Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners salary by state
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$81,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$9,500
11.6% of base
Total target cash
$91,000
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$5,50050th$9,50075th$15,500
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
Typical entry preparation: Post-Secondary Certificate and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
What Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captionerss do
Typical education: Post-Secondary Certificate
Record verbatim proceedings of courts, legislative assemblies, committee meetings, and other proceedings, using computerized recording equipment, electronic stenograph machines, or stenomasks.
Proofread transcripts for correct spelling of words.
Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements.
Provide transcripts of proceedings upon request of judges, lawyers, or the public.
Transcribe recorded proceedings in accordance with established formats.
Top skills:Active ListeningWritingReading ComprehensionTime ManagementSpeakingMonitoring
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners pay by experience level
Entry level$43,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$55,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$75,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$104,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$135,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
-0.3%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
1,700
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners salary by industry
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
8,530 workers
$88,000
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
4,710 workers
$89,000
Administrative and Support Services
3,880 workers
$68,500
Business Support Services
3,820 workers
$68,000
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
3,790 workers
$87,000
Educational Services
110 workers
$69,000
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
80 workers
$92,500
Legal Services
70 workers
$93,500
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
40 workers
$78,500
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools$69,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Record verbatim proceedings of courts, legislative assemblies, committee meetings, and other proceedings, using computerized recording equipment, electronic stenograph machines, or stenomasks.
Proofread transcripts for correct spelling of words.
Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements.
Provide transcripts of proceedings upon request of judges, lawyers, or the public.
Transcribe recorded proceedings in accordance with established formats.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Exempt · Professional, Administrative, or Executive exemption
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Exempt when paid above the salary threshold, provided they satisfy the duties test for one of the FLSA exemption categories. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners make?
The average base salary for a Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners in the United States is $81,500 per year, or about $39.18 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $55,500 and $104,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media roles?
The Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media job family averages $88,500 across 45 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
