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What is a Court Reporter?

Job Description: Use verbatim methods and equipment to capture, store, retrieve, and transcribe pretrial and trial proceedings or other information. Includes stenocaptioners who operate computerized stenographic captioning equipment to provide captions of live or prerecorded broadcasts for hearing-impaired viewers.

Life As a Court Reporter: What Do They Do?

  • File a legible transcript of records of a court case with the court clerk’s office.
  • Record depositions and other proceedings for attorneys.
  • Transcribe recorded proceedings in accordance with established formats.
  • Provide transcripts of proceedings upon request of judges, lawyers, or the public.
  • File and store shorthand notes of court session.
  • Verify accuracy of transcripts by checking copies against original records of proceedings and accuracy of rulings by checking with judges.

Court Reporter Skills

When polled, Court Reporters say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Other Court Reporter Job Titles

  • Hearings Reporter
  • Freelance Court Stenographer
  • Voice Writing Reporter
  • Freelance Operator
  • Caption Writer

Job Demand for Court Reporters

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 19,600 jobs in the United States for Court Reporter. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 3.6% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 700 new jobs for Court Reporter by 2026. There will be an estimated 1,700 positions for Court Reporter per year.

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The states with the most job growth for Court Reporter are Tennessee, Nevada, and Idaho. Watch out if you plan on working in Maryland, New Jersey, or Wisconsin. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Do Court Reporters Make A Lot Of Money?

The average yearly salary of a Court Reporter ranges between $28,150 and $104,460.

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Court Reporters who work in New York, California, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Court Reporters in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $40,500
Arizona $60,530
Arkansas $45,660
California $87,750
Colorado $73,660
Connecticut $58,790
Delaware $58,070
Florida $47,950
Georgia $40,420
Idaho $53,440
Illinois $68,560
Indiana $38,090
Iowa $64,930
Kansas $63,300
Louisiana $46,300
Maine $71,400
Massachusetts $79,720
Michigan $54,720
Minnesota $66,930
Mississippi $45,210
Missouri $55,520
Nevada $63,110
New Jersey $66,930
New Mexico $62,480
New York $90,040
North Carolina $54,650
North Dakota $53,060
Ohio $49,740
Oregon $52,070
Pennsylvania $52,330
Rhode Island $66,170
South Carolina $48,640
South Dakota $52,050
Tennessee $52,150
Texas $64,910
Virginia $50,230
Washington $59,260
West Virginia $48,570
Wisconsin $60,090

What Tools do Court Reporters Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Court Reporters may use on a daily basis:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Web browser software
  • Corel WordPerfect
  • Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking
  • Equative TimeLedger

How to Become a Court Reporter

What education is needed to be a Court Reporter?

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How Long Does it Take to Become a Court Reporter?

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Where do Court Reporters Work?

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The table below shows the approximate number of Court Reporters employed by various industries.

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References:

Image Credit: Staff Sgt. Nicholas Rau via Public domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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