62,620 | 5,860 | 0.32 | 1.20 |
| 13 | Iowa profile | $21.64 | $45,010 | $25,600 | $52,660 | 180 | 0.11 | 0.43 |
| 14 | Tennessee profile | $21.50 | $44,720 | $26,420 | $60,250 | 1,450 | 0.44 | 1.65 |
| 15 | North Dakota profile | $21.47 | $44,660 | $26,280 | $50,260 | 120 | 0.28 | 1.04 |
| 16 | Hawaii profile | $21.30 | $44,310 | $31,540 | $52,310 | ** | ** | ** |
| 17 | New York profile | $20.80 | $43,260 | $35,950 | $56,750 | 2,710 | 0.28 | 1.05 |
| 18 | Colorado profile | $20.71 | $43,080 | $32,010 | $62,290 | 610 | 0.21 | 0.80 |
| 19 | Texas profile | $20.62 | $42,900 | $22,540 | $49,410 | 7,520 | 0.53 | 2.00 |
| 20 | Florida profile | $20.22 | $42,050 | $28,720 | $59,240 | 2,650 | 0.27 | 1.00 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania profile | $19.96 | $41,510 | $32,070 | $52,510 | 1,130 | 0.19 | 0.70 |
| 22 | Indiana profile | $19.90 | $41,400 | $25,710 | $51,240 | 790 | 0.25 | 0.92 |
| 23 | Montana profile | $19.88 | $41,340 | $31,470 | $56,350 | 80 | 0.16 | 0.61 |
| 24 | Maryland profile | $19.18 | $39,900 | $31,840 | $60,140 | 230 | 0.09 | 0.32 |
| 25 | Utah profile | $19.05 | $39,630 | $27,460 | $49,490 | 210 | 0.12 | 0.45 |
| 26 | Nevada profile | $18.92 | $39,350 | $36,400 | $51,730 | 210 | 0.13 | 0.50 |
| 27 | North Carolina profile | $18.89 | $39,300 | $21,850 | $51,360 | 1,020 | 0.21 | 0.78 |
| 28 | New Jersey profile | $18.76 | $39,020 | $32,220 | $55,950 | 1,710 | 0.40 | 1.49 |
| 29 | Kentucky profile | $18.75 | $39,000 | $27,940 | $52,420 | 690 | 0.35 | 1.29 |
| 30 | Washington profile | $18.60 | $38,690 | $35,780 | $59,920 | 620 | 0.18 | 0.66 |
| 31 | Mississippi profile | $18.56 | $38,600 | $23,660 | $48,460 | 300 | 0.26 | 0.96 |
| 32 | Idaho profile | $18.34 | $38,140 | $30,890 | $50,030 | 400 | 0.47 | 1.76 |
| 33 | Louisiana profile | $18.29 | $38,040 | $30,600 | $51,160 | 420 | 0.22 | 0.81 |
| 34 | Missouri profile | $18.02 | $37,480 | $29,570 | $49,810 | 310 | 0.11 | 0.40 |
| 35 | New Mexico profile | $18.02 | $37,480 | $30,730 | $55,950 | 210 | 0.24 | 0.89 |
| 36 | West Virginia profile | $18.00 | $37,440 | $32,360 | $51,550 | 90 | 0.13 | 0.47 |
| 37 | Michigan profile | $17.93 | $37,280 | $30,840 | $49,670 | 1,130 | 0.26 | 0.96 |
| 38 | Ohio profile | $17.82 | $37,060 | $28,190 | $51,170 | 680 | 0.12 | 0.46 |
| 39 | Massachusetts profile | $17.75 | $36,910 | $36,440 | $47,000 | 400 | 0.11 | 0.41 |
| 40 | Arizona profile | $17.57 | $36,550 | $31,110 | $50,850 | 700 | 0.22 | 0.81 |
| 41 | Kansas profile | $17.02 | $35,390 | $23,640 | $51,580 | 420 | 0.29 | 1.08 |
| 42 | Alabama profile | $16.99 | $35,340 | $26,820 | $51,250 | 410 | 0.20 | 0.73 |
| 43 | Virginia profile | $16.89 | $35,130 | $27,110 | $43,400 | ** | ** | ** |
| 44 | Arkansas profile | $16.87 | $35,100 | $27,160 | $47,020 | 280 | 0.22 | 0.82 |
| 45 | Rhode Island profile | $16.72 | $34,790 | $31,880 | $56,520 | 80 | 0.17 | 0.62 |
| 46 | Delaware profile | $16.38 | $34,070 | $31,200 | $40,560 | ** | ** | ** |
| 47 | South Carolina profile | $16.29 | $33,870 | $29,020 | $48,360 | 390 | 0.17 | 0.63 |
| 48 | Vermont profile | $15.88 | $33,030 | $32,060 | $45,080 | ** | ** | ** |
| 49 | Georgia profile | $13.62 | $28,330 | $24,530 | $53,750 | 950 | 0.20 | 0.73 |
| 50 | Oklahoma profile | $13.34 | $27,740 | $22,110 | $49,470 | 560 | 0.33 | 1.22 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (31-9090), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Healthcare Support Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 31-9094 Medical Transcriptionists.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 31-9094, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 31-9094.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.