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Typing - how much to charge per 1,000 words?

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  • 06-05-2011 9:46am
    #1
    annieg
    Registered Users Posts: 28 ✭


    Hi all,

    I do a lot of typing for home for a barrister. I charge €22.50 per 1,000 words.

    Does this seem fair? Does anyone know the going rate?

    Thanks

    Ann


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    #2
    daheff
    Registered Users Posts: 5,837 ✭✭✭daheff


    i dont know what the going rate is, but how long does it take u to type 1000 words?

    work off how many words you get done per hour and how much you expect to receive per hour


    or do some research and see what other people charge for the same work....either under cut them or charge more (and get somebody to do the typing work for you and make a profit for no work on your part :) )


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    #3
    pog it
    Registered Users Posts: 2,912 ✭✭✭pog it


    Sounds like a great rate to be honest though you haven't said if handwriting is difficult to read, or if there is anything slowing you down, etc.

    Based on an average typing speed of 50wpm you are getting 22.50 for 20mins work. If you then leave aside 40 extra mins per 1000 words to do checks, edits and whatever else you are still getting 22.50 for an hr's work.


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    #4
    annieg
    Registered Users Posts: 28 ✭annieg


    Thanks for your replies.

    I use a dictaphone so no hand-writing to decipher! Although, they do mumble sometime!

    I suppose I am not a very fast typer so the hourly rate doesn't really apply but that's sort of my problem, not theirs!

    Thanks

    Ann


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    #5
    EmZZZ
    Registered Users Posts: 25 ✭EmZZZ


    Many sites have ongoing rates (just google), but it sounds like a good price.


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    #6
    Goldenegg
    Closed Accounts Posts: 352 ✭✭Goldenegg


    Not meaning to be personal but can I ask how you got into doing this? It sounds like a great way to earn an extra few bob! Thanks!


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    #7
    EmZZZ
    Registered Users Posts: 25 ✭EmZZZ


    Goldenegg wrote: »
    Not meaning to be personal but can I ask how you got into doing this? It sounds like a great way to earn an extra few bob! Thanks!
    I was thinking the same thing :)


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    #8
    tenchi-fan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,339 ✭✭✭tenchi-fan


    pog it wrote: »
    Based on an average typing speed of 50wpm you are getting 22.50 for 20mins work. If you then leave aside 40 extra mins per 1000 words to do checks, edits and whatever else you are still getting 22.50 for an hr's work.

    50wpm from a hand-written sheet, yea. I'm guessing it takes longer from a dictaphone.


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    #9
    m'lady
    Registered Users Posts: 1,859 ✭✭✭m'lady


    EmZZZ wrote: »
    I was thinking the same thing :)

    Snap!


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    #10
    Cicero
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,144 ✭✭✭✭Cicero


    OP..would you mind me asking why you ask the question?


    if you have right voice recognition software, you may well be able to the job quicker - with or without this software, 1000 words for 22.50 is quite expensive IMO

    ...I could certainly type that in 1 hour and more besides ...quality assurance is key to such roles so assume it's not your typing speed I would be paying for? more the QA you do to ensure grammar, legalistic terms etc are all in order/edits/re-writes?

    So is you query about typing as a legal secretary?


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    #11
    samhail
    Registered Users Posts: 2,699 ✭✭✭samhail


    The thing will be that the lawyer will have a 20,000 word report to have typed up... are you going to spend 20 hours typing it up :)

    and if they get 100euro/hour (or what ever the going rate is)... 200 euro to have it typed is nothing to them :)

    My dad used to run a typing bureau at one stage (going back a good few years at this stage) but used to employ several people (a good few housewives who would have the spare time if i remember correctly) who would be sent out the dictaphone machines and sent back in when they get it done. i have no idea on prices or anything.
    My mam and dad who used to do it professionaly themselves at one stage used to have typying speeds up to about 80 wpm (think my mam used to be at 110wpm at one stage... wow :))
    Sorry couldnt be morehelp of todays prices or economy.


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    #12
    pog it
    Registered Users Posts: 2,912 ✭✭✭pog it


    Yeah the 50wpm I mentioned was an average figure. I am slightly above that myself and have never worked as or been a professional typist so that's why I can safely say that 50 is average, and should be base point for someone who does this for a living I'd imagine.

    A lot of professionals apparently do 120wpm, that's probably why they can justify a relatively high rate of pay for a role that requires no third level education as such.


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    #13
    tigs2010
    Closed Accounts Posts: 31 ✭tigs2010


    Hi Annie,

    I am legal sec and a lot of the girls would 'moonlight' as typists for barristers. The average WPM for us would be circa 100 as we do it day in day out. I find the average charges are between 40 - 50 euro per 30 min tape. Dont be afraid to charge for your skills - the Barristers get paid quite a lot themselves. Hope this helps


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    #14
    smileyeyes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 63 ✭✭smileyeyes


    I am a legal sec also but would love to work from home as have two small kids and it is costing me a fortune with childcare to work outside of the home 3 days per week!!!!!!

    So, any more info on how to get invovled in this typing from home would be fantastic!!!!????????
    xx


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    #15
    donalg1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,513 ✭✭✭donalg1


    Goldenegg wrote: »
    Not meaning to be personal but can I ask how you got into doing this? It sounds like a great way to earn an extra few bob! Thanks!

    I would love to know this too.


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    #16
    Dreamer21
    Registered Users Posts: 66 ✭✭Dreamer21


    i would also like to get some information on how to get involved in this area, thanks


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    #17
    Bandana boy
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭Bandana boy


    annieg wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I do a lot of typing for home for a barrister. I charge €22.50 per 1,000 words.

    Does this seem fair? Does anyone know the going rate?

    Thanks

    Ann

    imo more than reasonable

    at 50 wpm that equates to 140K a year assuming you spend twice a s long checking for errors etc as typing that still works out at 45+k a year

    Looking on line rates seem to be closer to 22-25K a year for full time typists


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    #18
    Squeeonline
    Registered Users Posts: 2,554 ✭✭✭Squeeonline


    For those wondering how to get into this, I don't know about for barristers but this kind of thing was advertised all the time around campus (NUIG). Probably a good service for those who can't type fast, but I don't have that issue.

    It might just be a case of advertising it in the right areas, maybe pubs where a lot of barristers go :-D


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    #19
    Cutevelvet
    Registered Users Posts: 49 ✭Cutevelvet


    annieg wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I do a lot of typing for home for a barrister. I charge €22.50 per 1,000 words.

    Does this seem fair? Does anyone know the going rate?

    Thanks

    Ann

    Hi Ann, I have friends that do typing for barristers/solicitors from home and they charge eur25 for an hour of their time - they do not charge per tape or per word. Also I have just looked online and prices range from 0.85c per word of handwritten work/copy typing and 0.85c per spoken word (dictation/voice recording). Hope this helps.


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    #20
    NoQuarter
    Registered Users Posts: 4,632 ✭✭✭NoQuarter


    Cutevelvet wrote: »
    Hi Ann, I have friends that do typing for barristers/solicitors from home and they charge eur25 for an hour of their time - they do not charge per tape or per word. Also I have just looked online and prices range from 0.85c per word of handwritten work/copy typing and 0.85c per spoken word (dictation/voice recording). Hope this helps.

    I assume thats .85 of 1 cent as opposed to 85 cent per word. Because €850 for 1000 words would be a tad pricey


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    #21
    tatli_lokma
    Registered Users Posts: 3,332 ✭✭✭tatli_lokma


    I thought dictaphone typing speeds were usually expected to be higher than written transcripts? In my experience anyway....if you just listen and type it is much quicker than reading and typing.

    OP I think €22.50 is a very good rate for someone to get when they can work from home, at their pace, and particularly for people such as you who don't have great typing skills in terms of speed. A basic minimum would be 50 wpm, if you are doing less than that I would class you as less skilled and therefore to get €22.50 for 1000 words is doing well. Having said that, if you practice and perfect your skills (you can use online sites to help you improve your speed and accuracy) then you could be getting €22.50 for less than 30 mins work, which would be bloody fantastic.


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    #22
    pandaboy
    Registered Users Posts: 618 ✭✭✭pandaboy


    Look at getting express scribe and format the dictaphone audio to an audio format so you can transcribe to your machine. I usually use audacity to record the audio to WAV and then input the file into Express Scribe (which is free to download). As you're transcribing from audio, find out how long it takes to complete the transcription. A lot of transcribers I know can get 15 minutes of an audio done within an hour. SO base everything on time. Then include how long it takes to edit the document.


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    #23
    tatli_lokma
    Registered Users Posts: 3,332 ✭✭✭tatli_lokma


    pandaboy wrote: »
    SO base everything on time. Then include how long it takes to edit the document.

    I hear what you are saying on this, but if someone is below average speed then it does not make sense to pay them a rate based on time. This is why I believe most people using this type (pardon the pun) of service charge per volume not time.

    I type at around 60 wpm, but that is when I am intermittently typing throughout the day - if I sit with the purpose of typing something it would go up to about 65wpm, and if it is just transcribing I'd be around 70wpm. Now for me to complete 1000 words would take an average of 15 mins. My typing accuracy I would say is generally quite high for transcription. Then check it, even allowing 30 mins and 15 mins editing time = 1 hour.

    Another person who types at 35 wpm and less accuracy is going to take at least twice as much time to type as I will, and then if their accuracy is lower there will be more mistakes, resulting in more editing, again taking longer - so the same 1000 words could take about 2 hours.
    If your rate is based on hours, then the slower, less skilled and less accurate typist would earn double!

    I imagine this is the reasoning behind paying according to volume - I don't care how long it takes you to do it, I just want it done right and I pay x amount for this service. If you require an express typist service you would then pay a higher premium to a more skilled person. So this is one instance where the less time it takes, the more you get paid.


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    #24
    RATM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,591 ✭✭✭RATM


    For those looking to get into this line of work you can find contact details of barristers here
    http://www.lawlibrary.ie/members/

    Before contacting them it would be advisable that you have a website up explaining who you are, your experience and also and detailing your services, even a basic free WordPress site with 3 or 4 pages looks a lot lot better than just sending a barrister a random email saying that you can type for them. A lot of barristers have a need for virtual secretary services as well as typing so it could be a good idea to package both together, that is provided that you have a quiet room in your house to answer a phone and the ability not to miss a single call, which might not work well for people with a baby.


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