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#94445 - 04/01/08 08:17 AM
Clarify Production Rates and Typing Speeds Please
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PMB
New Member
Registered: 03/29/08
Posts: 6
Loc: Armenia
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I am just finishing up my time in the Peace Corps and expect to be back in the States in mid-August. I have decided I want to train for Medical Transcription work. MTchat has been so informative. I have learned a great deal from reading the various postings.
I have a question that I have not seen addressed. I have seen a typing speed of 45 wpm minimum on some of the schools' websites testing pages, I wonder if you can give me a range of typing speeds of people entering training, new graduates and those that are experienced.
I would also like to have a better understanding of production rates. I saw one post that stated that 1000 lines per day is standard. Is that an 8-hour work day?
This may be a bit tricky to answer but do most MTs work a 40-hour week?
I imagine you can see where I am going with this. I am trying to imagine how many hours a week I can work and what my anticipated production might be. Of course, then I can start counting my chickens to see how much I can earn. 
I see that the salary range for MTs is from $20,000 to $80,000. It seems this variance comes from typing skills, tech savy, time management and the ever famous "being in the right place at the right time". But this is such a huge salary range, I wonder where the majority fall.
I also have heard it mentioned that the income depends somewhat on what part of the country the MT lives. But if the MT works for a national company, that shouldn't have an impact. Or, perhaps I have misunderstood.
Well, this has turned into an essay instead of a post.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to any information you can share.
New MTChat member, eagerly anticipating the beginning of training.
PMB
_________________________
Hot and cold running water 24/7 is a miracle!
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#94507 - 04/01/08 11:15 PM
Re: Clarify Production Rates and Typing Speeds Please
[Re: PMB]
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PMB
New Member
Registered: 03/29/08
Posts: 6
Loc: Armenia
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I see that I have had more than 50 views on my posting but no replies. Have I asked an inappropriate question or overstepped my bounds? Now that I think about it, perhaps there is a reason I did not find any postings about this on the board.
I sincerely apologize if I have offended in any way. This board has been a wealth of information and enjoyable reading. I do not want to get started on the wrong foot.
PMB
_________________________
Hot and cold running water 24/7 is a miracle!
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#94510 - 04/02/08 12:19 AM
Re: Clarify Production Rates and Typing Speeds Ple
[Re: PMB]
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inkyfingers2
Member
Registered: 03/25/03
Posts: 596
Loc: southern California
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Just speaking for myself, an independent contractor (IC) with 1 contract and 2 subcontracts:
* The work flow varies a lot. Feast or famine.
* I would think that 45 wpm would be a minimum typing speed to begin.
* More important that typing speed would be your familiarity with punctuation, spelling, and grammar, and your ability to self-edit and hold yourself to a high standard.
* I think $20,000 to $35,000 gross income per year would be more realistic, given the issues with this business these days. As to lines per day, 1000 would be very low if you are supporting your household. It would depend a lot on how much you make per line. Plan to bring in at least 30% less per line when working for others than with a direct contract with a client, for instance.
No, I don't go to Andrews and never did, but I thought you might value input from another source.
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inkyfingers
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#94536 - 04/02/08 04:04 PM
Re: Clarify Production Rates and Typing Speeds Ple
[Re: inkyfingers2]
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Endiqua
Member
Registered: 04/28/05
Posts: 3399
Loc: At the computer - where else?
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Linda's a busy lady so she doesn't always get in here immediately. Your question is posted in the Andrews forum and I think most of us defer questions posted here to her or to Andrews graduates.
I am not affiliated with Andrews in any way, nor am I a graduate.
Many of your questions are simply...unanswerable, at least not definitively.
Most of us can't answer the question about typing speeds of people entering training, for example. I don't know if Linda would have this information, even.
As far as salary...it's kind of a touchy area. Many people don't feel comfortable sharing how much they make. I don't, personally, although I will say that I sure didn't make much my first year. There's just no way to tell what the "average" MT makes because it's not generally disclosed or discussed, and because income can vary widely from year to year - or month to month. I think inky's estimate of $20,000 to $35,000 is a pretty good one, though. I've never personally known anyone who made more than $50,000 in this business.
As far as 1000 lines - it depends on the method of counting lines the company uses. For some companies, 1500 lines per day is the standard. (Generally, that would be for an 8-hour day.)
As far as income varying with location - that would probably have more to do with IC (independent contractors) than those working for national companies.
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#94543 - 04/02/08 10:24 PM
Re: Clarify Production Rates and Typing Speeds Please
[Re: PMB]
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PMB
New Member
Registered: 03/29/08
Posts: 6
Loc: Armenia
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Thank you both for your responses. The comment about 1000 lines being a low count helps and the 8 hour day is also important to me.
I was wondering specifically how many hours MTs transcribed day after day. Knowing that the 1500 line count is for an 8 hour day helps.
Of course, I wouldn't want to tell anyone my salary either but I don't have a problem telling anyone what salary range a job has. so I thought I was ok with the question. But, no matter, you have helped me get a better perspective of expected salary ranges.
Again, I thank you both and I'll be seeing you in the other forums as time goes on. 
PMB
_________________________
Hot and cold running water 24/7 is a miracle!
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#94565 - 04/03/08 12:10 PM
Re: Clarify Production Rates and Typing Speeds Please
[Re: PMB]
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Linda Andrews CMT
Moderator-Andrews School
Registered: 12/31/69
Posts: 4950
Loc: Oklahoma City, OK US
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Thanks to all of you for participating in this thread. You are welcome to post on this section even if you are not and never have been a student at Andrews.
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#96050 - 04/19/08 03:49 PM
Re: Clarify Production Rates and Typing Speeds Please
[Re: Linda Andrews CMT]
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Redpen
Member
Registered: 12/31/69
Posts: 914
Loc: Virtual Oklahoma!
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In my estimation, 1000 lines a day is about 4 hours of work, 1500 is about 6. Many services may consider that to be the minimum daily requirement.
You seem to be trying to calculate potential income to see if it's worth pursuing MT as a job field. Obviously, it's not possible to predict what you, personally, will be able to achieve, but I'll try to shed some light on the things you mentioned.
First, 45 wpm is a good minimum to start with because a lot of people do not have the manual dexterity or innate ability to go beyond about 30 wpm. It's just not in their list of gifts--they'll never get any better. However, if you can get to 45 wpm, then there is a good chance that you can keep improving. If you're already at 45 wpm when you start school, the keying load involved in the training will enable an increase to perhaps 60 wpm, which is about the least you'll want to have when starting in on a job.
Eventually, you will want to be able to key faster than that in a push, so that when you transcribe you can key at a relaxed rate. This is something that develops with time on the job and with attention to improvement. All you need to worry about before beginning, though, is whether you have 45 wpm or not. If you do, and it's an honest, accurate 45 wpm, you're fine. If you do not, then you need to work on it.
On the matter of lines per hour, keyboarding speed relates only in that the faster, the more easily, and the more accurately you key, the more lines per hour you will be able to produce. Keyboard speed isn't directly related to production because there are other factors that come into play, such as the ability to understand the dictation, the rate of dictation (slow dictators slow you down), skill with playback equipment (you can adjust for dictator speed using the equipment skillfully), and type of material being transcribed (some is easier than others).
Training also has an effect on this in that good training enables easier understanding, less looking-up, and thus better production. It also gives you the skills to deal effectively with new-job frustrations and to continue learning on your own. All of this affects production.
When you start out, you'll be hard put to accomplish 25 lines per hour, but you should improve quickly. In order to do those 1000 lines a day, you will need to crank out 125 lines every hour. The "hour" is actually 50 minutes, plus a 10-minute break, so that is 2.5 lines per minute.
The 1500 lines a day is roughly 200 lines per hour, or about one line every 15 seconds for 50 minutes at a time. This is not impossible--it's actually quite do-able. You just have to work at it.
If your goal is 2000 lines a day, that will be one line every 5 to 6 seconds for 50 minutes. That's still within the range of do-ability, especially if you are using a text-expander.
From those figures, you can calculate your income. Just multiply the lines per day by the pay per line. Remember that you need to include all the time you spend on the job, even if it is not keyboarding--things like picking up tapes, preparing invoices, etc.
Keep in mind that when you first begin, you will not be able to work an 8-hour day unless you have been practicing for it. You have to work on it gradually and smoothly, being sure to take breaks every hour, a longer break in the middle, and a day or two off every 4th or 5th day. Keyboarding at this rate is physically taxing, so you have to treat it almost as athletic exercise, doing it efficiently and giving yourself adequate rest.
_________________________
Redpen
(The Andrews School)
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#96067 - 04/19/08 09:14 PM
Re: Clarify Production Rates and Typing Speeds Please
[Re: Redpen]
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PMB
New Member
Registered: 03/29/08
Posts: 6
Loc: Armenia
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Redpen,
Thank you so much for your very complete answer. It was exactly what I was looking for. In considering MT work, I see all kinds of annual incomes as well as line rates stated. But I was wondering how many hours a day, how many days a week one had to work to get from the line rates to those annual incomes.
We have all seen the ads for the jobs that say make $50 an hour but it doesn't say how many hours are available; or make $60,000 a year but it doesn't say how many days a week one works for that.
I have been an executive assistant in the past and know that long days at a computer can be demanding. So, your answer puts the work in perspective for me.
Thank you again!
PMB
_________________________
Hot and cold running water 24/7 is a miracle!
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#96680 - 04/26/08 09:22 PM
Re: Clarify Production Rates and Typing Speeds Please
[Re: PMB]
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Redpen
Member
Registered: 12/31/69
Posts: 914
Loc: Virtual Oklahoma!
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Here's a good "do I really want to do this" test for MT. Go to the sample reports area of this website. Print out a bunch of them. Then, sit at your computer and type them. Type them exactly as they appear, making sure the spelling is correct and the formatting is exactly the same, right down to the way the suture sizes, measurements, and dosages are written. Use a 65-character line and about 33 lines per page.
Do not rush, but keep typing. Type consistently at whatever speed is comfortable for you AND produces no typos. Do not stop typing while you are doing a report. Stop for 15-30 seconds between reports, get up, and bounce around a bit, then sit back down and get started on the next report.
About 4 hours of this will give you a good idea of what working as an MT is like. You might not be able to hold out for more than an hour, especially if you start typing too fast.
How many pages did you do each hour? How many lines? That's where you are now, but after training, you'll do better.
Think about how you felt while transcribing those reports. Was it interesting? Were you curious to learn what they meant? Do you feel compelled to Google those procedures and conditions to find out what they are? Was it fun to figure out how to type it correctly and were you successful? Was it fun to get every word spelled correctly? Was it easy? Did you get a kick out of checking the spelling letter by letter? Did you feel bad or guilty when you found an error? Would you be embarrassed if I saw what you typed and found errors? Would you WANT to show me your work? Would you WANT me to tell you what was wrong? Do you think of yourself as a good reader, a good speller, and a good writer? Those are clues that you would enjoy MT and that you have the curiosity and orientation to detail to succeed in it.
On the other hand, did it bore you? Did you find it uninteresting? Or obnoxious? Did the thought of looking any of it up frustrate or repel you? Did the thought of doing this 8 hours a day revolt you? Did you think you'd hate doing this? Did the effort to format and spell correctly annoy you? Did you not bother at all, thinking it was silly to waste that effort? Did you have difficulty getting enough of a grasp on the spelling to reproduce it? Do you think of yourself as a slow reader? A poor speller? A poor writer? If I saw what you typed, would I find a load of errors that you missed? Would you blow it off when I did? Would you be angry that I looked at your work? Or that I told you about it? Would you think it was none of my business? Would you think it was MY problem, not yours? Are you the kind of person who can't tell the difference between advice and advise, and doesn't think it matters? Those are clues that you would not like MT as a profession or would be unsuccessful in it.
There is a lid for every pot! The MT lid doesn't fit everybody. If you're wondering if you'd enjoy it or not, this little test can help.
_________________________
Redpen
(The Andrews School)
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#96684 - 04/26/08 11:41 PM
Re: Clarify Production Rates and Typing Speeds Please
[Re: Redpen]
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PMB
New Member
Registered: 03/29/08
Posts: 6
Loc: Armenia
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Redpen,
I enjoyed reading your response! I think it must give a very good taste and feel for the effort and unquantifiable qualities of MT work. Thank you! Again!
When I first started investigating MT training and work I considered it and still do consider it, a very interesting career that would use my skills and strongly appeal to my interests.
My two concerns were to know what production level was required to make a decent living and could I reach that level of production. This was a very important concern for me because it seems very apparent that income is directly related to production.
So your new posting is interesting because it paints a picture of the unquantifiable aspects of transcription that motivate and hold the interest of the MT. I definitely see myself in your first description.
Thanks for your reply
_________________________
Hot and cold running water 24/7 is a miracle!
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#96690 - 04/27/08 02:36 AM
Re: Clarify Production Rates and Typing Speeds Please
[Re: Redpen]
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HoosierFemme
Member
Registered: 09/28/05
Posts: 1117
Loc: Parisian suburbs, France
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Do you feel compelled to Google those procedures and conditions to find out what they are?
Oh my. This is SO me. I even Google equipment.
PMB, after living without a gas furnace (that heats the house AND the water) for a month, I wholeheartedly agree with your sig line! The things we take for granted until we are without them. Thinking about how so many people in the world don't even have indoor plumbing, let alone hot water, I now think of it as a luxury and am a bit more grateful for such things!
_________________________
The French motto is "Liberté, Egalité, and Get Out of My Way." English author Stephen Clarke
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#96691 - 04/27/08 02:56 AM
Re: Clarify Production Rates and Typing Speeds Please
[Re: HoosierFemme]
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PMB
New Member
Registered: 03/29/08
Posts: 6
Loc: Armenia
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HoosierFemme, I feel fortunate in my assignment here. I am living in an apartment in a small town with fairly good shopping for food and clothing. Many of the volunteers are living in small villages of less than 1,000 people. They have to travel to the next town for shopping or else buy the food not grown in the village gardens out of the back of a car.
I am also blessed with a regular toilet (even though I use a bucket of water to flush it) with a real toilet seat instead of an outhouse with a "squat" set up instead of a "seat". Excuse me if this is too much information. It is just that it gets to be a normal topic of conversation among the volunteers - "So, what are your facilities like?"
I do get running water about 1 hour each day although not every day and never quite sure which hour.
But it's all good. I am very glad I decided to do this. I have met some amazing people and have had the opportunity to work on projects I never would have dreamt of being involved in.
PMB
_________________________
Hot and cold running water 24/7 is a miracle!
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#96702 - 04/27/08 10:46 AM
Re: Clarify Production Rates and Typing Speeds Please
[Re: PMB]
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HoosierFemme
Member
Registered: 09/28/05
Posts: 1117
Loc: Parisian suburbs, France
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I had forgotten to look at the previous messages in this thread and so had not realized you are in the Peace Corps. Oh yes--even here they have "Turkish toilets." But after reading your post, I'm even more grateful for the daily amenities like electricity and running water! and a nearby grocery store! Bravo to you, and best wishes upon your return to the US this summer.
_________________________
The French motto is "Liberté, Egalité, and Get Out of My Way." English author Stephen Clarke
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Moderator: Linda Andrews CMT
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