From zero to your first paid file

1. Test your typing speed first

Most companies want 60 words per minute or better. Run a free one-minute test before you apply anywhere — if you're under 50, two weeks of daily drills will change your pay more than any course will.

2. Get the two things that matter

A closed-back headset and a text expander. A foot pedal is lovely, but buy it with money you earned from transcription, not before.

3. Pick the easiest door in

Short-file general transcription and AI transcript editing have the lowest bar. Legal and medical pay more but expect terminology and turnaround discipline.

4. Treat the sample test as the job

Nearly every rejection is formatting, not typing: speaker labels, timestamps and the company's style guide. Read the guide twice, then submit.

5. Apply to five, not one

Queues dry up and rates change. People who work steadily are registered with several companies at once.

Next: browse the current listings or the gear and typing tools.