Court reporters, sometimes referred to as stenographers, attend legal proceedings and other public events where they create word-for-word transcriptions of the events. In addition to reporting the words spoken during the proceedings, court reporters might include actions and gestures made by participants. Some court reporters work outside the legal system, providing closed-captioning and other transcription services for the benefit of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A court reporter's wages can vary based on her geographic location and level of employment.
The national mean hourly wage for court reporters was $25.82 as of May 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Full-time court reporters earned average annual salaries of $53,710. The top 10 percent earned annual wages of $92,400 or more, while the bottom 10 percent earned $26,100 or less. The middle 50 percent of court reporters earned between $35,070 and $69,000 per year.
A court reporter's wages vary based on the part of the country where she worked. Court reporters in Oregon were the most highly compensated in the country with average annual wages of $85,670. Oklahoma-based court reporters earned $29,130 per year, while those who worked in Minnesota earned average annual wages of $62,210. Those who worked in South Carolina made $35,760 per year.
Court reporters are needed at the state, local and federal level, as well as by the business support services industry. Court reporters who worked at the federal level earned average annual wages of $55,680 while those at the state level earned $55,240 per year. Court reporters at the local level made $57,830 while those employed in the business support services industry earned annual wages of $48,760.
Court reporters typically need formal training from a technical institute or community college. Training can last from six months to four years, depending on the program being pursued, and can lead to a diploma, certificate, associate degree or bachelor's degree. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 14 percent growth in new job opportunities for court reporters between 2010 and 2020. Candidates who are graduates of a court reporting program and those who are trained and proficient at Communication Access Real-Time Translation should have the best employment opportunities.
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