Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners (SOC 27-3092) earn a median $72,420 a year ($34.82 an hour) in the United States, with 12,870 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What court reporters and simultaneous captioners do
Court reporters and simultaneous captioners produce word-for-word records of pretrial and trial proceedings and other spoken information, capturing, storing, retrieving, and transcribing them with specialized equipment. The occupation includes stenocaptioners, who run computerized stenographic captioning equipment to caption live or prerecorded broadcasts for hearing-impaired viewers. Reporters record verbatim what is said in courts, legislative assemblies, committee meetings, and other proceedings, ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements, and transcribe recordings in established formats. They proofread transcripts for correct spelling, provide transcripts at the request of judges, lawyers, or the public, log and store exhibits from court proceedings, file and store shorthand notes of court sessions, and file a legible transcript of a court case with the court clerk's office. Alternate titles include court stenographer, deposition reporter, and court monitor. Interpreters and general transcriptionists are classified separately.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a postsecondary certificate.
Also called: Certified Shorthand Reporter, Court Monitor, Court Recorder, Court Recording Monitor, Court Reporter.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $20.26 | $25.85 | $34.82 | $48.45 | $62.77 | $37.86 | 12,870 |
| Annual | $42,130 | $53,760 | $72,420 | $100,780 | $130,560 | $78,760 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where court reporters and simultaneous captioners earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $26.58 | $41.62 | $55.78 | $64.37 | $68.72 | $52.35 | 1,400 | 0.08 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $55,280 | $86,560 | $116,020 | $133,900 | $142,930 | $108,890 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $26.21 | $37.46 | $52.92 | $62.77 | $66.06 | $50.35 | 1,270 | 0.09 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $54,520 | $77,910 | $110,080 | $130,560 | $137,410 | $104,730 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $39.53 | $40.89 | $51.77 | $54.42 | $54.75 | $48.61 | 80 | 0.02 | 0.27 |
| Annual | $82,220 | $85,060 | $107,670 | $113,200 | $113,880 | $101,110 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $29.02 | $33.14 | $49.03 | $64.00 | $69.13 | $48.69 | 1,400 | 0.15 | 1.75 |
| Annual | $60,360 | $68,940 | $101,990 | $133,110 | $143,790 | $101,280 | ||||
| Iowa | Hourly | $30.56 | $34.03 | $45.10 | $45.10 | $50.24 | $43.14 | 160 | 0.11 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $63,560 | $70,780 | $93,810 | $93,810 | $104,490 | $89,730 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $26.58 | $41.62 | $55.78 | $64.37 | $68.72 | $52.35 | 1,400 | 0.08 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $55,280 | $86,560 | $116,020 | $133,900 | $142,930 | $108,890 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $29.02 | $33.14 | $49.03 | $64.00 | $69.13 | $48.69 | 1,400 | 0.15 | 1.75 |
| Annual | $60,360 | $68,940 | $101,990 | $133,110 | $143,790 | $101,280 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $26.21 | $37.46 | $52.92 | $62.77 | $66.06 | $50.35 | 1,270 | 0.09 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $54,520 | $77,910 | $110,080 | $130,560 | $137,410 | $104,730 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $16.98 | $21.65 | $23.68 | $30.60 | $39.12 | $27.33 | 1,110 | 0.11 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $35,320 | $45,020 | $49,240 | $63,650 | $81,370 | $56,850 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $20.55 | $22.97 | $26.32 | $29.85 | $37.17 | $28.77 | 890 | 0.28 | 3.37 |
| Annual | $42,740 | $47,770 | $54,740 | $62,100 | $77,320 | $59,850 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $40.73 | $50.53 | $68.83 | $68.83 | $68.83 | $62.00 | 50 | 0.05 | 0.54 |
| Annual | $84,710 | $105,110 | $143,170 | $143,170 | $143,170 | $128,960 | ||||
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | Hourly | $46.85 | $50.53 | $66.51 | $66.51 | $66.51 | $59.46 | 30 | 0.11 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $97,440 | $105,110 | $138,340 | $138,340 | $138,340 | $123,680 | ||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | $40.22 | $57.02 | $64.37 | $68.72 | $68.72 | $58.92 | 230 | 0.13 | 1.61 |
| Annual | $83,650 | $118,610 | $133,900 | $142,930 | $142,930 | $122,540 | ||||
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | Hourly | $31.93 | $50.62 | $62.85 | $62.95 | $68.96 | $54.92 | 130 | 0.10 | 1.23 |
| Annual | $66,420 | $105,290 | $130,730 | $130,930 | $143,430 | $114,230 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $27.59 | $38.72 | $62.20 | $66.06 | $66.06 | $53.12 | 260 | 0.08 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $57,390 | $80,540 | $129,380 | $137,410 | $137,410 | $110,490 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $25.85 | $29.02 | $43.38 | $60.03 | $69.13 | $45.60 | 1,060 | 0.11 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $53,760 | $60,360 | $90,230 | $124,870 | $143,790 | $94,850 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $15.00 | $20.52 | $36.92 | $48.46 | $62.17 | $37.13 | 510 | 0.11 | 1.37 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $42,680 | $76,790 | $100,790 | $129,320 | $77,220 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $16.98 | $19.47 | $23.28 | $30.60 | $38.48 | $26.76 | 440 | 0.16 | 1.87 |
| Annual | $35,320 | $40,500 | $48,430 | $63,650 | $80,050 | $55,670 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $19.92 | $26.58 | $41.59 | $51.98 | $59.21 | $42.42 | 290 | 0.05 | 0.55 |
| Annual | $41,430 | $55,280 | $86,510 | $108,110 | $123,160 | $88,240 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $19.59 | $31.80 | $38.46 | $51.90 | $58.50 | $40.53 | 260 | 0.09 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $40,760 | $66,140 | $80,000 | $107,950 | $121,670 | $84,310 | ||||
Top industries employing court reporters and simultaneous captioners
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) employ 36.6% of court reporters and simultaneous captioners nationally (4,710 jobs) at a median $78,430 a year ($37.71 an hour), followed by Business Support Services (29.7%) and State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (29.4%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 4,710 | 36.6% | $78,430 | $37.71 |
| Business Support Services NAICS 561400 | 3,820 | 29.7% | $58,760 | $28.25 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 3,790 | 29.4% | $78,300 | $37.64 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries NAICS 512100 | 230 | 1.8% | * | * |
| Legal Services NAICS 541100 | 70 | 0.5% | $110,690 | $53.22 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (12,870). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $60,380 for court reporters and simultaneous captioners in May 2021 and $72,420 in May 2025, with employment of 12,300 and 12,870.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $60,380 | $29.03 | 12,300 |
| May 2022 | $63,560 | $30.56 | 14,240 |
| May 2023 | $63,940 | $30.74 | 12,390 |
| May 2024 | $67,310 | $32.36 | 12,630 |
| May 2025 | $72,420 | $34.82 | 12,870 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
41 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | $55.78 | $116,020 | $55,280 | $142,930 | 1,400 | 0.08 | 0.93 |
| 2 | Texas profile | $52.92 | $110,080 | $54,520 | $137,410 | 1,270 | 0.09 | 1.09 |
| 3 | Washington profile | $51.77 | $107,670 | $82,220 | $113,880 | 80 | 0.02 | 0.27 |
| 4 | New York profile | $49.03 | $101,990 | $60,360 | $143,790 | 1,400 | 0.15 | 1.75 |
| 5 | Iowa profile | $45.10 | $93,810 | $63,560 | $104,490 | 160 | 0.11 | 1.27 |
| 6 | Rhode Island profile | $44.35 | $92,250 | $61,670 | $107,310 | 60 | 0.13 | 1.56 |
| 7 | Minnesota profile | $40.23 | $83,680 | $64,150 | $97,410 | 320 | 0.11 | 1.32 |
| 8 | Colorado profile | $39.91 | $83,010 | $65,960 | $110,700 | 260 | 0.09 | 1.11 |
| 9 | Massachusetts profile | $38.44 | $79,940 | $46,080 | $91,350 | 50 | 0.01 | 0.17 |
| 10 | Arizona profile | $37.39 | $77,770 | $61,510 | $90,020 | 70 | 0.02 | 0.27 |
| 11 | Nebraska profile | $36.77 | $76,480 | $60,910 | $87,080 | 60 | 0.06 | 0.73 |
| 12 | Illinois profile | $36.48 | $75,890 | $31,200 | $122,390 | 770 | 0.13 | 1.52 |
| 13 | South Dakota profile | $36.16 | $75,210 | $63,610 | $78,960 | 40 | 0.08 | 0.92 |
| 14 | North Carolina profile | $35.34 | $73,510 | $57,910 | $91,710 | 110 | 0.02 | 0.27 |
| 15 | Missouri profile | $34.86 | $72,500 | $56,000 | $97,480 | 270 | 0.09 | 1.09 |
| 16 | North Dakota profile | $33.91 | $70,540 | $56,030 | $81,130 | 60 | 0.14 | 1.73 |
| 17 | Idaho profile | $33.33 | $69,330 | $66,290 | $75,460 | 40 | 0.05 | 0.58 |
| 18 | Alabama profile | $32.37 | $67,340 | $37,700 | $84,270 | 350 | 0.16 | 1.98 |
| 19 | Ohio profile | $32.37 | $67,330 | $49,750 | $94,740 | 340 | 0.06 | 0.73 |
| 20 | Mississippi profile | $32.36 | $67,300 | $47,720 | $75,000 | 40 | 0.03 | 0.38 |
| 21 | Wisconsin profile | $31.56 | $65,640 | $38,560 | $121,260 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.23 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania profile | $31.30 | $65,100 | $40,130 | $90,330 | 670 | 0.11 | 1.33 |
| 23 | Louisiana profile | $30.47 | $63,380 | $26,650 | $97,360 | 270 | 0.14 | 1.70 |
| 24 | Montana profile | $30.16 | $62,730 | $50,870 | $78,890 | 50 | 0.10 | 1.22 |
| 25 | Nevada profile | $29.82 | $62,030 | $46,750 | $78,430 | 70 | 0.05 | 0.56 |
| 26 | Michigan profile | $29.62 | $61,600 | $41,040 | $79,780 | 260 | 0.06 | 0.72 |
| 27 | South Carolina profile | $29.38 | $61,100 | $45,190 | $76,300 | 140 | 0.06 | 0.73 |
| 28 | Oklahoma profile | $29.23 | $60,800 | $53,000 | $68,000 | 180 | 0.11 | 1.29 |
| 29 | Connecticut profile | $28.55 | $59,390 | $43,370 | $74,680 | 210 | 0.12 | 1.50 |
| 30 | Maryland profile | $28.51 | $59,300 | $41,620 | $90,360 | ** | ** | ** |
| 31 | Arkansas profile | $28.45 | $59,180 | $53,200 | $80,090 | 130 | 0.10 | 1.20 |
| 32 | West Virginia profile | $27.30 | $56,790 | $44,550 | $70,890 | 90 | 0.13 | 1.52 |
| 33 | Virginia profile | $26.54 | $55,210 | $37,840 | $78,360 | 320 | 0.08 | 0.95 |
| 34 | Indiana profile | $26.32 | $54,740 | $42,740 | $77,320 | 890 | 0.28 | 3.37 |
| 35 | Kentucky profile | $24.21 | $50,350 | $29,610 | $50,350 | 80 | 0.04 | 0.46 |
| 36 | Florida profile | $23.68 | $49,240 | $35,320 | $81,370 | 1,110 | 0.11 | 1.35 |
| 37 | Maine profile | $23.61 | $49,110 | $48,370 | $89,670 | 30 | 0.05 | 0.60 |
| 38 | Delaware profile | $21.52 | $44,760 | $40,350 | $86,130 | 40 | 0.07 | 0.90 |
| – | Georgia profile | * | * | * | * | 410 | 0.08 | 1.01 |
| – | Kansas profile | * | * | * | * | 180 | 0.12 | 1.47 |
| – | New Jersey profile | * | * | * | * | 200 | 0.05 | 0.57 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (27-3090), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 27-3092 Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked. A withheld or top-coded median in that table shows the marker explained above.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 27-3092, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 27-3092.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.