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Medical Transcriptionist Employment Opportunities
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The continued aging of the baby boomers, and the expanded healthcare requirements of senior citizens means that the demand for qualified medical transcriptionists is expected to grow faster than average throughout the decade. In addition, the new Health Information Portability Act (HIPAA) requires that patient medical information is transcribed and available to other medical facilities.
While most medical transcriptionists will continue to work at hospitals, employment growth is expected to be largest at physicians offices and clinics. The best job opportunities await those who have earned an Associate degree, or who have received their certification in medical transcription.
Earnings and Advancement Potential
Pay for medical stenographers and medical transcribers ranged from less than $8.66 per hour for the bottom 10% to over $16.70 for the top 10% of employees. The median hourly pay in 2000 was $12.15. While some employees are paid by the hour, others are paid by the number of transcribed lines or pages they complete. Self-employed transcribers earned slightly more than those employed by hospitals or clinics, however this apparent advantage is offset somewhat by the lack of employee benefits.
Medical Transcriptionist positions can be a springboard to career advancement in the health care field. Experienced transcriptionists can take on supervisory roles, or start their own at-home businesses. Other career possibilities, some requiring additional training, include medical coding, medical records administrators, or health information technicians.