Transcription & captions side hustles in 2026.
Interview, podcast and meeting transcripts still move on retainers. Fast, accurate typists who clean up AI drafts and hit broadcast deadlines earn above marketplace floor rates.
Side rate floor
£15/hr
Self-managed marketplaces
Median
£28/hr
Direct-to-client briefs
Most members
Premium
£40/hr
Niche / referral-led work
Ranges are based on Adzuna salary history and rates we see in member reports. Always negotiate +10% on the first proposal - clients expect it.
The shapes of work that actually fit a 9-to-5.
- 01
Verbatim and clean-read interview transcripts
- 02
SRT / VTT captions for video and courses
- 03
Meeting notes from recordings
- 04
Human QA on automated speech-to-text
6 Transcription & captions briefs posted in the last 14 days.
- Open
Legal Transcriptionist/ Editor
Prevail · New York City, New York · 25 Apr
- Open
Medical Transcriptionist (On-Site)
LabCorp · Lonsdale, Knox County · 25 Apr
- Open
Medical Transcriptionist Radiology
UCHealth · Colorado Springs, El Paso County · 17 Apr
- Open
Transcriptionist
Mercor · New York City, New York · 15 Apr
- Open
Medical Transcriptionist
UPMC · Pittsburgh, Allegheny County · 14 Apr
- Open
Medical Transcriptionist (On-Site)
Labcorp · Knoxville, Knox County · 25 Apr
Sources: Adzuna · Rev · Upwork
The Monday report - built around your Transcription & captions stack.
Hustle Report scans live briefs against your CV, ranks them by fit, and sends a personalised editorial every Monday morning.
Get my first reportCommon questions
- What hourly rate should a Transcription & captions freelancer charge in 2026?
- Most Transcription & captions side hustles on marketplaces and direct briefs sit between £15 and £40 per hour in the UK benchmark band, with £28/hr as a workable median for planning. See country-specific bands at https://hustlereport.co/rates.
- Where do people find Transcription & captions side hustles?
- Live briefs appear on Adzuna, Rev, Upwork and similar channels. Hustle Report scores open briefs against your CV every Monday so you do not have to refresh ten tabs.
- How many hours per week is realistic with a full-time job?
- Members in our April 2026 research sample invested a median of 6.4 hours per week on their side hustle. Four focused hours beats twelve distracted ones.
- Do I need a limited company to start?
- Not always. Many members invoice as sole traders first and incorporate once cash flow stabilises. Hustle Report surfaces tax deadlines for UK filers; speak to an accountant for your country and situation.
- How fast can I land a paid Transcription & captions client?
- In the State of Remote Side Hustles 2026 sample, the median time to first paid client was 27 days when the skill was already documented on their CV.