Court Reporter

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Work Tasks

COURT REPORTERS take word-for-word reports of speeches, meetings, legal proceedings, or other events when these reports are needed for records or legal proof. They make sure the legal record is complete, accurate, and secure. They use stenotype machines that record combinations of letters and are then recorded on computer disks or CD-ROM. These are then translated and displayed as text. They also organize and search for information in official records for judges and lawyers. They provide closed-caption and real-time translation services for the deaf. Stenotype machines used for real-time captioning are linked directly to the computer.

Salary, Size & Growth

• $48,500 average per year ($23.25 per hour)
• A small occupation (18,400 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow moderately (1.8% per year)

Entry Requirements

COURT REPORTERS generally complete a 2- or 4-year training program offered by post-secondary vocational and technical schools and colleges. Currently, the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) has approved about 86 programs, all of which offer courses in computer-aided transcription and real-time reporting. NCRA-approved programs require students to capture a minimum of 225 words per minute. Court reporters in the federal government generally must capture at least 225 words a minute.