# Medical Transcriptionists

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/medical-transcriptionists
- SOC code: 31-9094.00
- Career family: Healthcare support
- Median annual pay: $40,410 (10th percentile $28,250, 90th percentile $55,950)
- Projected growth: Decline, -4.4%
- Openings a year: 6,200
- Typical entry education: Postsecondary certificate
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code CSI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 25 |
| Investigative (I) | 43 |
| Artistic (A) | 12 |
| Social (S) | 45 |
| Enterprising (E) | 4 |
| Conventional (C) | 88 |

## What you'd do

- Working with Computers (importance 96/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 87/100)
- Getting Information (importance 85/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 83/100)
- Processing Information (importance 80/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 75/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 73/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 71/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 69/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 66/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Speaking, Time Management, Active Learning, Social Perceptiveness

## Knowledge

English Language, Administrative, Computers and Electronics, Medicine and Dentistry, Customer and Personal Service, Telecommunications, Administration and Management, Mathematics, Biology, Education and Training

## Also called

Certified Medical Transcriptionist, Clinical Medical Transcriptionist, Clinical Scribe, Data Transcriber, Documentation Specialist, Emergency Medical Scribe, Medical Assistant Scribe (MA Scribe), Medical Language Professional, Medical Language Specialist, Medical Record Transcriber

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Health and Medical Administrative Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5107) (CIP 5107, 1,585 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Georgetown University-DC](https://www.collegesref.com/college/georgetown-university-dc-1068) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | not reported | $143,686 | $11,000 |
| [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill-main-campus-2990) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | $44,456 | $110,204 | not reported |
| [George Washington University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/george-washington-university-1066) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | not reported | $92,810 | not reported |
| [Baptist Health System School of Health Professions](https://www.collegesref.com/college/baptist-health-system-school-of-health-professions-175) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | $60,194 | $85,145 | not reported |
| [Stonehill College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/stonehill-college-2610) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | not reported | $82,254 | not reported |
| [Loyola University Chicago](https://www.collegesref.com/college/loyola-university-chicago-1551) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | $59,113 | $82,040 | $25,000 |
| [CUNY Graduate School and University Center](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-graduate-school-and-university-center-737) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | $61,698 | $81,184 | $15,460 |
| [Oregon Institute of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/oregon-institute-of-technology-2034) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | not reported | $80,944 | $27,820 |

## Related careers

- [Medical Records Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/medical-records-specialists): $51,140 median pay
- [Word Processors and Typists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/word-processors-and-typists): $49,280 median pay
- [Medical Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/medical-assistants): $45,690 median pay
- [Emergency Medical Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/emergency-medical-technicians): $44,470 median pay
- [Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/medical-secretaries-and-administrative-assistants): $45,930 median pay
- [Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/health-information-technologists-and-medical-registrars): $68,020 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.