The best medical transcription programs near Chesapeake, Virginia pair focused training with a state median wage of about $35,130 a year for medical transcriptionists (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Most students finish a roughly 1-year certificate program, and the voluntary AHDI RHDS credential can follow for new graduates.
Medical transcriptionists convert physician dictation into accurate medical documents and, increasingly, edit the drafts produced by speech recognition software. Training typically covers medical terminology, anatomy, pharmacology, and documentation standards.
Key Facts
Virginia median wage: $35,130/yr (Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025)
Typical program length: 6-12 months (certificate) to 2 years (associate) (Source: IPEDS, 2024)
Medical Transcription Schools near Chesapeake
Compare medical transcription schools near Chesapeake
BOC Score, tuition, graduation rate, and median graduate earnings from
federal IPEDS and U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard data. Earnings
are reported across all programs at the school (all majors), not a single
trade. Distance is measured from Chesapeake, Virginia.
Schools closest to Chesapeake, Virginia are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from Chesapeake, Virginia is shown for reference.
The BOC Score is an independent measure of school outcomes (graduation,
earnings, net price, retention) expressed as a 0–100 percentile within
each school's peer group; higher is better and advertising never affects it.
*Online availability refers to coursework; hands-on trade training is
completed in person. Read the full methodology.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 2 schools
within 212 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
2 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
#1
Martinsburg College
📍
Martinsburg, WV
•212.2 miles away•BOC Score
63.8
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Medical Transcription Programs in Chesapeake, Virginia (2026)Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard - median earnings of all graduates at each school (not a single program).
Median graduate earnings by school for schools serving Best Medical Transcription Programs in Chesapeake, Virginia (2026)
School
Median graduate earnings
Guilford Technical Community College
$44,924
Martinsburg College
$32,883
Medical Transcription Pay and Job Outlook
Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Medical TranscriptionistsSource: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Medical Transcriptionists annual wage percentiles
Percentile
Annual wage
10th
$28,250
25th
$34,150
50th (median)
$40,410
75th
$48,000
90th
$55,950
Projected employment growth, United States, Medical Transcriptionists, 2024-2034Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Medical Transcriptionists employment projection 2024 to 2034
Year
Employment
2024
43,900
2034 projected
41,800
Percent change
-4.9%
Virginia Medical Transcription Quick Facts
Medical-Transcriptionist Salary in U.S.
Median Salary$40,410$19.43/hr
Average Salary$41,710$20.05/hr
Salary Range
$28,25010th pctl
$40,410Median
$55,95090th pctl
10th Percentile$28,250 $13.58/hr
25th Percentile$34,150 $16.42/hr
75th Percentile$48,000 $23.08/hr
90th Percentile$55,950 $26.90/hr
Employment & Outlook
Total Employed41,550
Growth (2024-2034)-4.8%
Annual Openings7,400
Jobs per 1,0000.3
How to Start a Medical Transcription Career in Virginia
Finish high school or earn a GED. Strong typing, English, and biology coursework are useful preparation.
Complete a medical transcription program. Certificate programs typically take about a year and cover terminology, anatomy, pharmacology, and transcription practice.
Practice with real dictation styles. Speed and accuracy across varied accents, specialties, and audio quality is the core skill employers screen for.
Consider AHDI certification. The RHDS credential serves new graduates; the CHDS serves experienced specialists. Both are voluntary.
Position for the editing shift. Employment is projected to decline as speech recognition expands; accuracy-focused editing and QA skills position you for the roles that remain.
No. No state licenses medical transcriptionists. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) offers the voluntary RHDS and CHDS credentials, which may help in a competitive market. Note that BLS projects employment in this occupation to decline through 2034 as speech recognition software automates first drafts; the remaining work shifts toward editing and quality assurance.
Pathways into the Field
The standard path is a postsecondary certificate of about a year. Some documentation specialists later add health information or medical coding credentials to broaden their options.
What You Study
Medical terminology, anatomy, and pharmacology
Transcription and editing practice
Speech-recognition draft review
EHR and documentation standards
HIPAA and confidentiality
Tips for Choosing a Medical Transcription Program
Confirm accreditation and how recognized the credential is with employers.
Look for hands-on training in dictation practice hours, AHDI exam prep, and remote-work readiness.
Compare flexible schedules (day/evening/online) that match your availability.
Ask about job-search support with local employers.
Review certification-prep resources and post-completion support.
Popular Online Programs In Virginia
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does medical transcription training take near Chesapeake?
Medical transcription certificate programs typically take about 1 year and cover medical terminology, anatomy, pharmacology, and supervised transcription practice.
How much do medical transcriptionists earn in Virginia?
According to BLS OEWS (May 2025), medical transcriptionists in Virginia earned a median annual wage of about $35,130. Pay varies with experience, employer, and specialization. The 10th-to-90th percentile range was about $27,110 to $43,400 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many medical transcription schools are near Chesapeake?
The schools listed above are within driving distance of Chesapeake. Compare them by tuition, program length, BOC Score, and the credential each one awards.
Do medical transcriptionists need a license?
No. No state licenses medical transcriptionists. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) offers the voluntary RHDS and CHDS credentials, which may help in a competitive market. Note that BLS projects employment in this occupation to decline through 2034 as speech recognition software automates first drafts; the remaining work shifts toward editing and quality assurance.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
Data sources
Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.
Data
Provider
Vintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
