What Is a Transcriptionist?
The job, the pay and the training.
A transcriptionist listens to audio or video recordings and types what was said. Most work in medical, legal or general transcription, and they check the text for terms, names and format. In the US, medical transcriptionists earned a median of $40,410 in May 2025.
Pay and job figures checked November 2026 on bls.gov.
Transcription jobs in the US
| Job | Median pay, May 2025 | Jobs, 2025 | Outlook, 2025 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical transcriptionist | $40,410 a year | About 42,000 | Down 4% |
| Court reporter or captioner | $72,420 a year | 19,900 | Little or no change |
What training does a transcriptionist need?
In the US, medical transcriptionists and court reporters typically complete a postsecondary program below a degree. General transcription usually asks for fast, accurate typing and good listening.
Will AI replace transcriptionists?
AI now writes many first drafts, and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects medical transcriptionist jobs to fall 4% from 2025 to 2035. People still check and correct text when it must be exact: Rev, for example, sells human transcription at 99% accuracy or better.