The other night, my hubby and I snuggled down to have some quiet time in front of the TV when it occurred to us that the closed captioning feature was activated on one of the channels. As we fiddled with the remote, I wondered: How do all the shows and movies get these captions? Better yet, is this a potential job opportunity that would allow me to work from home? After a little research, to my surprise, the answer was YES!
Not only can you work from home watching classic TV shows, movies, and YouTube videos, but many of these closed captioning positions also pay well. Talk about a win-win.
Where can you find these fantastic closed captioning jobs that allow you to work from home? No worries; we’ve done the research and the work for you.
Below, we’ve found some of the best companies that hire for closed captioning jobs that allow you to work at home.
What is Closed Captioning?
Before we dive into where you can find captioning jobs that allow you to work at home, we thought it might be helpful to get a quick overview of what closed captioning entails and what you could be working on in this position.
You might already know that closed captioning is the written descriptions that appear at the bottom of a TV screen during a show or movie. These captions help deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals understand the content of the program.
Businesses, TV broadcasters, and OTT platforms believe closed captioning is highly valuable because it helps their content reach more people.
Additionally, closed captioning allows TV networks to meet legal requirements for video accessibility. That makes jobs in this field necessary for the companies and an in-demand possibility for you.
Closed Captioning vs. Subtitles
Although these two terms are often used interchangeably, they don’t mean the same thing. Subtitles are the written version of spoken dialogue. However, the purpose of subtitles is to assist people who can hear the video but may need help understanding a foreign language or following especially fast speaking.
In contrast, closed captioning provides additional information to help people who cannot hear the video. Instead of simply providing the dialogue in written form, supplemental details such as background noises and other sound effects are included in closed captioning.
Working at Home as a Captioner: What You Can Expect
As a captioner, you’ll watch shows or videos (how fun is that?!) and type what you hear.
Closed caption jobs transcribe the spoken words (dialogues) and other sound effects in a show or movie (e.g., “clapping hands” or “doorbell rings”) into written words so that hearing impaired or deaf viewers can follow what is happening.
The companies then synchronize the text with the audio so viewers can easily follow what is happening as they watch.
To be successful as a captioner, you need a few things, including:
- A strong command of punctuation and grammar to accurately format the captions
- An eye (and an ear) for detail to accurately translate spoken words and sound effects
- Strong translation skills to convey both audio and visual elements in a scene
- Fast typing skills with high accuracy – some captioners can type around 225 WPM (words per minute)!
- Reliable internet connection and headphones
Types of Captioning
There are also two types of positions you should be aware of as you start your closed captioning work at home adventure:
- Offline captioning
- Live captioning (real-time captioning)
Offline captioners are what many of the companies below want. These transcribers caption pre-recorded TV shows, movies, or educational videos. If the program isn’t “live” on the air, it’s noted as offline captioning.
In general, recorded television programs are less demanding than live captioning because you can take your time transcribing the audio. And it offers the most flexibility, allowing you to set your schedule since the shows are pre-recorded.
Real-time captioners, on the other hand, provide captioning to live broadcasts. Think meetings, newscasts, events, speeches, conferences, court reporters, etc. These positions require that you type extremely fast and generally require a professional certification or schooling.
Companies frequently hire freelance closed captioning jobs as remote work; some even provide training or a “practice run” before hiring.
What Equipment is Needed for Closed Captioning Jobs?
Similar to transcription jobs, you’ll need a good computer, a dependable internet connection, and headphones. In addition, some companies may require you to use captioning software and pedals that connect to the computers.
12 Companies That Hire for Remote Closed Captioning Jobs
Ready to earn some cash watching TV? Sounds crazy, I know, but believe me, it’s all true!
Check out these companies hiring captioners below.
1. Aberdeen
Aberdeen hires remote, real-time live broadcast captioners. For this position, you’ll need a typing speed of 180-220 WPM, two computers (one is a backup), three phone lines, and closed captioning software. You’ll need to pass a real-time captioning test with 98% accuracy to be hired.
- Aberdeen has a 3.7-star rating on Glassdoor.
2. CaptioningStar
CaptioningStar is a captioning company that hires real-time freelance captioners. There’s not much information on their website about the positions, so you’ll need to contact them for further details.
- CaptioningStar has a 5-star rating on Facebook.
3. 3Play Media
This company acquired Captionmax and hires independent contractors as real-time captioners and transcribers in English and Spanish. To apply as a captioner with 3Play Media, you will need excellent listening and typing skills, and you’ll need to pass a background check. However, once hired, you’ll receive weekly checks for your work.
- 3Play Media has a 3.8-star rating on Glassdoor.
4. Caption Media Group
Caption Media Group hires US-based closed captioners with two years of experience. They don’t have a career page on their website, but you can check sites like LinkedIn and Indeed for openings.
- Caption Media Group has a 4.5-star rating on Indeed.
5. CrowdSurf
CrowdSurf hires freelancers from around the globe to transcribe audio clips into text documents. To start on CrowdSurf, you’ll need to create an account and pass a brief assessment. Once that’s complete, you’ll begin working on transcription tasks.
As you prove yourself on the platform, you’ll be able to work on higher-paying tasks like captioning. In this freelance role, you can work anytime, and you’ll receive payment per task. This is an excellent place for beginners to try out captioning and transcription jobs.
- CrowdSurf has a 2.5-star rating on Glassdoor.
6. Daily Transcription
If you’re a transcriber, captioner, or subtitler, check out Daily Transcription. To apply as a captioner or subtitler, you must live in the US or Canada and have prior experience or be a graduate from a course. In these roles, you’ll work as a freelancer, and payments are made weekly by check.
- Daily Transcription has a 3.7-star rating on Glassdoor.
7. Rev
Rev is one of the more popular closed captioning sites. Their application is straightforward, and you can apply to multiple positions under the “captioning” umbrella. Positions on Rev include transcriptionists, captioners, subtitlers, and translators.
Each position has its own application process, so apply to one or all. Rev hires beginners who can pass a grammar test and provide a satisfactory closed captioning sample. Payments go out weekly via PayPal.
- Rev has a 3.5-star rating on Glassdoor.
8. TransPerfect
Aside from the great captioner positions available, TransPerfect looks like a fun place to work. They embrace the idea of mixing business with pleasure, and the overall company culture seems warm and inviting.
Be sure to check out this opportunity and investigate the other positions they offer. Along with their current freelancer and internal positions, TransPerfect has a general freelancer application so you can register with the company for current and upcoming jobs.
- TransPerfect has a 3.1-star rating on Glassdoor.
9. Vanan Captioning
Vanan Captioning hires freelancers for translation, closed captioning, open captioning, offline captioning, video captioning, and more. According to their website, they provide captioning services for platforms like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon, and Facebook. There isn’t much information about these roles on their website, so check out Indeed and Glassdoor for reviews.
- Vanan Captioning has a 4.7-star rating on Glassdoor.
10. VITAC
VITAC hires in-person and remote (location-based) captioners for real-time captioning and offline closed captioning jobs. There are different requirements for the various roles, and the full-time positions offer benefits to employees. To find the remote positions on their site, look for the keyword remote in the job listing.
- VITAC has a 2.5-star rating on Glassdoor.
11. Capital Captions
Capital Captions is another excellent option for remote professionals seeking work with a closed captioning service. Make sure to take the time to thoroughly read the job requirements before applying.
- Capital Captions has a 5-star rating on Indeed.
12. Classroom Captioning
Classroom Captioning is definitely worth checking out if you’re searching for captioning jobs. They offer real-time captioning jobs. You need to have a typing speed of 180+ words per minute and be CART certified to be hired. If you’re looking for remote work as a captioner, check their job listings to see what’s currently available.
- Classroom Captioning has a 5-star rating on Indeed.
Looking for More Closed Captioning Jobs? Try These!
If you’re seeking closed captioning work, online job boards are another great place to look!
Type in “closed captioning” or “transcriber” in the search section, and voila! A list of possibilities. Check out these awesome boards for closed captioning jobs at home, and let us know what you find:
Another way of finding captioning work is by posting a job yourself. Check out marketplace sites and post your pay rate and position. Here are two possible places to start:
Closed Captioning Jobs Wrap-Up
Finding closed captioning jobs that allow you to work at home (remember you could work more than one!) can be a rewarding and stable source of income. If you love to type, like watching movies and videos (um, who doesn’t?), and enjoy flexible scheduling, then closed captioning jobs are the way to go.
Need more jobs like this? Check out this article for more remote typing jobs!
Did you check out any of these positions? Score a job? Have questions about these jobs? Let us know below!
Originally published February 4, 2019. Content updated January 2024.
Rev is currently in a lawsuit for unlawful business practices, such as how they paid me $10 for 6 hours of work. Do any of these actually pay what the work is worth?
The problem with transcription is it pays per audio minute or hour, not per minute or hour worked. It states this on its career page — but people often assume it’s per minute worked. Transcription/captioning is a skill that takes a lot of time to master. It will be interesting to see how it plays out because this is how the majority of transcription companies pay their workers.
So back to your question. I would look at hourly pay rate jobs instead of transcription, captioning, or translation. Customer service, virtual assistant, bookkeeping, and social media management generally pay by the hour worked.
Interesting… I worked for Rev in 2021 for about 6 months & had a near perfect score of 5’s in all their graded categories… but ended up quitting because I realized that the pay was terrible for all the hours of work I put into each job I accepted & got consistent high-grades for. Wasn’t worth it.
Sounds ideal for my needs and skills. I like the idea of trying to get work by advertising my services, but I’m new at this. Can you give me an idea of what the current price range might be per hourly rate, and what we can expect to be paid by the different companies? Also, how and when do they issue payment? Is it immediate, once a week, or month? Thanks!
Posted on 7/22/19
Hi Tara,
Each company will have their own policies on when they pay, what method they use, and how much. Some companies list the pay rate and info on their websites, and others do not.
I know with Rev, you work as an independent contractor, you’re paid weekly via PayPal, and you’ll earn $0.45-$0.75 per audio/video minute. The other two sites don’t have the info readily available.
You can also check Glassdoor.com — they often have pay rates for companies.
Good luck!
I currently work for a captioning company in an office for the deaf and hard of hearing community who use special phones. Everything is done in real time using the captioner’s voice which captions into text on the clients screen located on their phone. I really love this line of work but would love to work from home. My concern is that I have read reviews for some of these companies such as REV and VITAC. Sadly, these reviews were extremely discouraging. The office I currently work in is the best. The management teams are uplifting and encouraging. They really WANT you to succeed! The atmosphere is always positive. I’m very enthused about working from home but I am afraid of letting go of what I have now in exchange for a dream job of working from home that turns out to be a huge let down. Does anyone currently work at home as a captioner who is having a very positive experience you can share with us? Thank you in advance for your feedback!
Hi Dianne.
That’s great that you work in such a positive environment! I’ve not tried Rev or VITAC so I wouldn’t be able to say for sure.
Have you check out https://aira.io/our-agents — they help the blind and visually impaired via video calls. I know it’s not closed captioning, but it may be something to check out.
Good luck and keep me posted!
Thank you so much, Holly! I’m going to check out the link you sent me. I ended up applying at REV in spite of the reviews 5 days ago. I have not yet heard anything back. Praying for something to pop up soon that I could both enjoy and excel at!
I used to do the exact same thing you are doing. A small company in Dallas. We captioned using Dragon and we had a client which provided the phones for the hard of hearing and we captioned phone calls in real time. That client, after almost 5 years, terminated our contract early because they were supposedly doing AI to replace us. Who knows if that was true or just a plot to get rid of us. I was a top captioner for them and did really well. When they dumped us, I was heartbroken because I loved my job so much. I heard about VITAC from a friend, applied and got a call back. I was excited to be in that line of work again only to find out they give you no PTO and a full-time shift for them is considered 12 hours and an 8 hour shift is part-time. Of course this is a sneak move so they don’t have to give you any insurance. plus, you sit idle until work becomes available and you do not get paid during that time. I was shocked. I turned down the job which I got after I passed their tedious and long assessment. In my captioning job before, I worked M-F and had my regular 8hrs and any overtime I wanted because phone calls are never ending. there’s always someone on the phone so we never sat idle. I am determined to find another company that has phone captioners but it seems they hide well or don’t pay well. CaptionCall pays peanuts. Do you mind sharing what company you work for? At my previous company, we had the opportunity to work from home when the pandemic started but because I wasn’t hard-wired to the internet, being at home did not work out for me and I just drove to the office anyway. The building remained open so there were a few of us who still came in. I’d also like to work from home if possible, but I am happy to see someone out there who captioned phone calls like me. If this comment reaches you, please reach out to me by e-mail: [email protected]
FYI: Flexjob link: “Not Found
The requested URL /SH13N was not found on this server.”
Thank you for the article.
I just clicked on it and it worked for me. Maybe their site was temporarily down?
Try this link: https://www.flexjobs.com/search?search=closed%20captioners&location=&sub=1033 (affiliate link)
Great info. I had forgotten about this income source. Years ago I worked as a transcriptionist for a telephone relay service for the hard of hearing so perhaps that skill set would be helpful. Will definitely look into it.
Good luck, Loretta!
Keep me posted!
Awesome Loretta! Have you gotten the chance to look into it further? Good luck with your work at home journey. Sounds like you already have some experience in this field!
I work for VITAC as a remote real-time voice captioner. I use speech recognition software to produce my captions. It’s a difficult yet fulfilling line of work. I caption news broadcasts, TV shows, sporting events, church services and more for stations across the country. I learn something new everyday.
What are some of the challenges you face?
That’s awesome, Amanda!
How did you get started in this industry?
Hello, Amanda!
That’s amazing! You caption so many different broadcasts! Is one broadcast “easier” to caption versus another? How long have you been in this line of work?
Hello Amanda,
Which speech recognition software do you use to produce captions?
Yes I am interested..
Hello, Swapna!
That’s great that you’re interested in these closed captioning jobs! Check out the ones we have listed as they’re each a little different. Let me know what you’ve checked out and if we can help in anyway!
Interested
Hello, Parmod!
Thanks for checking out the article! Happy to hear that you’re interested in these opportunities! Did you happen to check out any of the sites suggested in the article? Let us know if you do and if we can help out at all! Good Luck in your journey!
Most definitely interested
Hello, Jan!
Awesome! These jobs, I think, are sometimes overlooked and they’re certainly a great spot for making some extra cash! Do you have experience in this field? Have you tried one or more of the sites listed above? Let us know about your experience and if you have any questions!
Interested in at home typing jobs.
Hello, Ann!
Thanks for checking out the article! Happy to hear that this has struck a chord with you! Did you check out any of the sites we listed above? Let us know if we can help you out at all!
The mindset I’m in today concerning entrepreneurship I wish I was in back in 1999 when I was just getting started online with e-commerce. One thing I appreciate knowing is despite anything, the internet will always be a great place for anyone to make money online by working from home. :-)
Hello, Shawn!
I totally get it! There are so many opportunities now for making money from home. I had NO idea about this venture until I researched it! These close captioning jobs can definitely put some extra cash in your wallet and if you love typing…they’re a win-win! Have you checked out any of the sites listed above? One of my personal favorites is Rev (because I like the variety offered) but each of them has their own benefits.
Yes, I’m interested.
Hello, Shefali!
Happy to hear you’re interested! Have you checked any of the sites we listed above? Let us know if you have any questions!