What Do Court Reporters 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.

Life As a Court Reporter

• Verify accuracy of transcripts by checking copies against original records of proceedings and accuracy of rulings by checking with judges.
• Record depositions and other proceedings for attorneys.
• Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements.
• Record symbols on computer storage media and use computer aided transcription to translate and display them as text.
• Record verbatim proceedings of courts, legislative assemblies, committee meetings, and other proceedings, using computerized recording equipment, electronic stenograph machines, or stenomasks.
• Take notes in shorthand or use a stenotype or shorthand machine that prints letters on a paper tape.

Court Reporter Needed Skills

Below is a list of the skills most Court Reporters say are important on the job.

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.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Types of Court Reporter Jobs

• Court Transcriber
• Realtime Captioner
• Freelance Operator
• Hearings Reporter
• Roving Court Reporter

Court Reporter Employment Estimates

In the United States, there were 19,600 jobs for Court Reporters in 2016.

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 3.4% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 700 new jobs for Court Reporters by 2026. There will be an estimated 1,700 positions for Court Reporter per year.

The states with the most job growth for Court Reporters are Texas, New York, and Louisiana.

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.

What is the Average Salary of a Court Reporter

The typical yearly salary for Court Reporters is somewhere between $28,150 and $104,460. The median salary for this occupation is $57,150.

How much do Court Reporters make in different U.S. states?

Annual Mean Salary by State

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

Tools & Technologies Used by Court Reporters

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Court Reporters:

• Microsoft Word
• ReporterWorks
• Microsoft Excel
• Acculaw Court Reporters Billing Scheduling Job Management System ABSMS

How to Become a Court Reporter

Are there Court Reporter education requirements?

How Long Does it Take to Become Court Reporter?

Where Court Reporters Are Employed

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons