What Do Court Reporter Do?
Career 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.
Daily Life Of a Court Reporter
- Transcribe recorded proceedings in accordance with established formats.
- Provide transcripts of proceedings upon request of judges, lawyers, or the public.
- File a legible transcript of records of a court case with the court clerk’s office.
- Take notes in shorthand or use a stenotype or shorthand machine that prints letters on a paper tape.
- Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements.
- Record depositions and other proceedings for attorneys.
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Court Reporter Required Skills
Court Reporters state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
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.
Related Job Titles
- Chancery Clerk
- Court Monitor
- Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR)
- Print Shop Stenographer
- Court Stenographer
Job Opportunities for Court Reporters
In the United States, there were 19,600 jobs for Court Reporter in 2016. 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. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 1,700 job openings in this field each year.

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.
How Much Does a Court Reporter Make?
The salary for Court Reporters ranges between about $28,150 and $104,460 a year.

Court Reporters who work in New York, California, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
How much do Court Reporters make 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
Becoming a Court Reporter
Are there Court Reporters education requirements?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Court Reporter?

Where do Court Reporters Work?

Court Reporters work in the following industries:

References:
Image Credit: Staff Sgt. Nicholas Rau via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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