How much does a court reporter make?
a year · about $35 an hour
A typical court reporter in the United States makes $72,420 a year, about $35 an hour, about 1.4× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
A court reporter records every word at a hearing or deposition, then checks and formats the transcript. A captioner listens to live TV or an event and puts the words on screen as people speak.
Did you know? A steno machine has just 22 keys, yet trained reporters use sound-based key combinations to capture more than 200 spoken words a minute.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $42,130 and $130,560How do you become one?
In the US, people usually complete a 2–3 year court-reporting program, practicing stenotype and legal terms. Many states require a license or professional certificate, followed by short on-the-job training; rules vary by state.
School needed: Vocational school or a few years' experience
Good for people who like keeping things organized and creating
Why does pay differ?
In the US, pay can vary with experience, state licenses, and extra real-time captioning skills or certificates. The employer, location, and hours matter too; freelance reporters often have more flexible schedules.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in California ($116,020), lowest in Delaware ($44,760).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $42,130 | $72,420 | $130,560 | about 13,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| California | $116,020 | about 1,000 |
| Texas | $110,080 | about 1,000 |
| Washington | $107,670 | about 80 |
| New York | $101,990 | about 1,000 |
| Iowa | $93,810 | about 160 |
Official definition: 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.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/court-reporters.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/27-3092.00
- www.ncra.org/home/start-your-career/discoversteno
- www.ncra.org/certification/NCRA-Certifications/certified-realtime-reporter
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY