The median pay for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners is $72,420 a year ($34.82/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 0.1% through 2035, with about 1,800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
- SOC 27-3092
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner in four numbers
- Median pay
- $72,420a year, or $34.82/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $42KTop 10% $131K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -0.1%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−0.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −0.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,80019,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202519.9K
- Projected 203519.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 19.9K Projected 2035 19.9K - Typical education
- Certificateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Captioner, Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR), Court Recorder, Court Reporter, Court Stenographer, Deposition Reporter.
Pay
How much do Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners make?
Every court reporter and simultaneous captioner in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$72,420
Middle half earn $53,760 to $100,780
- 10th
- $42,130
- 25th
- $53,760
- 75th
- $100,780
- 90th
- $130,560
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $42,130 |
| 25th | $53,760 |
| Median | $72,420 |
| 75th | $100,780 |
| 90th | $130,560 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $72,420
- Median hourly wage
- $34.82/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $78,760
- People employed
- 12,870
Versus all US occupations
At $72,420, Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners earn 42% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $21,440 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060, this is 6% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $130,560 or more while the bottom 10% earn $42,130, a gap of 3.1×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 46% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
California posts the highest raw median ($116,020), but once local prices are taken into account Texas leads at $113,418 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $116,020 | $104,787 | 1,400 |
| 2Texas | $110,080 | $113,418 | 1,270 |
| 3Washington | $107,670 | $100,614 | 80 |
| 4New York | $101,990 | $94,504 | 1,400 |
| 5Iowa | $93,810 | $106,891 | 160 |
| 6Rhode Island | $92,250 | $90,194 | 60 |
| 7Minnesota | $83,680 | $84,850 | 320 |
| 8Colorado | $83,010 | $80,552 | 260 |
| 9Massachusetts | $79,940 | $75,588 | 50 |
| 10Arizona | $77,770 | $77,247 | 70 |
Job outlook
Is Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -0.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners | −0.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners to change -0.1% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 0 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,800 openings are projected each year, 9.0% of the 19,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Despite declining employment, about 1,800 openings for court reporters and simultaneous captioners are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Court reporters will continue to be needed to create detailed, accurate records of legal proceedings. Technology may make transcription work more efficient; however, court reporters will continue to be needed to review and edit digitally produced documentation. State and local government budgets may affect the employment of court reporters because judicial budgets are contingent on available funds.
Demand for simultaneous captioners is expected to be driven by television programming as well as communication access real-time translation (CART). As the population ages, demand for CART is expected to grow because older adults are more likely to experience hearing loss. However, transcription generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools is expected to dampen employment demand.
Getting in
How to become a Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner
Many community colleges and technical institutes offer postsecondary certificate programs for court reporters and simultaneous captioners. These workers typically on-the-job training; the length of training varies by type of reporting or captioning. Many states require court reporters and simultaneous captioners to have a state license or a certification from a professional association.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
Full BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entryThe work
What does a Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner do?
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.
Court reporters create word-for-word transcriptions at trials, depositions, administrative hearings, and other legal proceedings. Simultaneous captioners provide similar transcriptions for television or for presentations in other settings, such as press conferences and business meetings, for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Day-to-day tasks
- Proofread transcripts for correct spelling of words.
- Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements.
- Record verbatim proceedings of courts, legislative assemblies, committee meetings, and other proceedings, using computerized recording equipment, electronic stenograph machines, or stenomasks.
- Provide transcripts of proceedings upon request of judges, lawyers, or the public.
- Respond to requests during court sessions to read portions of the proceedings already recorded.
- Record symbols on computer storage media and use computer aided transcription to translate and display them as text.
- File and store shorthand notes of court session.
- Swear in witnesses.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Court reporters and simultaneous captioners who work in a legal setting or office typically work full time recording events and preparing transcripts. Freelance reporters often have more flexibility in their work schedules.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Where court reporters and simultaneous captioners work
Share of jobs by employer type
- Self-employed workers33%
- Local government, excluding education and hospitals24%
- State government, excluding education and hospitals20%
- Business support services19%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Self-employed workers | 33% |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 24% |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 20% |
| Business support services | 19% |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.3
- Writing3.6
- Reading Comprehension3.5
- Speaking3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Critical Thinking2.8
- Active Learning2.0
- Learning Strategies1.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.3 |
| Writing | 3.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.5 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.8 |
| Active Learning | 2.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 1.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Time Management2.8
- Social Perceptiveness2.6
- Quality Control Analysis2.6
- Complex Problem Solving2.0
- Operation and Control2.0
- Judgment and Decision Making2.0
- Coordination1.9
- Operations Monitoring1.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Time Management | 2.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.6 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.0 |
| Operation and Control | 2.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.0 |
| Coordination | 1.9 |
| Operations Monitoring | 1.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Internet browser software
- Presentation software
- Time accounting software
- Voice recognition software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Conventional5.6
- Artistic2.9
- Social2.9
- Enterprising2.6
- Realistic2.2
- Investigative2.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner
O*NET related occupations
- Office and Administrative Support
Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant
$55,570median a year
Most earn $37K to $92K
−5.2%High school - Office and Administrative Support
- Legal
- Office and Administrative Support
- Office and Administrative Support
- Office and Administrative Support
More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with court reporters and simultaneous captioners highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner$72,420
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner | $72,420 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner appears on
Questions
Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner: frequently asked questions
How much do Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners make?
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners earn a median of $72,420 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 42% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $34.82/hr. The middle half earn between $53,760 and $100,780. The top 10% earn $130,560 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialed training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or license program) as the typical entry route for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 0.1% over 2025–2035, a loss of 0 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner do?
Court reporters create word-for-word transcriptions at trials, depositions, administrative hearings, and other legal proceedings. A core O*NET task: proofread transcripts for correct spelling of words. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners the most?
The highest state medians for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners are California ($116,020), Texas ($110,080), Washington ($107,670) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Texas moves to the top at $113,418.
What personality type suits a Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner?
O*NET scores Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners highest on the Conventional interest area, which means organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.