How to become a court reporters and simultaneous captioner
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.
Steps to get there
Most employers expect most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree..Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
What court reporters and simultaneous captioners do
- Provide transcripts of proceedings upon request of judges, lawyers, or the public.
- Record depositions and other proceedings for attorneys.
- Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements.
- Respond to requests during court sessions to read portions of the proceedings already recorded.
- Swear in witnesses.
- Record symbols on computer storage media and use computer aided transcription to translate and display them as text.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
Is court reporters and simultaneous captioner a good career?
On the numbers, this job pays above the typical job. Median pay is 42% above the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.
Where it pays most
- California $116,020
- Texas $110,080
- Washington $107,670
- New York $101,990
- Iowa $93,810
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners salary by state and city
Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.