Medical Transcriptionists
SOC Code: 31-9094 Job Zone 3: Medium Preparation Needed
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.
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Prevailing Wage Levels (National)
DOL/OFLC prevailing wage thresholds for Medical Transcriptionists. Hourly rates x 2,080 = annual.
FY2027 Weighted Lottery Impact
| Level | Lottery Entries | Est. Selection Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Level I (Entry) | 1 entry | ~16% |
| Level II (Qualified) | 2 entries | ~31% |
| Level III (Experienced) | 3 entries | ~45% |
| Level IV (Expert) | 4 entries | ~61% |
Prevailing Wages by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $44,158 | $52,250 | $60,362 | $68,453 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $46,093 | $50,523 | $54,974 | $59,405 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $44,990 | $49,546 | $54,101 | $58,656 |
| Asheville, NC | $39,562 | $45,885 | $52,229 | $58,552 |
| Mankato, MN | $45,011 | $49,483 | $53,976 | $58,448 |
| Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $44,366 | $48,818 | $53,269 | $57,720 |
| Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $44,221 | $48,693 | $53,186 | $57,658 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $36,005 | $42,910 | $49,837 | $56,742 |
| Lafayette, LA | $32,822 | $40,789 | $48,755 | $56,722 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $37,939 | $44,179 | $50,440 | $56,680 |
Key Skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.1 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | |
| Writing | 3.9 | |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | |
| Speaking | 3.0 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | |
| Time Management | 3.0 | |
| Active Learning | 2.9 | |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.8 |
Knowledge Areas
| Knowledge | Importance |
|---|---|
| English Language | 4.5 |
| Administrative | 4.2 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.8 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 3.0 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 2.7 |
| Telecommunications | 2.1 |
| Administration and Management | 2.1 |
| Mathematics | 1.8 |
Education Requirements
| Education Level | % of Workers |
|---|---|
| Some college | 38.9% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 33.6% |
| High school diploma | 16.7% |
| Associate's degree | 10.7% |
Typical Tasks
- Transcribe dictation for a variety of medical reports, such as patient histories, physical examinations, emergency room visits, operations, chart reviews, consultation, or discharge summaries.
- Review and edit transcribed reports or dictated material for spelling, grammar, clarity, consistency, and proper medical terminology.
- Distinguish between homonyms and recognize inconsistencies and mistakes in medical terms, referring to dictionaries, drug references, and other sources on anatomy, physiology, and medicine.
- Return dictated reports in printed or electronic form for physician's review, signature, and corrections and for inclusion in patients' medical records.
- Translate medical jargon and abbreviations into their expanded forms to ensure the accuracy of patient and health care facility records.
- Identify mistakes in reports and check with doctors to obtain the correct information.
- Perform data entry and data retrieval services, providing data for inclusion in medical records and for transmission to physicians.
- Produce medical reports, correspondence, records, patient-care information, statistics, medical research, and administrative material.
Technology Skills
Green = Hot Technology in demand
Microsoft ASP.NET Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Windows Microsoft Word eClinicalWorks EHR software Allscripts healthcare automation software Boston Bar Systems Corporation Sonnet Bytescribe Development Company WavPlayer Calendar software Corel WordPerfect Office Suite Crescendo Systems Corporation MedRite-XL
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