Medical Transcriptionists Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for medical transcriptionistss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $41,710 ≈ $20/hr
National median salary $40,410
Total employment 41,550 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth -4.9% Decline
Annual openings 7,400 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 43,900 → 41,800 (-2,200)
Typical entry education Postsecondary nondegree award

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. Minnesota$52,570
  2. Connecticut$50,410
  3. Wyoming$49,440
  4. Maine$49,150
  5. Oregon$48,840

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Oklahoma$32,060
  2. Vermont$34,970
  3. Delaware$35,010
  4. Virginia$35,290
  5. Georgia$35,410
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 Minnesota $52,570 $50,030 $25 +26% 270
2 Connecticut $50,410 $48,190 $24 +20.9% 390
3 Wyoming $49,440 $48,100 $24 +18.5% 40
4 Maine $49,150 $48,600 $24 +17.8% 80
5 Oregon $48,840 $46,280 $23 +17.1% 510
6 Wisconsin $48,750 $49,150 $23 +16.9% 590
7 California $47,770 $45,050 $23 +14.5% 5,860
8 South Dakota $46,740 $46,070 $22 +12.1% 240
9 Colorado $45,670 $43,080 $22 +9.5% 610
10 Nebraska $45,530 $45,880 $22 +9.2% 230
11 Nevada $45,080 $39,350 $22 +8.1% 210
12 Illinois $44,420 $45,490 $21 +6.5% 970
13 New York $44,320 $43,260 $21 +6.3% 2,710
14 Alaska $44,090 $48,360 $21 +5.7% 110
15 Washington $44,060 $38,690 $21 +5.6% 620

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 191 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $58,240 $55,750 680
2 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $57,420 $61,530 200
3 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT $55,890 $53,320 30
4 Portland-South Portland, ME $55,320 $54,920 30
5 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $54,830 $50,770 100
6 Rapid City, SD $53,840 $52,370 30
7 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $53,330 $53,000 50
8 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN $50,400 $49,120 310
9 Madison, WI $50,310 $51,010 80
10 Chico, CA $50,020 $54,060 120

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing medical transcriptionistss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Scientific Research and Development Services $55,890 $56,780
2 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences $55,890 $56,780
3 Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories $50,170 $52,340 900
4 Offices of Dentists $50,160 $49,660
5 Management of Companies and Enterprises $49,830 $50,930 550
6 Management of Companies and Enterprises $49,830 $50,930 550
7 Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises $49,830 $50,930 550
8 Educational Services, Privately Owned $49,750 $51,700 140
9 Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned $49,750 $51,700 140
10 General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, State Government Owned $48,460 $50,320 100
11 Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS $47,880 $51,680 130
12 Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) $47,880 $51,720 130

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
31,433
$10-20k
11,732
$20-30k
9,720
$30-40k
6,292
$40-50k
5,349
$50-60k
1,074
$60-70k
1,987
$70-80k
672
$80-90k
60
$100-110k
35
$110-120k
106
$150-160k
57
$200k+
94

Pay by age band

16-24
$13,389
25-34
$18,197
35-44
$30,342
45-54
$34,411
55-64
$20,039
65+
$8,158

Education level

Bachelors Degree
$17,840
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$15,965
Regular high school diploma
$20,059
Associates Degree
$26,440
Masters Degree
$9,016
Some college, but less than 1 year
$16,344
Professional degree
$7,728
12th grade - no diploma
$16,396
Grade 11
$11,308
GED or alternative credential
$22,735
Doctorate degree
$6,896
No schooling completed

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
21,907 · $36,867
Part-time
19,680 · $15,311

Race / ethnicity

White
$18,415
Asian
$12,530
Two or More Races
$19,701
Black
$16,344
Other
$12,559
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$204
American Indian
$36,193

Top fields of study

Biology
$16,755
Psychology
$8,604
Biochemical Sciences
$5,568
Nursing
$14,409
Business Management And Administration
$28,680
Neuroscience
$7,659
Community And Public Health
$9,426
Computer Science
$34,512

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Active Listening
4.1
Reading Comprehension
4.0
Writing
3.9
Monitoring
3.1
Speaking
3.0
Critical Thinking
3.0
Time Management
3.0
Judgment and Decision Making
3.0
Active Learning
2.9
Social Perceptiveness
2.8
Complex Problem Solving
2.6
Coordination
2.5

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do medical transcriptionists make in the U.S.?

The median medical transcriptionists salary in the United States is $40,410 per year (mean $41,710), and about 80% earn between $28,250 and $55,950.

How much do medical transcriptionists make per hour?

Roughly $20 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $41,710 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays medical transcriptionists the most?

Minnesota has the highest average pay for medical transcriptionists at $52,570 per year (median $50,030).

What is the job outlook for medical transcriptionists?

Employment is projected to change -4.9% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 7,400 openings per year.