Court Reporter

Career Overview

Court reporters listen to various legal proceedings (trials, depositions) and create a word-for-word written transcription.

Education

Completing a program in court reporting may be necessary to obtain these positions. These programs are typically offered through colleges. Some on-the-job training will also be required.

Future Outlook

Employment of court reporters is projected to grow 9 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. However, because it is a small occupation, the fast growth will result in only about 1,400 new jobs over the 10-year period.

Work Environment

Most court reporters work for state or local government in courts or legislatures. However, some work from either their home or a central office providing broadcast captioning for television stations or for hard-of-hearing individuals.

Recommended High School Courses

Writing
Communication

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Wrist-Finger Speed - The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Record information from legal proceedings.
Proofread documents, records, or other files to ensure accuracy.
Enter information into databases or software programs.
Provide information to the general public.
File documents or records.
Maintain the order of legal documents.
Process forensic or legal evidence in accordance with procedures.
Prepare legal documents.
Type documents.
Confer with court staff to clarify information.
Review documents or materials for compliance with policies or regulations.
Verify accuracy of records.

Schools

Alfred State College

Arlington Career Institut...

Atlantic Technical Colleg...

Brown College Of Court Re...

Clark State Community Col...

College Of Court Reportin...

Community College Of Alle...

East Central University -...

Gadsden State Community C...

Gateway Community College...

Key College

Long Island Business Inst...

Maccormac College

Plaza College

San Antonio College

South Coast College

South Suburban College

Northern Alberta Insti...

Potential Scholarships

5 Strong Scholarship

Agnes M. Lindsay Scholars...

Curt Pozan Trades Scholar...

Approx Salary Expectation

Currency:

Low End:

$31,570.00 /yr

Avg/Med:

$60,130.00 /yr

High End:

$106,210.00 /yr

Related Careers

Police - Detective

Court Reporter

Firefighter

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.