Transcriptions
The short answer: Word processors and typists, a job matched to transcription, earned a median $49,280 a year in May 2025 per the BLS, which is employee pay, not gig income. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners, also matched, earned $72,420 in that release. (BLS OEWS) The BLS projects a -34.4% employment change for typists over 2025-35, so transcription suits someone content with listening and typing in a shrinking field. (BLS Employment Projections)
| Median pay of employed court reporters and simultaneous captioners | $34.82/hr ($72,420/yr) BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employee pay, not side-hustle income |
|---|---|
| Projected job growth, court reporters and simultaneous captioners | -0.1% BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 |
From 0 quotes by 0 creators and BLS data. A creator figure is one person's account.
Go deeper: all the transcriptions evidence
How much do transcriptionists make?
Transcription has employee benchmarks: typists earned a median $23.69 an hour in May 2025, according to the BLS, while captioners and court reporters, counted together, earned $34.82. Georgia's typist median was $31,450 a year, and Colorado's was $57,550. (BLS OEWS)
| Related occupation | Median pay | Middle 80% |
|---|---|---|
| Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners | $34.82/hr ($72,420/yr), BLS OEWS, May 2025 | $42,130–$130,560/yr |
| Word Processors and Typists | $23.69/hr ($49,280/yr), BLS OEWS, May 2025 | $36,810–$65,150/yr |
Median annual pay of employed word processors and typists: $49,280 nationally; highest and lowest states below (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Highest-paying states | Median | Lowest-paying states | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $57,550/yr | Florida | $35,770/yr |
| California | $56,380/yr | Puerto Rico | $32,270/yr |
| Massachusetts | $53,740/yr | Georgia | $31,450/yr |
What does it cost to start transcriptions?
Not enough evidence yet: No source we track states a startup cost yet.
How much time does transcriptions take?
Not enough evidence yet: No source we track says how long the first payout takes or how many hours it needs yet.
Who is transcription work good for?
General transcription means listening and typing out text, so it fits someone content doing exactly that. Someone avoiding real-time work should look at general transcription, because captioners often work live. (O*NET 31.0)
Which platforms do people use for transcriptions?
Platforms people doing transcriptions use: Rev.
Is transcription worth it as a side hustle?
Pros
- At the 90th percentile, captioners and court reporters earned $130,560 a year in May 2025. (BLS OEWS)
- Typists at that percentile earned $65,150.
Cons
- At the 10th percentile, typists earned $36,810. (BLS OEWS)
- Captioners and court reporters show a -0.1% projected employment change over 2025-35. (BLS Employment Projections)
What are the risks of transcription work?
Transcription faces falling demand in a related job, since the BLS rates typist demand as declining for 2025-35. Projections differ in size: the captioner and court reporter figure is far smaller than the typist one. (BLS Employment Projections)
What are the alternatives to transcriptions?
- Freelance Writing: Also in online and remote work.
- Tech Support side hustle: Also in online and remote work.
What else do people ask about transcriptions?
Do these wages describe transcription gig pay?
No, they describe employees in the matched jobs, and the court reporter figures also cover captioners. (O*NET 31.0)
Is captioning the same as transcription?
Captioners convert spoken words into text, often in real time, while general transcription involves listening and typing out text. (O*NET 31.0)
Sources and method
Quotes are verbatim and linked to the moment they were said. A figure from one report is not confirmed by a second source. BLS figures describe employees in the closest related occupation. Every quote, the pay in each state and the full source list are on the all the transcriptions evidence.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- O*NET 31.0 Database, 31.0.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35.
Other data behind this page (2)
| Fact | Value | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demand trend | declining | Accepted | BLS Employment Projections |
| Projected employment change, 10 years: word processors and typists | -34.4% | Official statistic | BLS Employment Projections |