Pros and Cons of a Career as a Transcriptionist
A transcriptionist may transcribe physicians' dictation, caption television shows for hearing-impaired viewers or create legal records for judicial proceedings. Decide if this career is for you by examining the below pros and cons.
| Pros of a Career as a Transcriptionist |
|---|
| Many career opportunities (court reporting, medical transcription, closed captioning)* |
| Variety of work environments (courthouses, physician offices, home)* |
| Only 2-year degree required* |
| Some jobs, such as those in both administrative services and outpatient care centers, tagged for faster than average growth* |
| Cons of a Career as a Transcriptionist |
|---|
| Technology may replace some workers * |
| Some states may require court reporters to be licensed* |
| Some workers, such as medical transcriptionists, make about $35,000* |
| May require continuing education training* |
Sources: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Career Information
Career Options and Job Descriptions
Your job description will depend on what line of work you choose, but basically, all types of transcriptionists write, document and record oral dictation or presentations. A medical transcriptionist creates documents from voice recordings of physicians and other health professionals. Court reporters use special machines to make exact transcriptions of legal proceedings, meetings and other events. You could serve the hard of hearing community through Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART). Reporters trained in CART accompany their clients to school, appointments or anywhere they may need communication services.
Career Prospects
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicted employment of medical transcriptionists would grow by eight percent from 2012-2022, about average for all occupations, while employment of court reporters would grow by 10% during the same period, also average. The BLS stated that advances in voice recognition and digital recording technology could mean a slowdown in job creation in these occupations. However, the BLS also noted that reporters may be in demand outside the legal profession in fields such as closed captioning for television. Also, the expanding elderly population may need CART services during the upcoming decade, according to the BLS.
Salary Information
The BLS reported salary information for May 2014. A medical transcriptionist's median annual salary was nearly $35,000. A court reporter's median salary was around $50,000.
What Are the Requirements?
Education and Training
All types of transcriptionists need some postsecondary training. A medical transcriptionist usually holds a 1-year certificate or a 2-year associate's degree from a vocational school, community college or online school. They study anatomy, medical terminology and legal issues relating to medicine. A court reporter's training can last from a 6-month certificate program to a program leading to an associate degree. Most court reporters train at community colleges or technical schools where they study legal terminology and practice creating transcripts.
Certification
Many states require certification or licensing for court reporters who work in the legal system. The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) licenses court reporters and broadcast captioners. Many states use the NCRA's Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) designation for stenographic reporters in lieu of a state licensing test. Court reporters who work in the federal and some state judicial systems usually must hold the Federal Certified Realtime Reporter certification from the U.S. Court Reporters Association (USCRA) or Realtime credentials from the NCRA. Medical transcriptionists do not have to be licensed.
What Employers Are Seeking
In addition to formal training, you must have practical skills such as keyboarding speed and excellent spelling ability. Job postings from April 2012 show that real employers were looking for the following:
- A hospital in Georgia needed an experienced transcriptionist who could transcribe a minimum of 65,000 characters per 8-hour shift and maintain 95% accuracy in editing documents.
- A health care facility in Maryland sought a transcriptionist with obstetric/gynecological expertise to convert physician-dictated reports into text documents.
- In Connecticut, a media company needed a closed captioning assistant to run a voice recognition system of captioning, making corrections to spelling when needed. The posting said this person must be able to stay calm in a sometimes-stressful atmosphere.
- A federal court in New York needed a court reporter with at least four years of stenographic court reporting experience. Someone who had passed the NCRA's Certified Realtime Reporter Examination was preferred.
How to Stand Out
Since the transcription industry is constantly changing due to shifts in technology, you'll need to keep your skills up to date. Professional organizations such as the NCRA and the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) offer continuing education programs.
Optional Certifications
While earning credentials from professional associations are not mandatory, it will demonstrate your proficiency to potential employers. NCRA offers several certifications in various fields, including Certified Broadcast Captioner and Certified CART Provider, as well as several certifications for court reporters. Medical transcriptionist can earn credentials from AHDI based on their experience.
Other Fields to Consider
If you think a career in the transcription field might not be a good fit, here are some options that employ similar skills.
Interpreter
If you want a career in a rapidly growing field and are fluent in another language, you might want to consider becoming an interpreter. You can be a simultaneous interpreter, translating words as they are spoken, or you can translate written documents. You'll need at least a bachelor's degree. The BLS predicted that employment of translators and interpreters would grow by 44% from 2010 to 2020, much faster than average for all occupations. The median annual salary for interpreters was about $44,000 in May 2011.
Medical Records Technician
The BLS predicted there should be many job opportunities for medical records technicians, with job growth at 21% from 2010 to 2020. Medical records technicians organize health data, coding the information according to a standard system, categorizing and storing it. Most records technicians hold either a certificate or an associate's degree. The median annual salary was about $33,000 in May 2011.
