What you do
You listen to a recording and type what people say. You pick your own files from
a dashboard. Nothing is assigned to you.
There is no minimum number of hours or files. You work when you want.
Editors review samples of your work for accuracy, formatting, timestamps and
style. A high quality score increases your access to jobs.
What it pays
This one needs care, because the platform’s own numbers do not agree with each
other.
The jobs page headline says up to $1.75 per minute. That page does not say
per audio minute in the headline. Further down, its own FAQ does say pay is
per audio minute of finished files.
That distinction is the whole gig. GoTranscript defines an audio minute as the
length of the recording, not the time you spend typing it.
The headline and the rate table do not match
The same page carries the data behind its earnings calculator. In that data,
English pays $0.65 per audio minute. The full range runs from $0.20 for
Spanish to $2.38 for Japanese.
No language in that table is priced at $1.75.
So the headline number is not the English rate. It is not any rate we could
find. If you type English, plan on $0.65 a minute of audio. Treat the
$1.75 headline as advertising.
Most languages pay the same as English. In the table, 125 of 156 languages sit
at $0.65. Eight pay less, and Spanish is the lowest at $0.20. The
other 23 pay more.
One outside review site, SwiftSalary, puts the average at about $0.60 per audio
minute. That sits close to the $0.65 English rate.
SwiftSalary prints “Data as of July 24, 2023” near its earnings stats.
So its figures may be older than GoTranscript’s pages. We do not know which
figures that date covers.
What that means per hour
GoTranscript does not state an hourly rate. We read its pages on Oct 23, 2026
and found no pay per hour. We found no work time per audio minute
either. We will not invent one.
Its page does show a calculator. The calculator assumes you finish 30 minutes
of audio for each hour you work. The page never says that is typical. These are GoTranscript’s own claims, not ours.
The page also shows monthly figures for English: $1,170 and $3,250. For
every language, these equal the rate times 1,800 and times 5,000 audio
minutes. They match a formula, so they do not look like measured pay.
SwiftSalary reports a much lower hourly figure. It says $4.50 an hour on
average and $9.00 at the top. Treat that with caution. It comes from nine
reviews, which is a very small sample.
The two sources disagree by a wide margin. Time your own work before you rely
on either.
How and when you get paid
GoTranscript pays weekly, on Fridays. It names methods like PayPal or
Payoneer. Which options you get depends on where you live.
SwiftSalary says finished files are paid out only after they are
reviewed. It says that typically takes 1-2 days.
We read its pages on Oct 23, 2026 and found no payout fee.
Clients can pay as low as $1.02 per audio minute. English typists are
listed at $0.65.
Who this fits
This fits you if you type fast, hear well, and want no schedule at all.
It fits people outside the United States. GoTranscript says it hires
worldwide and takes beginners. English applicants looked closed on
Oct 23, 2026, so this fits best if you can type in another language.
It fits if you have no experience. None is required.
It fits if you speak a second language. Applications showed as open for many
languages. Pay depends on the language. Of 156 languages in the table, 23
pay more, up to $2.38 for Japanese. Each language needs its own
test.
Who should skip this
Skip this if you can only type English. On Oct 23, 2026, picking English on the
jobs page showed “English applications coming soon” and a greyed-out Apply
button. It also showed “We are currently not accepting new English
transcribers”. On the pages we read on Oct 23, 2026, no reopening date
was given. You could not start on that day. Pages change, so check
the page yourself before you plan around it.
Skip this if $0.65 an audio minute does not work for you. Pay is per audio
minute, so slow typing means a low hourly rate.
Skip it if you cannot pass an English test and a transcription test.
SwiftSalary says you need at least 95% accuracy to pass.
Skip it if hearing speech in noise is hard. GoTranscript says pay varies with
how hard the audio is.
How to start, step by step
- Check your age. The 18 rule is in GoTranscript’s terms for customers.
On the pages we read on Oct 23, 2026, no typist age is stated.
- Check the language you want. English applications showed as closed on Oct 23,
2026. Other active languages showed as open.
- Test your typing speed first.
- Apply. It is free.
- Take the English test and then the transcription test. If you fail, you
may retake it on the same account.
- Wait for the result. Sources disagree on how long. A GoTranscript guide says
up to a few days. SwiftSalary says 30-60 days. Plan for either.
- Never open a second account. That gets your application declined
automatically.
- Set up a payout method for your region, such as PayPal or Payoneer.
- Do three short files and time yourself before deciding this is worth it.
Before you pay anyone: GoTranscript charges nothing to apply. Anyone charging you a fee to start transcription work is not worth paying.
Your first week
Day 1. Open the jobs page and pick your language. See if it shows applications
as open. Then apply and take the tests in a quiet room.
Day 2. Read the formatting rules. Editors review accuracy, formatting,
timestamps and style. Style is part of the review too.
Day 3. Take one short, clean file. Time yourself from opening it to submitting
it. You may still be waiting on your test result, and sources disagree on how
long that takes. If so, practice on any short recording.
Day 4. Work out your own ratio. Divide your working minutes by the audio
minutes. A GoTranscript blog post gives a general guide. It says one hour
of audio can take up to four hours to type by hand. That is not a rate
GoTranscript states for its typists.
Day 5. Do the arithmetic. Audio minutes times your language’s rate,
divided by the hours you actually worked.
That last number is your real pay. It is not the $1.75 headline. It is not
the number on any list whose writer never did the job.
GoTranscript names the equipment itself: a computer, steady internet, headphones
and a quiet room. It calls a foot pedal and a text expander optional
extras.
- Over-ear headphones You play the same few seconds again and again. Padded cups keep out room noise so you hear the word the first time.
- USB foot pedal Your feet start and stop the audio, so your hands never leave the keys. GoTranscript lists it as an optional speed tool. You can start without it.
- Text expander software You type a short code and it fills in a long word or phrase you use all day. GoTranscript names it as an optional speed tool. You can start without it.
- A quiet room GoTranscript asks for a quiet workspace. Background noise makes you rewind more, and rewinding is what costs you money.
- A computer with steady internet You do all the work on a computer, and the audio plays from the web. A weak signal can cut the sound and cost you time. GoTranscript lists both.
The downsides
English applications showed as closed on Oct 23, 2026. The page’s FAQ on
languages hiring now leaves English out. The old English job address now
sends you to the main jobs page, so there is no separate English page.
The “hiring is fully open” banner names start dates of April 30, May 15
and July 1, 2026. All three were past on Oct 23, 2026. Do not read
the banner as current.
The headline pay figure does not match the platform’s own rate table.
Pay is per audio minute, so slow typing means very low pay per hour.
The only hourly figure from workers that we found comes from nine
reviews. It is far below what GoTranscript’s calculator assumes.
SwiftSalary tips that you keep at least a 3.6 out of 5 rating for paid
work. It says a lower rating could risk getting you kicked off the
platform. That is a reviewer’s advice, not a rule we found on
GoTranscript’s pages.
GoTranscript calls this work for independent contractors. The pages we
read on Oct 23, 2026 name no tax form. A tax professional can tell you
what applies to you.
Questions people ask
Is the pay really $1.75 a minute? That is the headline. The page’s own
rate data says English is $0.65. No language listed there is priced at
$1.75.
Do other languages pay more? Some do. Most pay the same as English, and
some pay less. Of 156 languages, 125 pay $0.65, 8 pay less and 23 pay
more.
How much is that an hour? GoTranscript does not state an hourly rate.
Its calculator assumes 30 audio minutes per hour worked. SwiftSalary
reports $4.50 an hour on average from nine reviews. Time yourself and
work out your own number.
Can I apply from outside the United States? GoTranscript says it hires
worldwide. Payout options depend on your region. English applicants
looked closed on Oct 23, 2026.
Are they hiring right now? It depends on the language. On Oct 23, 2026, the
page showed English as closed. It said applications were coming soon. Many other languages showed as open. The “fully open” banner is out
of date.
Will English reopen? On the pages we read on Oct 23, 2026, the page says
“coming soon” and gives no date.
Sources and dates
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, hero block, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, FAQ "What is the pay for freelance transcription at GoTranscript?", checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, "What does audio minute mean?", checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, FAQ, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, languageEarnings data used by the earnings calculator, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- SwiftSalary, GoTranscript platform review, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- SwiftSalary, GoTranscript freelancer earnings statistics, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- SwiftSalary, GoTranscript freelancer earnings statistics footnote, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, payments section, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, FAQ "How often are payouts made?", checked Oct 23, 2026.
- SwiftSalary, GoTranscript platform review, cashing out, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- SwiftSalary, GoTranscript platform review, payout speed, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, FAQ "How do I apply?", checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, FAQ "If I fail, can I take the test again?", checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, application block, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, FAQ "Who can apply?", checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, FAQ "Do I need experience to start?", checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, privacy policy and terms of use page, end-user agreement, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, FAQ "What equipment do I need?", checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, FAQ "Is there a minimum number of hours or files?", checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, FAQ "How do you measure transcription quality?", checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, FAQ "How is work assigned?", checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, languages block, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, top banner, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, language picker block, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, customer FAQ, "How much do you charge?", checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, data labeling block, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page: rendered apply block (main-session browser read) and apply-now script (const englishTest = false; languagesData; updateValues), checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, FAQ "Which languages are you hiring for right now?", checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, languageEarnings data (english entry) and apply-now earnings card labels, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, updateCalculator() script (totalMinutes = hours * days * 30), checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, languageEarnings data, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, FAQ "Are these freelance, remote transcription jobs?", checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, GoTranscript public guide, payment section, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, GoTranscript public guide, test section, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, HTTP response headers, robots.txt allows the path, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, translation jobs page, header line, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page, payments block, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- SwiftSalary, GoTranscript platform review, Getting Started, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- SwiftSalary, GoTranscript platform review, Tips, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- SwiftSalary, GoTranscript platform review, Key Points, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, GoTranscript blog, transcribing tool post, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, GoTranscript blog, jobs for unlikely candidates, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, pages we read for what GoTranscript does not publish (jobs page, FAQ, careers, blog, sitemap and more), checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, HTTP response headers, robots.txt allows the path, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- GoTranscript, transcription jobs page FAQ, How do you measure transcription quality?, checked Oct 23, 2026.
- SwiftSalary, GoTranscript platform review, line above Freelancer Earnings Statistics, checked Oct 23, 2026.
What we could not confirm
- GoTranscript does not say where its $1.75 headline comes from. No language in its own rate table is priced at $1.75.
- We read the pages on Oct 23, 2026. GoTranscript does not say how long its own typists take per audio minute. So we cannot give a fair hourly example.
- The page shows $1,170 a month for English. That number is a formula. It does not say how many hours it takes.
- English is still closed on Oct 23, 2026. The page says applications are coming soon, with no date.
- We read the pages on Oct 23, 2026. We found nothing on whether new typists start at a lower rate.
- We read the pages on Oct 23, 2026. We found nothing on a payout fee. Its old help site now sends you to the home page. A review site and an undated GoTranscript guide both say there is no cash-out minimum.
- We read the pages on Oct 23, 2026. We found nothing from GoTranscript on tax forms for US typists.
- A review site says the test result can take 30 to 60 days. A GoTranscript guide says a few days. We could not tell which is right.
Other gigs to compare
-
$25-50 an hour
DataAnnotation's FAQ says General track work starts at $25-$50 an hour.
DataAnnotation pays you to check AI work, like chatbot replies. Its FAQ says General work starts at $25-$50 an hour. First you pass a one-try test.
- Work from home
- Phone helps
- Computer helps
- No car needed
First money: Not stated. Approval takes a few days. Then you verify your ID and do your first project.
-
$0.40-1.10 an audio minute
Paid for each minute of audio, not each minute you work.
Rev pays you to type what you hear in a recording. Pay is $0.40-1.10 for each minute of audio, not each minute of your time.
- Computer needed
- Work from home
- Under $50 to start
- No car needed
First money: Unknown. Rev says approved freelancers can begin earning right away, but gives no time for approval.
-
Priced per item or hour
You build flat-pack and boxed furniture inside a customer's home, hired straight, with no app in between. A job is priced per item or by the hour, and the type of piece changes the cost. A basic hand tool kit runs under $85 to start.
- On your feet
- Car helps
- Phone helps
- Under $200 to start
First money: As soon as you have tools and a first customer. No company has to approve you first.
How to pick a side gig that fits you