Arts, Design, Media & Sports
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
Also called: Captioner, Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR), Court Recorder, Court Reporter
US median pay
$72,420
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
-0.1%
declining
Openings a year (US)
1,800
19,900 employed
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Preparation 3/5 · Medium preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- Provide transcripts of proceedings upon request of judges, lawyers, or the public.
- Record symbols on computer storage media and use computer aided transcription to translate and display them as text.
- Record verbatim proceedings of courts, legislative assemblies, committee meetings, and other proceedings, using computerized recording equipment, electronic stenograph machines, or stenomasks.
- Record depositions and other proceedings for attorneys.
- Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements.
- Proofread transcripts for correct spelling of words.
- File a legible transcript of records of a court case with the court clerk's office.
- Transcribe recorded proceedings in accordance with established formats.
- Take notes in shorthand or use a stenotype or shorthand machine that prints letters on a paper tape.
- File and store shorthand notes of court session.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Time Management2.8/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.6/5
- Quality Control Analysis2.6/5
- Operation and Control2.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.0/5
- Operations Monitoring1.9/5
- Coordination1.9/5
Knowledge
- English Language4.9/5
- Computers and Electronics4.4/5
- Administrative4.0/5
- Law and Government4.0/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.7/5
- Telecommunications2.7/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 3 of 5 — Medium preparation. Usually vocational training, an associate's degree or an apprenticeship.
Typical entry education (BLS): Postsecondary nondegree award.
Who this job suits
Mostly Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.