Free Transcription Training - How To Become a Freelance Transcriptionist Online (in 2019)

Free Transcription Courses (+Affordable Options)

You may be wondering, how can I learn transcription easily?

You might believe that with some free transcription training online you could land a work from home job to become a freelance transcriptionist.

The truth is, there isn’t any free training that will prepare you to to become a successful transcriptionist. The free training available is there to help you decide if a transcription career is right for you!

In this article, I’ve listed out what you can get your hands on for free.

I’ve also included information on the most affordable and easiest route to a career in online transcription for beginners.

Let’s get started.

General Transcription Training Online

Janet Shaughnessy has done transcribing for a living for many years. She now offers a full-fledged transcription course to teach others how they could do it too. If you want to know more about general transcription jobs and see if it’s right for you, she does offer free transcription training.

*This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.

FREE Transcription Course:

Transcription Foundations 7-Day Online Mini-Course. You will learn things like what it takes to become a transcriptionist, two big keys to success, the biggest myth about transcription and much more. Sign up for the mini-course here.

PAID Transcription Course:

General Transcription: Theory & Practice. This is the go-to online resource if you want to succeed as a transcriptionist. Not only will it teach you all the skills you need to do the job well, you also learn how to get work. Watch the video tour on the sales page to see what’s inside the course.

Unlike college courses, you don’t need a high school diploma to get in and you could complete the course in less than one year.

Legal Transcription Training Online

If you can see yourself working in the legal field of work, you may want to consider specializing in legal transcription. Janet also provides legal transcription training online, both paid and free.

FREE Legal Transcription Training:

This is a 4-Day Online Mini-Course. You will learn about the demand for legal transcriptionists and who uses them, what it takes to do this type of specialized job, and more. At the end of this free legal transcription training, you should be able to determine if it’s what you’d like to do. Sign up here.

PAID Legal Transcription Training:

Legal Transcription: Theory & Practice. This is the most complete online education system for legal transcription with 14 full-length training modules covering typing drills, where to find work, over 100 pages of legal terminology, and so much more. You get lifetime access to the course.

Unlike college courses, you don’t need a high school diploma to get in and you could complete the course in less than one year.

Medical Transcription Training

I have not come across any free medical transcription training in my research. Every search leads to a paid program of some sort. The medical field is quite delicate so I could totally understand why there is no free training available. You really do need the proper paid training.

The best training course that I have found on how to become a medical transcriptionist is from Career Step.

They are an online school specializing in medical careers for over 20 years (although they do have other careers here too!). Graduates have a high rate of getting hired after completing their courses since employers actually look to Career Step when searching for job candidates.

Paid Medical Transcription Course:

Medical Transcription Editor. This comprehensive course will prepare you for a career in medical transcription. In fact, employers who come looking for graduates of Career Step don’t require an prior experience since you will have gained skills and knowledge to qualify for jobs in medical transcription.

It should take you less than a year to complete the course. Request free info about the course here.

How Much Does an At-Home Transcriptionist Make?

Whether you work as an at-home transcriptionist as a freelancer or employed with a company, the average pay for a transcriptionist is generally the same.

According to ZipRecruiter, the majority of General Transcriptionist salaries currently range between $27,000-$44,500 across the United States. Some annual salaries have been seen as high as $77,500.

Salaries can vary by company, state, skills, and typing speed.

What Skills Do I Need To Transcribe?

You will learn all the necessary skills once you go through the appropriate training course but here are the common skills required for transcription jobs:

need to know terminology if you specialize in either medical or legal transcription
have a good typing speed (this can improve!)
knowledge of proper grammar and punctuation
good listening skills
attention to details
focus and responsibility
basic technology skills

You may not have all these skills now, this is why it’s important to go through proper training and not just any free transcription training.

What Transcription Equipment Do I Need?

When working as a transcription, there are a few specific transcription equipment necessities.

You will need the following:

a desktop or laptop computer
Microsoft Word
a good quality headset like this one
a foot pedal (to pause, rewind, forward the audio)
text expander (optional)
legal or medical dictionary (optional)

Final Thoughts on Free Transcription Training

Anyone with an interest in working as a transcriptionist may want to seek out resources for free transcription training online. It’s usually the first step. It will help you decide if it’s right for you and you’ll learn what it takes to become a successful transcriptionist.

Free Transcription Training – How To Become a Freelance Transcriptionist Online