Court reporters held about 21,200 jobs in 2012. The industries that employed the most court reporters in 2012 were as follows:
Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 31% |
State government, excluding education and hospitals | 30 |
Administrative and support services | 27 |
Information | 2 |
Most court reporters work for state or local governments in courts or legislatures. Some also work as freelance reporters for pretrial depositions and other events. Some broadcast captioners and Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) providers work remotely from either their home or a central office.
Work Schedules
Court reporters who work in a court setting typically work full time, recording events and preparing transcripts. Freelance reporters have more flexibility in setting their work schedules.
Many community colleges and technical institutes offer postsecondary certificate programs for court reporters. Many states require court reporters who work in legal settings to be licensed.
Education
Many court reporters receive formal training at community colleges or technical institutes. There are different programs that lead to either a certificate or an associate’s degree in court reporting. Either a certificate or an associate’s degree will qualify applicants for many entry-level positions. Certification programs prepare students to pass the licensing exams successfully and typing speed tests required by most states and employers.
Most court reporting programs include courses in English grammar and phonetics, legal procedures, and legal terminology. Students also practice preparing transcripts to improve the speed and accuracy of their work.
Some schools also offer training in the use of different transcription machines, such as stenotype machines or steno masks.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Many states require court reporters who work in legal settings to be licensed or certified by a professional association. Licensing requirements vary by state and by method of court reporting.
The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) offers certification for court reporters, broadcast captioners, and Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) providers. Certification as a Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) requires successful completion of a written test and a 3-part skills test in which applicants must type a minimum number of words per minute.
Currently, 22 states accept or use the RPR certification in place of a state certification or licensing exam. To maintain their certification with the NCRA, court reporters must complete continuing education classes and online training.
Digital and voice reporters also may obtain certification.
Specific state licensing and continuing education requirements can be found by visiting the state association’s website.
Training
After completing their formal program, court reporters must complete short-term on-the-job training. This typically includes additional skills training as well as training on the more technical terminology that may be used during complex medical or legal proceedings.
Court reporters typically have an interest in the Persuading and Organizing interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Persuading interest area indicates a focus on influencing, motivating, and selling to other people. The Organizing interest area indicates a focus on working with information and processes to keep things arranged in orderly systems.
If you are not sure whether you have a Persuading or Organizing interest which might fit with a career as a court reporter, you can take a career test to measure your interests.
Court reporters should also possess the following specific qualities:
Concentration. Court reporters must be able to concentrate for long periods. They must remain focused on the dialogue they are recording even in the presence of auditory distractions.
Detail oriented. Court reporters must be able to produce error-free work, because they create transcripts that serve as legal records.
Listening skills. Court reporters must give their full attention to speakers and capture every word that is said.
Writing skills. Court reporters need a good command of grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation.
The median annual wage for court reporters was $48,160 in May 2012. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $24,790, and the top 10 percent earned more than $90,530.
Freelance court reporters are paid for their time, but can also sell their transcripts per page for an additional profit.
Court reporters who work in a court setting typically work full time, recording events and preparing transcripts. Freelance reporters have more flexibility in setting their work schedules.
Employment of court reporters is projected to grow 10 percent from 2012 to 2022, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Demand for court reporters will be influenced by new federal regulations requiring expanded use of captioning for television, the Internet, and other technologies.
Reporters will increasingly be needed for captioning outside of legal proceedings. All new television programming will continue to need closed captioning. Broadcasters are adding closed captioning to their online programming in order to comply with new federal regulations.
Growth of the elderly population also will increase demand for court reporters who are Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) providers or who can accompany their clients to doctor’s appointments, townhall meetings, and religious services. In addition, movie theaters and sports stadiums will provide closed captioning for deaf or hard-of-hearing customers.
Employment growth may be negatively affected by the increased use of digital audio recording technology (DAR). Some states have already replaced court reporters with this technology; other states are currently assessing the reliability, accuracy, and costs associated with installing and maintaining the digital audio and video equipment and software.
Despite the cost savings that may be achieved with DAR, some state and federal courts may still prefer the quality provided by highly trained court reporters. In addition, court reporters may still be needed to verify, check, and supervise the production of transcripts after proceedings have been digitally recorded.
Job Prospects
Job prospects for graduates of court reporting programs are expected to be very good. Court reporters with experience and training in CART and real-time captioning will have the best job prospects.
For more information on becoming a court reporter, including training programs and certification as a Register Professional Reporters, visit
National Court Reporters Association
For more information on certification and legal resources, as well as becoming an electronic/digital reporter, visit
American Association of Electronic Reporters
For more information on voice writing and certification, visit