---

Medical Transcription

Types of Degrees Medical Transcription Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Medical Transcription have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	13
Associate’s Degree	1
Master’s Degree	42

What Medical Transcription Majors Need to Know

Studies in Medical Transcription develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Medical Transcription graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Medical Transcription emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 2.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 2.7 / 5; level 2.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Medical Transcription program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Medical Transcription careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Medical Transcription graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.8 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Medical Transcription professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
g-net solutions MTP	Voice recognition software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Crescendo Systems Corporation MedRite-XL	Medical software	—
Sylvan Software Complete Medical Pharmaceutical Spell Checker	Spell checkers	—
PCC EHR	Medical software	—
SpeedType	Word processing software	—
Electronic medical record EMR systems	Medical software	—
FileMaker Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
Crescendo Systems DigiScribe-XL	Voice recognition software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Medical Transcription graduates include:

• Pathology Transcriptionist
• Transcription Specialist
• Ophthalmic Scribe
• Clinical Scribe
• Medical Stenographer
• Emergency Medical Scribe
• Medical Transcriptionist
• Provider Scribe
• Medical Assistant Scribe (MA Scribe)
• Medical Records Clerk
• Medical Language Professional
• Certified Medical Transcriptionist
• Documentation Specialist
• Medical Record Transcriber
• Medical Transcription Editor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Medical Transcription graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Postsecondary certificate	38.9%
Some college courses	33.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	16.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Medical Transcription?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 92.9% of Medical Transcription degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	52	92.9%
Men	4	7.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Medical Transcription graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	35	62.5%
Asian	2	3.6%
Hispanic or Latino	5	8.9%
Black or African American	10	17.9%
Two or More Races	2	3.6%
Race Unknown	2	3.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Medical Transcription Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Medical Transcription graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$36,041
4 years	$36,054
5 years	$40,847

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $40,847 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Medical Transcription Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Medical Transcription graduates earn a median of $36,054 four years after completion — about 5% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Health and Medical Administrative Services	51.07
Clinical Research Coordinator	51.0719
Disease Registry Data Management	51.0721
Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other	51.0799
Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator	51.0706
Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician	51.0707
Health Unit Coordinator/Ward Clerk	51.0703
Health Unit Manager/Ward Supervisor	51.0704
Health/Health Care Administration/Management	51.0701
Health/Medical Claims Examiner	51.0715
Healthcare Information Privacy Assurance and Security	51.0723
Healthcare Innovation	51.0722

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.