GMR Transcription enlists freelance typists and translators to transcribe corporate, government, legal and academic documents.

Expected pay: $4 to $24 per hour*

Husl$core: $$$

Commissions & fees: NA

Where: U.S. Nationwide

Requirements: high-speed internet, Microsoft Office, headphones, and a foot pedal, be willing to take at least 4 hours of audio per month.

Review:

GMR Transcription only enlists U.S. residents as freelance typists and translators. That generally means that the company pays better-than-average rates. And freelancers who have worked with the company rate it highly.

However, we have a few concerns mainly because GMR Translation is cagey about freelancer pay. The company’s FAQs say pay rates are only disclosed after you’re hired. Moreover there’s a reference in the site’s FAQs about a “probationary period.” Specifically, in response to “is there a probationary period for new typists,” the site says: “Yes, all new typists must complete 2 hours worth of audio before receiving paid work. During this probation period, we will be carefully proofreading your work to ensure that your transcripts are up to our standards.”

Notably, other sites require transcriptionists to take a test to be accepted. However, this appears to say that the first two audio hours that you transcribe for GMR’s paying clients are unpaid. Given that each audio hour could take a transcriptionist 2 to 6 hours to complete, this is a significant amount of unpaid work. Calls and emails to GMR asking for clarification were not returned.

Translators set their own rates, according to GMR’s website.

Recommendations:

Because the site’s worker reviews were generally positive, we’ve given GMR a neutral Husl$core, despite our pay concerns. However, if you live outside of California, New Jersey and Massachusetts, we believe the opportunities for transcriptionists are better with Transcription Outsourcing. 

What their users say (from Glassdoor)

You get paid per audio minute, but some files just take a lot longer to do than others. I’m still learning and getting faster. But according to my calculations I’m currently making about $8.00 to $12.00 per hour, depending on the file. That’s what you get for having high work standards and taking the time to proofread! That said, I still have faith that I’ll get faster with experience. 

I would say the only con would be the pay. The pay may be sufficient if you’re a very fast and experienced transcriptionist. But if you tend to work a bit slower (like myself), you may find it difficult for assignments to be worthwhile.

The training period is unpaid, but it doesn’t last too long.

I’ve averaged my pay over the last six months to be $9.50/hr before taxes. I have a college degree and student loans.

Excellent way to gain extra cash. Attention to detail gives you access to higher paying jobs.The ladies at GMR are understanding of life stresses and issues as long as you are communicating with them in the case of any issues that come up. You have to submit several test transcriptions using their formatting before accepted as a transcriptionist. If they’re not perfect, you don’t get the job. These are not paid.

Once you earn a reputation for solid work, you get better, easier/faster to transcribe files. And the pay rate increases as a result. I worked for a school district at the time and used this opportunity to fill in gaps over school vacations, holidays, evenings, and weekends. I enjoyed the work, felt I was treated fairly and professionally, and learned about a variety of new topics that I would not have encountered otherwise. Interesting work, convenient, and financially rewarding if you are efficient, accurate and thorough.

* Pay range based on Glassdoor estimates