Medical Transcriptionists Salary
The median pay for a medical transcriptionists in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA is $46,960/year ($22.58/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.65), that's roughly $47,603 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,493/month, about 45.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $47K get you in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Harrisburg-Carlisle’s Regional Price Parity (98.65). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About medical transcriptionists
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What this looks like in Harrisburg-Carlisle
Harrisburg-Carlisle sits well above the national pay line for medical transcriptionists, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $40K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,493/month, which is 46.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.65) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for medical transcriptionists in metros near Harrisburg-Carlisle, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $38K | $37K |
| Pittsburgh | $48K | $50K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $46K | $46K |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $45K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
Entry-level medical transcriptionists (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Medical Transcriptionists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Medical Transcriptionists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $50K | +24% | 270 |
| Wisconsin | $49K | +22% | 590 |
| Maine | $49K | +20% | 80 |
| Alaska | $48K | +20% | 110 |
| Connecticut | $48K | +19% | 390 |
| Wyoming | $48K | +19% | 40 |
| Oregon | $46K | +15% | 510 |
| South Dakota | $46K | +14% | 240 |
| Nebraska | $46K | +14% | 230 |
| Illinois | $45K | +13% | 970 |
| District of Columbia | $45K | +12% | 70 |
| California | $45K | +11% | 5,860 |
| Iowa | $45K | +11% | 180 |
| Tennessee | $45K | +11% | 1,450 |
| North Dakota | $45K | +11% | 120 |
| Hawaii | $44K | +10% | N/A |
| New York | $43K | +7% | 2,710 |
| Colorado | $43K | +7% | 610 |
| Texas | $43K | +6% | 7,520 |
| Florida | $42K | +4% | 2,650 |
| Pennsylvania | $42K | +3% | 1,130 |
| Indiana | $41K | +2% | 790 |
| Montana | $41K | +2% | 80 |
| Maryland | $40K | -1% | 230 |
| Utah | $40K | -2% | 210 |
| Nevada | $39K | -3% | 210 |
| North Carolina | $39K | -3% | 1,020 |
| New Jersey | $39K | -3% | 1,710 |
| Kentucky | $39K | -3% | 690 |
| Washington | $39K | -4% | 620 |
| Mississippi | $39K | -4% | 300 |
| Idaho | $38K | -6% | 400 |
| Louisiana | $38K | -6% | 420 |
| Missouri | $37K | -7% | 310 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -7% | 210 |
| West Virginia | $37K | -7% | 90 |
| Michigan | $37K | -8% | 1,130 |
| Ohio | $37K | -8% | 680 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | -9% | 400 |
| Arizona | $37K | -10% | 700 |
| Kansas | $35K | -12% | 420 |
| Alabama | $35K | -13% | 410 |
| Virginia | $35K | -13% | N/A |
| Arkansas | $35K | -13% | 280 |
| Rhode Island | $35K | -14% | 80 |
| Delaware | $34K | -16% | N/A |
| South Carolina | $34K | -16% | 390 |
| Vermont | $33K | -18% | N/A |
| Georgia | $28K | -30% | 950 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -31% | 560 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track medical transcriptionists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Harrisburg-Carlisle numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare Support
Frequently asked questions
Can a medical transcriptionist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 46.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,493/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for medical transcriptionists in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical transcriptionists typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,491/month. At HUD’s $1,493/month FMR, rent would take 60% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is medical transcriptionist a high-paying job in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $47K here vs. $40K nationally.
How does Harrisburg-Carlisle compare to the national average for medical transcriptionists?
Harrisburg-Carlisle pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do medical transcriptionists make in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?
The median is $46,960 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,510, and experienced medical transcriptionists can clear $56,600. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,194/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,493/month, which eats 46.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a medical transcriptionists salary go in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
Harrisburg-Carlisle has a Regional Price Parity of 98.65 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median medical transcriptionists salary is worth about $47,603 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do medical transcriptionists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.