INSIDE: What is a captioner? Many people who want to work from home find themselves wondering what is captioning work. This article will answer all of your questions.
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At-home online jobs have two great benefits: flexibility and opportunity, whether you’re working full time to contribute to your family’s income or as a side hustle to get rid of debt.
Guess what?! You can get started with a side hustle as a captioner today and earn an extra $250 to $1,000+ per month.
Here I’m going to tell you all about working as a caption writer and show you the exact steps you need to take to get started with this work-from-home job.
What is captioning work & what is a captioner?
As I was doing research for this article, I was confused about the difference between captioning and at-home transcription jobs. I found out that captioning is actually a specialized form of transcription.
Captioning work is the process of displaying text on video (television, online videos or other media). You may be familiar with the CC that you see on your television screen, which means “closed captioning.” Closed captions sometimes include descriptions of non-speech elements of the audio.
Two types of captioning
Offline captioning
Offline captioning is done with prerecorded video, including television, movies, YouTube videos or anything else that is prerecorded. Offline captioning is not performed during live events.
Real time captioning
Real time captioning is done during live events, including television news broadcasts and sporting events. If you’re looking for an intense job, real time captioning is it! It requires the highest levels of speed, accuracy and time commitment. You have to be available during the live event. Because this is a more demanding field of captioning, it also pays better!
How much does a closed captioner make?
Captioners are paid by the video minute. If you’re just starting out, a 20-minute video may take you 90 minutes to complete. But you’ll only be paid for the 20 video minutes. That’s why it’s important to be fast and accurate!
With the proper certification, experience, speed and accuracy, you can earn an estimated $55,000 to $60,000 per year. If you work as a real time captioner, your captioner income could be up to $100,000 per year.
Captioning training and practice
NCRA, the Association for Court Reporters and Captioners has training and certification information for the captioning and court reporting industries. You’ll find information on schools, certificate programs and job opportunities.
Places to practice captioning
The following sites are for practicing transcription in general, but they also provide helpful practice for captioning. They can give you an idea of what to expect before you jump in! You could even try typing what you hear on your favorite TV show or YouTube video as practice.
StenoSpeed.com This is a great site for beginners. Its download files range in speed from 40 words per minute to 230 wpm. You need to download RealPlay to access the files.
Listen and Write Sign up and log onto this site to keep track of your progress. You can type directly onto the site to find out your speed score and how much you have improved over time. A wide range of levels are available for practice.
Express Scribe Practice Transcription Files Here you can download a free software program, with PDFs available to check your work. However, there’s no way to keep track of your speed.
Beginner captioning jobs
Rev.com is a great place for beginners to start captioning. You don’t need a certificate to get started, so it’s a great way to find out if this is work you like. Rev.com has the lowest pay rates of the companies featured here. According to the website, it pays 54 cents to $1.10 per audio/video minute. Average monthly pay is $240, with top earners making $1,570 a month.
Online captioning jobs and careers
Aberdeen – This company works with a variety of networks (BET, A+E, ABC Family, NBC Universal, just to name a few). You can earn $75 per hour for real time closed captioning. You need experience and a speed of 180 to 220 wpm.
CaptionMax – CaptionMax hires remote offline and real time captioners. You need experience and an associate or bachelor’s degree in real time closed captioning, court reporting or an equivalent program.
Vanan Captioning – This company also hires remote captioners with experience. It has an online chat feature that’s very helpful if you have any questions. There is a three-step hiring process to determine your skills as a captioner.
Vitac – This is a well-known company for closed captioning. It hires remote real time captioners, and all positions are employees instead of freelancers or independent contractors. You need two years of experience to qualify for a job with Vitac.
Other places to find captioning jobs
Indeed – Indeed is a FREE search engine and a great place to find remote jobs of all kinds. Its search engine often includes remote captioning jobs.
The best way to find a remote captioning job is to type “captioning jobs” in the search bar and “remote” in the location bar.
CLICK HERE to start your search!
FlexJobs – FlexJobs is a paid search engine that costs $15 per month. It posts high-quality and reliable remote captioning jobs.
You can also find FREE resources through the FlexJobs blog to help you find remote work.
Upwork – Upwork is a place to find freelance job opportunities, including remote captioning positions. Many jobs are working for bloggers, YouTube channels and other types of social media.
What do you think about working as a captioner?
Let us know in the comments!
Thank you so much! So helpful 🙂
Extremely resourceful and helpful.