Transcription Jobs from Home No Experience (20 Jobs)
You may not immediately realize how important transcription is in the world we live in today, but nearly everything we watch whether it be on TV, Netflix, or YouTube, has subtitles. Somebody had to write those subtitles and that somebody could be you.
I've gathered 19 sites to help beginners and pros find transcription jobs from home no experience needed. This list will cover transcription sites that pay well and some that also provide free transcription training.
First:
What does a transcriptionist do?
An audio transcriptionist listens to audio files of people talking (think interviews, podcasts, etc.) and types out what they are saying.
That's it.
That means that with enough hard work and training almost anyone can become a transcriptionist.
Here are the skills you'll want to work on if you plan on being one of the best transcriptionists:
- Fast typing speed.
- Good attention span.
- Strong listening skills.
- Determination.
Keep in mind, if you are only a beginner your typing speed and transcription skills will improve as you complete more work.
Don't get discouraged when you're just starting out.
This isn't a “get rich quick” job so don't expect to be a pro right off the bat.
Pros and Cons of Being a Transcriptionist
Pros
- Work from anywhere – Being a transcriptionist means you can work from anywhere in the world (as long as there's wifi)!
- Set your own rates – As you become more experienced and move onto private clients, you'll be able to set your own rates.
- Work when you want – Since you'll be your own boss you can decide when you want to work.
- You'll be helping people – As a transcriptionist, you'll be helping tons of people access their favorite content in the written form. It may not seem like a big impact, but trust me it is.
- Personal development – If you take the transcription career path seriously, you're going to develop skills that will stick with you for the rest of your life.
Cons
- It can be boring – When I tried transcribing myself, I found listening to some audio clips really boring. Some people love it, others not so much.
- Job sites have low pay – This post is called transcription jobs from home no experience for a reason, anyone can apply to them. With that being said, it's obvious that these sites won't provide super high pay. The sites here are a good place to start, but the real money made transcribing is in private clients (we'll talk about this later).
- It's lonely – As a transcriptionist, you'll be working at home so it can get a bit lonely. Try to connect with other transcriptionists if you can, Facebook is a good place to start.
How Much Do Transcriptionists Make?
That's a good question, but it's not an easy one to answer. Most sites pay by the audio hour or per word transcribed so those who can transcribe audio files quicker will make more money.
But keep in mind:
Quality is much more important than speed. You are transcribing for actual clients here, and the company who you are working for is trusting you to create a flawless transcription. Most sites will suspend your account if you make too many mistakes.
To answer the question though:
A beginner should make around $10 an hour while someone more experienced could be making upwards of $30 an hour or more.
Bonus: If you can speak more than one language fluently you will have the opportunity to land more jobs.
Bonus x2: Audio files that are of bad quality or contain a speaker with a heavy accent will typically pay more per hour.
Tools
There are only three things you need to get started with transcription:
- A desktop or laptop computer.
- A good internet connection.
- Something to listen to audio files (headphones work best).
If you're planning to get into transcription as a career, you may want to invest in some other tools as well:
Foot Pedal
A foot pedal can be used to improve your transcribing speed and efficiency. It allows you to pause, play, fast-forward, and rewind with your feet.
This is not something that you need, but if you are planning to earn some real dough, it will surely help you accomplish that faster.
Keep in mind that some transcription job sites use web-based transcription software that is incompatible with a foot pedal. This is, however, quite uncommon.
Headphones
Another thing you may need to look into if you're serious about getting into transcription is a nice comfy pair of headphones or earbuds. Some people like over the ear headphones and some like earbuds, it's personal preference.
I've found that these are the most popular headphones for transcription, but I'd go with this cheaper pair if you're just starting out.
And here are some cheap earbuds that are designed for transcription.
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Training
Although the title of this post is transcription jobs from home no experience needed, think about this:
Would you pay more for someone with experience or someone without experience?
I'd gladly pay more for someone who has more experience, especially if they had in-depth training from a professional teacher.
Check out this free mini-course for general transcription training offered by TranscribeAnywhere. This course will run you through all the basics and any questions you may have about transcription will be answered.
You should also check out their free legal transcription mini-course after you finish the general course as that may interest you more.
I'll talk more about these courses down below.
19 Transcription Jobs From Home No Experience Needed
1. Scribie (#1 Recommendation For Beginners)
Scribie may pay a bit less than some other sites, but it's a great place to start and get a feel for the work. In order to get started all you need to do is submit an application and take their online test. All the files you will be transcribing on Scribie are 6 minutes or less, so they shouldn't take too long to transcribe!
The pay on Scribie ranges from $5 to $20 per audio hour, paid out via PayPal.
I used Scribie to make my first dollar transcribing.
2. TranscribeMe
- Age requirement: 18 years or older
- Location requirements: Worldwide
- Earning potential: $4.25/hour, $30/month
- Average work volume: A few opportunities a week
- Ways to earn: Transcription (with growth opportunities)
- Payment details: $10 minimum payout. Payments are sent every 7 days via PayPal.
- Learn more: TranscribeMe Review and Earning Guide
- Apply: Here
TranscribeMe provides work by splitting up larger audio files into shorter chunks and then posting them to the WorkHub. After applying and passing an English exam, you'll be assigned files automatically for transcribing. If you manage to do a good job and complete other exams in the hub, you'll be able to unlock higher-paying work and more opportunities.
3. Rev
You should definitely sign up to Rev. No experience is needed, AND they provide free training.
This comes in the form of tutorials, practice jobs, and you'll receive feedback from experienced transcriptionists after you complete a job. They've also got an active forum where you can talk to and meet other transcriptionists.
Rev requires that you pass a grammar and transcription test before starting work.
Here are some other features you should also know about:
- They pay weekly via PayPal.
- Average earnings per month on Rev are $245, and the top monthly earning is $1495!
4. GoTranscript
- Age requirement: 18 years or older
- Location requirements: Worldwide
- Earning potential: $3.50/hour, $85/month
- Average work volume: Opportunities are almost always available
- Ways to earn: Transcription, transcript editing
- Payment details: $0.01 minimum payout. Payments are sent every 7 days via Payoneer, PayPal
- Learn more: GoTranscript Review and Earning Guide
- Apply: Here
GoTranscript is another great fit for beginners. The pay is a bit lower than some sites, but it's a good place to get experience and learn the ropes.
You'll need to complete one test job before starting real work. Test jobs are available in English and other languages.
One of the main features I love about GoTranscript are the editors. An editor will go over every job that you hand in. The editor then rates your work and leaves feedback for you to look over afterward. You're being paid and trained at the same time, pretty awesome right? (You can also become an editor yourself eventually, which includes a pay raise.)
5. Accutran Global
Accutran Global is only available to US and Canadian residents. You will have to complete a test upon applying, and they require that you have a transcription speed of 70 words per minute. If you consistently show that you understand the content you are transcribing, you may have the opportunity to get expand the services you offer besides just transcription.
They pay out via direct deposit to a bank account on or before the 15th of every month. No PayPal.
Here's the earning potential:
- $0.004 to $0.0055 per word.
- $0.40 per audio minute for longer projects.
- Bonuses for audio containing technical terminology or heavy accents.
6. CastingWords
CastingWords requires that you be 18 years old and is available in most countries. You will have to take a test which consists of transcribing a short audio file. Be sure to check out the quick-start style guide before taking the test.
CastingWords uses badges as a sort of ranking system, so the higher level badges you have the more jobs you'll have access to. You will lost badges if your performance is poor, be careful! If you lose all your badges in a given category you will no longer be able to work on jobs in that category. 🙁
You will also receive grades for every piece of work you turn in. This means you will receive feedback from other transcriptionists, which is really valuable. If you consistently receive low grades though, you run the risk of losing a badge. Don't worry about getting a few low grades when you first start out though, there is a lot to learn.
You can request to be paid via PayPal every Friday.
7. Birch Creek Communications
Birch Creek Communications has now completely merged with Kendall Creek Communications (below).
Previously, Birch Creek Communications was solely for corporate transcription jobs. Now Kendall Creek Communications handles everything including legal transcription, general business transcription, medical, and more.
8. Kendall Creek Communications
- Application requirements: Unclear.
- Work available: Legal, political, corporate, and general transcription.
- Employment type: Independent contractor.
- What's the pay rate? Legal transcription pays $0.75 to $1.75/page. Other types of work vary based on different factors.
- Application link: Here.
Kendall Creek Communications is U.S. based and has been in the transcription space since ~2007. Applicants with prior experience will have a better chance of getting hired, but beginners are free to apply.
The application process is pretty standard and consists of a few screener tests to assess your skills.
If you're hired, you can work on your own schedule and accept (or decline) jobs as they come your way.
9. Crowdsurf
Crowdsurf requires no previous experience, all they request is that you take an assessment test. The work ranges from 5 seconds to 30 seconds per audio clip, so you should be able to bang out a job in 10 minutes or less.
Pay ranges from $0.03-$0.20 per audio minute plus additional bonus rates.
10. Daily Transcription
Daily Transcription is always looking to hire professional and novice transcriptionists.
All you need to do to apply is head over to their site, fill out a form and attach your resume. Don't worry if you don't have any previous transcription experience, but if you do make sure to include it on your resume. After you submit the form, you are ready to take the assessment test. If you pass, they'll let you know. Good luck!
I couldn't find an estimated pay range on their site, but after reading some reviews, they seem to pay around $0.75 to $1.10 per audio minute. Pay is sent out every two weeks via PayPal.
11. GMR Transcription
At the time of writing this GMR has open positions for general transcription and Spanish transcription/translation.
GMR only hires transcriptionists from within the US.
They don't require any experience, but they mention they have a rigorous grading policy. This means the application test may be tricky for beginners. Nevertheless, you should try anyway even if you are a beginner.
You will get paid every two weeks; GMR will discuss your pay rate with you.
12. Neal R. Gross
Neal R. Gross has been in business for over 35 years and does court reporting and transcription for various government and private clients. They do have a few requirements for anyone looking to transcribe for them:
- Type at least 60 words per minute.
- Be fluent in English.
- Be able to work a minimum of 30 hours per week.
- Must be able to transcribe at least 5 hours of audio per week.
If you can manage all that then you're ready to apply. Neal R. Gross doesn't require any previous transcription experience.
Note: It seems that Neal R. Gross removed their main application page, so I can't tell if they're hiring new transcriptionists anymore. Feel free to reach out through their contact page.
13. Tigerfish
Tigerfish is an excellent fit for beginner transcriptionists. All they require is that you be 18 years old and live in the US, no previous experience required.
The application process is simple. All you have to do is transcribe three audio files following the rules in their style guide. You then paste your transcripts for each audio file into the application form and write in how long it took you to finish each. Then you just need to fill out some information about yourself, any previous experience you have, and your availability. That's it!
They pay around $0.005 per word transcribed.
14. Transcription ‘N' Translations
I couldn't find much information on this company which operates out of Miami, but I've read online that they have some big clients like the Discovery Channel.
15. Ubiqus
Ubiqus is looking for native English speakers from the US. They would like you to have 1-5 years of relevant experience, but if you can give a valid reason why you would be a good fit then you may still have a chance without experience.
However, if you are applying for a legal or medical transcription job, having 1-5 years of experience is a must.
They pay per word, but I couldn't find a pay estimate listed anywhere, so I'm assuming it's negotiated upon being hired.
16. Verbal Ink
Verbal Ink is a division of Ubiqus specializing in transcription, including foreign languages and translation.
They've got five main attributes that they look for in a transcriptionist:
- Good listening.
- Accurate typing.
- Attention to detail.
- Thorough research.
- Following the style guide.
They go more into detail on their site so check it out before you apply.
The only payment information I could find is that they pay a living wage. I don't know what that equals out to, but it sounds better than a dying wage…
17. 1-888-TYPE-IT-UP
To work for 1-888-TYPE-IT-UP, you must be a U.S. citizen, fill out an application form and pay a small fee of $10.00.
I know what you're thinking, “Huh? I have to pay them to apply?”
While it is a bit annoying, they do have a reason for it. They have to pay an employee to go over your application, and they could get 100's of applications every week. Since they are looking for high-quality transcriptionists, they see this as a way of weeding out those who are less serious about the job.
You will receive their transcription test in your email after applying.
Their pay ranges from 60 cents per audio minute ($36 per audio hour) to $3 per audio minute ($180 per audio hour). You can also get pay bonuses depending on the audio file you're transcribing, as well as better pay rates based on your past performance.
Payments are received via PayPal on the 15th and the last day of every month.
18. 3Play Media
At 3Play Media, you will not only be writing transcripts from scratch but also editing transcripts that have been created by speech recognition software. 3Play uses this process to speed up the transcription work while maintaining the same quality of work.
However, they do still require that you be able to type 75 words per minute.
You must be U.S. citizen to apply.
Pay ranges from $10-$30 per hour depending on your skills.
19. Transcription Outsourcing
- Application requirements: 18+, USA, and must pass a criminal background check.
- Work available: Legal, medical, law enforcement, and general transcription.
- Employment type: Both employment and freelance positions available.
- Pay rates: For freelance work, it's 7 cents per line for medical transcription and 80 cents per minute for legal, law enforcement, and general transcription.
- Payment methods: Direct deposit or PayPal.
- Payment speed: Twice per month on the 1st and the 15th.
- Application link: Here.
Transcription Outsourcing is based in the U.S. and has been around since 2010. They offer freelance transcription and full-time employment positions.
Although they prefer applicants with experience, they also provide training, which is great for newer transcripitonists. Still, you'll need to score at least 95% on their screener tests to get hired.
20. Clickworker
Clickworker has been around since 2005 and they offer all sorts of different job opportunities, including transcription work.
You may not receive a constant stream of transcription opportunities from Clickworker, but the ones that you do receive will be high-quality and from reputable companies.
Plus, you may find other work that you enjoy doing on Clickworker which could lead you down an entirely new path of making money from home.
To learn more, read my full Clickworker review.
The Truth About Beginner Transcription Jobs
Since these sites hire beginners, they don't always pay a lot.
I mentioned it above:
The really successful transcriptionists have their own private clients.
This means they have bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, and other content creators who go to them every time they need something transcribed.
Think about it:
A podcaster releases an episode every week that needs transcribing. If you're their go-to-guy/gal then that's a guaranteed a job every week.
Think about if you had 2, 5, or even 10 clients like this! You'd never be short of work!
Now, why would they go to you? Why wouldn't they just use one of the sites above to get their content transcribed?
Well, they might, but with the lower-paying sites, they don't get the same level of accuracy, customer service, and consistency.
You're one person, so you have the ability to provide a high-quality experience with your services.
So, how can you go about getting your own clients?
Well, you can either continue working on the sites above, learning through experience, or…
You can spend some money and learn from someone who's already done it all before.
(If you haven't yet, take the free general transcription mini-course and the free legal transcription course. By the end of those courses, you'll know whether or not investing in a full-blown course is worth it for you.)
If you're confident that you want to be either a full-time or part-time general/legal transcriptionist AND you want to start earning more money sooner, then you should without a doubt enroll in either the:
Both courses are taught by professional transcriptionist Janet Shaughnessy and will teach you everything you need to know about transcription, style guides, finding work, running a business, and more.
You'll also get lifetime access to all the material and lifetime access to support.
Basically, if you enroll in either of the courses above and you put in the work, you can't fail.
Now, you will have to put in about 2-4 months of learning time in order to get everything down, but after that, you'll be completely ready to start earning $15-$60/hour as a professional transcriptionist.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GENERAL TRANSCRIPTION COURSE
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LEGAL TRANSCRIPTION COURSE
Conclusion
Transcription is a great work-at-home gig, but it's not as easy as everyone claims it to be.
You can't just hop onto one of the sites above and start making a ton of money typing. It's not that easy. I wish it was, but it's not.
I even wrote a post about how to make make money transcribing where I tried to make at least one dollar in less than a week (as a complete beginner) and although I succeeded, it took me about 4 HOURS to make $1.31.
If you want to actually make a living transcribing, it requires hard work, skills, knowledge, and dedication. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it!
So, here's my #1 tip for all aspiring transcriptionists reading right now:
Get training.
I know it's scary, but investing in training is the best thing you can do for yourself if you're trying to become a professional transcriptionist.
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