Information Provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Job prospects are expected to be excellent as job openings continue to outnumber jobseekers. Demand for real-time and broadcast captioning and translating will spur employment growth. The amount of training required to become a court reporter varies with the type of reporting chosen. Job opportunities should be best for those with certification.
On average, Court Reporters earn $ 45,610 per year.
Job Opportunities for Court Reporters are expected to:
Increase as fast as the average.
Court reporters usually create verbatim transcripts of speeches, conversations, legal proceedings, meetings, and other events. Sometimes written accounts of spoken words are necessary for correspondence, records, or legal proof, and court reporters provide those accounts. They play a critical role not only in judicial proceedings, but also at every meeting where the spoken word must be preserved as a written transcript. They are responsible for ensuring a complete, accurate, and secure legal record. I
The amount of training required to become a court reporter varies with the type of reporting chosen. It usually takes less than a year to become a novice voice writer, although it takes at least two years to become proficient at realtime voice writing. Electronic reporters and transcribers learn their skills on the job.
Court reporters held about 19,000 jobs in 2006. More than half worked for State and local governments, a reflection of the large number of court reporters working in courts, legislatures, and various agencies. Most of the remaining wage and salary workers were employed by court reporting agencies. Around 8 percent of court reporters were self-employed.
