Court Reporter Careers: Employment & Salary Trends for Aspiring Court Reporters

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Court Reporters at a Glance

Court reporters create written transcripts of legal proceedings, meetings, conversations, speeches, and other events that have to be recorded for legal proof or for recordkeeping purposes. These workers use a stenotype machine or shorthand to make notes. They may also use computer voice translation software or audio recordings to make notes.

Court reporters have a number of duties outside of making notes for legal purposes and proceedings. They help attorneys and judges access information and they provide suggestions and advice regarding courtroom procedure and administration. Court reporters even provide real-time translating and closed-captioning services to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

Court reporters may type as many as 225 words per minute; they are superior listeners; and they are skilled at accuracy. Court reporters work in courtrooms, in offices, and at conventions. The two main industries for court reporters are federal, state, and local government and administrative and support services. Around 11% all court reporters work from home (freelance) and 24% work part-time. Full-time workers typically work 35-40 hours per week.
 
Employment Trends

Job Outlook: Above average increase
Annual Openings: 2,620
Percent Growth: 24.5%
Total Jobs Held: 21,500
Projected Employment: 25,400 by 2018
The Best 500 Jobs Overall Ranking: 246
--Source: “Best Jobs for the 21st Century,” JIST Publishing 2009. Farr, Michael and Shatkin, Laurence, Ph.D.; “Salary Facts Handbook,” JIST Publishing 2008. Editors @ JIST.

View employment and salary data by City/State for Court Reporters

Aspiring court reporters will have a number of job opportunities in the coming years thanks to the demand for accurate transcription of court proceedings and a growing demand for closed-captioning services. Aspiring court reporters with certification will have the most opportunities, especially in the areas of civil and criminal cases. In addition, aspiring court reporters that specialize in web casting, communication access real-time translation for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (CART), or broadcast captioning will have excellent job opportunities.

Salary Trends

In 2009, Court Reporters earned an average salary of $45,330 per year. Court Reporters in the 90th percentile can expect to earn around $77,770 per year, while 75th percentile Court Reporters can expect to earn $61,530 per year. Entry-level Court Reporters can expect to earn a starting salary of around $23,430 per year. Court reporters in federal, state, and local government

Positions earn an average annual salary of $49,320, while court reporters in administrative and support services earn around $41,770 per year. 

Degrees and Training Programs

While post-secondary vocational training is all that is needed for entry into this field, many employers prefer to hire court reporters with an associate degree or higher. Currently, 2.4% of all court reporters hold a first professional degree, 6.1% hold a master’s degree, and 28% have a bachelor’s degree. 20% of all court reporters have an associate degree, while 23% have a at least some college but no degree. This usually means they hold a certificate from a post-secondary vocational program.

The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) accredits more than 60 programs, although there are more than 100 postsecondary vocational and technical colleges that offer training. Accredited programs require a minimum of 225 words per minute to graduate. This is also a requirement for federal positions. Some states also require licensure, but this varies greatly by state.

Coursework Required

Aspiring court reporters seeking an associate degree in court reporting are required to take a number of technical courses and courses outside of the technical areas. These include communications, foundations of language and writing, foundations of law, human relations, culture and society, modern history, and vocabulary and usage. Technical classes include computerized machine shorthand theory I-IV, medical terminology/related anatomy, court reporting procedures, technology I, and courtroom/court reporting.

Students that are interested in working in broadcasting will take broadcast captioning, and the captioning environment. They will also take producing captioning, and tools of the trade, computer skills, trouble management, and pre and post test banks for captioning.

Michelle Burton is a published author and contributing editor for Trouve Media, Internet Brands, and Publications International, Ltd.