If you have a decent typing speed, great listening skills, and enjoy working on your own schedule, these work-from-home transcription jobs could be just what you’re looking for!
Transcription is the process of listening to recorded or live audio and typing it into a text format.
This audio can be from videos, podcasts, webinars, lectures, interviews, meetings, or any other type of recording.
The basic equipment you need is an internet connection, a laptop or computer, a foot pedal, and over-the-ear headphones.
If you’re interested in breaking into the transcription industry, read on to learn about the best online transcription jobs hiring beginners.
Best Work from Home Transcription Jobs
Transcription jobs are ideal for those new to working at home because most companies don’t require you to have prior experience.
However, some will require you to pass a skills assessment test before you can start working on paid transcribing jobs.
Let’s dive in!
Rev
Rev.com is one of the best platforms to search for online transcription jobs, as they’re always looking to hire freelance transcribers, even with no experience.
However, you will have to pass a transcription test and a grammar test, so it’s best to take a look at their article detailing how to practice transcription and take the time to get your skills up to scratch.
Once you pass, you can choose to work as little or as much as you want, and there’s always a steady stream of transcription jobs to work on.
According to the platform, Revvers have average monthly earnings that range between $900 – $1,495 and come from all walks of life, including college students, retirees, stay-at-home Moms, and freelancers.
Start working for Rev in three steps:
Click to sign up
Take a quiz and submit a transcript
If approved, you can choose from available transcription jobs
Get paid every Monday via PayPal
TranscribeMe
TranscribeMe is one of the best transcription companies to work for that offers transcription, translation, and data annotation services to their clients.
According to the platform, they offer the industry’s highest pay rates, starting at $15 – $22 per audio hour.
Their freelance transcriptionists can work from anywhere, get training, and enjoy advancement opportunities such as joining Special Teams to learn about medical and special transcription styles that pay even higher rates.
You can take on as much work as you want, and the majority of transcription jobs are transcribing short clips of 2 -4 minutes long.
To get started as a TranscribeMe freelancer, you must:
Create an account
Provide your PayPal information
Take the entrance exam
GoTranscript
GoTranscript was founded in 2005 and has since become one of the world’s largest transcription and translation companies.
They have a range of freelance transcription jobs on offer, including captioning, translations, and foreign subtitles, plus they work in different industries such as medical, legal, academic, and enterprise.
They take on transcriptionists worldwide and pay up to $0.60 per audio or video minute, with top earners receiving around $1,215 a month.
The benefits of working for GoTranscript include:
Flexible hours
Stay busy
Grow your skills
Receive top support
Get paid weekly via PayPal
Work variety which could be transcribing police investigations one day and a marketing video another day
BabbleType
BabbleType is a transcription, translation, and content analysis firm that’s always on the lookout for new transcriptionists to join their team.
They only take on English-language transcriptionists who are current or past long-term residents of the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand.
They DO NOT currently accept independent contractors from the state of California.
To get transcription jobs with BabbleType, you will need some transcription experience, and they will need you to be available:
15-20 hours a week
4 hours per day, 4 days a week
Weekdays 9-3 EST
Long term only
Available year-round
If this sounds good to you, you can apply by filling out the BabbleType questionnaire.
3Play Media
3Play Media offers transcription, captioning, live captioning, and audio description services to over 10,000 businesses in a range of industries.
They’re looking to hire English transcriptionists, Spanish Transcriptionists, and English Voice writers.
Their remote transcriptionists can choose the jobs they work on: from a selection of entertainment, corporate, and education content producers.
The required qualifications to transcribe in English include:
Excellent written and communication skills
Command of English grammar and punctuation
Proficient at internet research and reference sources
Ability to work independently and follow instructions
Must be at least 18 years of age
To work as an independent contractor for 3Play Media, fill out their online application form, and you’ll be contacted if successful.
Scribie
Scribie is an established transcription company that’s transcribed over 9 million minutes and has 50K certified transcribers working globally.
They do a range of transcription work in different industries, including:
Video transcription
Legal transcription
Sermon transcription
Academic transcription
Podcast transcription
Dissertation transcription
Marketing transcription
They pay freelance transcribers $5 – $20 per audio hour, with beginners earning around $400/month and advanced workers earning around $1,600/month.
They even use AI and provide you with an automated transcript – so a lot of the work is done for you!
Check out their practice files to get your skills up to par, and when you feel ready, click to ”sign up” and follow their registration process.
Way with Words
Way with Words has been around since 2002 and offers a range of transcription jobs for native English (first language) speakers.
They provide audio, video, and custom translation services to thousands of clients globally and pay transcribers $0.45 – $1.73 per audio minute, based on project turnaround time.
Previous experience is not essential as they will train you, but you will need:
A good ear for accents
Ability to type and research accurately
To be able to follow formats and meet deadlines
To get transcription work with Way with Words, you must fill out their registration process and pass a basic skills assessment.
Daily Transcription
Daily Transcription is a transcription and translation company that hires native English-speaking transcribers based in the US.
They offer clients a range of transcription services in different industries such as legal, medical, academic, corporate, government, market research, and more.
To work as a general transcriptionist for this company, you must:
Type at least 50 WPM
Be detail-oriented
Have strong listening and typing skills
Have the ability to insert timecodes
Be able to proofread your own work
Be able to follow formats and guidelines
Be proficient in using transcription software
This transcription job includes 10-30 hours of work a week and pays $45 – $66 per hour of material.
SpeakWrite
SpeakWrite offers transcription services for clients in a range of industries, such as corporate, law, business, financial, insurance, and more.
They’re currently hiring remote transcriptionists with experience in legal, Spanish, and general transcription.
SpeakWrite transcriptionists earn, on average, between $450 and $3,400 a month, plus bonuses and extra rewards.
The job requirements include:
Type 60 WPM with 90% accuracy
Legal resident of the US or Canada
You DO NOT live in California
Fluent in English
Strong knowledge of grammar, spelling, and punctuation
Have 1+ years of transcription/word processing experience
If you meet the position requirements, you can follow their application process and move closer to getting paid online transcription jobs.
GMR Transcription
GMR Transcription has been offering transcription, translation, and proofreading services since 2004 and has some of the best transcription jobs hiring now.
No fees or experience are needed. You just need a computer with high-speed internet, MS Office, a foot pedal, and quality headphones.
You have the freedom to work at home, the hours that suit you, and you can pick and choose the assignments you want to work on.
To get paid work with GMR Transcription, you MUST pass a typing test by typing at least 50 WPM at a 90% accuracy rate.
Quicktate
Quictate offers call auditing and transcription services for various companies, including Coca-Cola, Ford, Wells Fargo, CNN, and more.
As a Quicktate transcriber, you’ll be asked to transcribe a range of files, such as:
Memos
Legal files
Medical files
Voicemail messages
Conference calls
Phone recordings
Other audio files
Some recordings will only be 2 – 3 minutes in duration, while others could be up to several hours long.
To receive paid assignments, you must review their procedures, fill out their application form, take a quiz, and consent to a background check.
TigerFish
Tigerfish has been in the transcription business for over two decades and has worked with many big brands such as Yahoo, JP Morgan, NASA, Google, Samsung, Wells Fargo, and more.
To get transcription jobs with TigerFish, you must email your application, and successful candidates will be contacted directly.
Follow these steps:
Download and read the Tigerfish style guide
Download an audio file of their transcription test
Transcribe each section according to the specifications
Save the three test segments in one document and send it in via email
You must also be a US citizen or legal resident, have high-speed internet, and a Windows-based computer
Casting Words
Casting Words is a transcription company that is always looking to hire talented freelance transcribers and editors.
Jobs can completed at your own pace, and you can work as much or as little as you want at the times that suit you.
Casting Words pays between 8.5 cents and just over 1 dollar per audio minute, and this varies depending on a few factors, such as:
The type of job
The level you’ve reached
What grade you earn
Pay is made once a week via PayPal. Take a look at their style guide before you sign up to see what’s expected of you.
Crowdsurf
Crowdsurf provides on-demand transcription and captioning services, with a goal to make online media more enjoyable and accessible for the deaf and hard of hearing, plus foreign language users.
They call transcription jobs HIT (Human Intelligence Tasks), with each HIT being a 15-35 second video file.
Each HIT is then compiled with other HITs to make full-length videos. This is the meaning of ”Crowdsurf” as a crowd of people all chip in to get one large job done.
Crowdsurf ranks its transcriptionists in levels, according to how many tasks they’ve completed. After completing 100 tasks, you’ll be eligible to move up a level and get a better pay rate.
Review their general guidelines and training videos, and when you feel ready, click ”Login Now” to sign up and start working.
Ditto Transcripts
Ditto offers transcription services for legal, medical, business, general, and law enforcement businesses.
They also offer typing, deposition summaries, and translation services in Spanish, German, French, Italian, and Arabic.
To work as a remote transcriptionist for Ditto, you must reside in the United States and pass an initiation test with a 95% accuracy rate.
Pay rates depend on the type and difficulty of the job and the expected turnaround. Rates include:
Medical: $0.07 – $0.10/line
Legal and law enforcement – $0.80 – $1.10/minute
Academic, financial, general – $0.80 – $1.10/minute
If this sounds good to you, follow their application process to be considered for work as a freelance transcriptionist.
What are the Different Types of Work from Home Transcription Jobs?
Online transcription jobs fall into three main categories:
General Transcription
General transcription jobs include work transcribing all types of audio like videos, phone recordings, business meetings, interviews, and more.
You won’t be required to have any specialized knowledge or understanding in one subject with general transcription, making it a great option for transcribers new to the industry.
Medical Transcription
Medical transcriptionists are tasked with transcribing audio files for doctors, nurses, surgeons, and psychiatrists into text format.
But just note that this type of work usually requires specialist knowledge because medical terminology and acronyms will be used.
Legal Transcription
Legal transcriptionists often work on transcribing audio files for lawyers and judges, from court proceedings into written documents.
As a legal transcriptionist, you’ll be expected to understand legal terminology, so it pays if you have specialist knowledge or take a course to learn more about legal transcription.
Conclusion on the Best Work-from-Home Transcription Jobs
Now you know the best work-from-home transcription jobs you can apply for today.
While transcription is one of the easiest online jobs you can do from home, you’ll get more work and higher pay if you spend time increasing your typing speed and accuracy.
Check out this free typing test and free grammar test to boost your skills, and always check out the style guides of any transcription company you apply for so you know what they expect.
As you learn the ropes and work on earning more, you can subsidize your paycheck with these niche side hustles.