How Much Money Does a Court Reporter Make?
Court reporting is an evolving career. Reporters, once responsible for making a verbatim stenographic record in courtrooms and depositions, now also provide closed captioning and real-time translations that reach millions. As demand grows, so does earning potential. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average income for all court reporters is over $51,000, with that figure topping $69,000 in California, New York and Oregon. For individuals looking for a career, court reporting can be a lucrative endeavor.
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Freelance
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Freelance court reporters generally report depositions, meetings and arbitrations in the private sector. Locale, workload and type of job all play a role in a freelancer's earnings. Freelancers charge an hourly rate, but income potential comes from transcript pages produced. Rates vary by agency and are competitive. Page rates are increased for expedited and daily copy transcripts, and some agencies charge an additional fee for complex medical and technical testimony. Freelance court reporters can often choose their workload. It is not uncommon for busy reporters in large metropolitan areas to make six figures a year.
Officials
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Official court reporters work for judges and are employed by state or federal governments. Officials are typically paid a salary, a generous benefits package and transcript fees. Salary is dependent upon experience, locale and certification. Many jurisdictions offer step raises for years of service and percentage raises for every National Court Reporter Association (NCRA) certification achieved. Transcript rates vary by jurisdiction. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual mean wage for official reporters is over $46,000, but experienced reporters in some locales can earn over $85,000 plus transcripts.
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Captioners
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Court reporters with captioning careers provide closed captioning for the hearing impaired. Some captioners are salaried employees of television stations and captioning companies; others provide freelance services. Salaried captioners typically earn between $45,000 and $75,000 annually, depending on experience. Freelance captioners typically charge an hourly rate and can earn $36,000 to over $70,000 per year.
CART Reporters
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Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) reporters provide real-time translation for deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals. Many CART reporters are employed by colleges and universities and provide students with instant translation and transcripts of classes. Freelance CART reporters, who accompany hearing impaired individuals to a variety of locations, including meetings, medical appointments or Broadway plays, charge hourly. Rates vary by locale and agency. According to NCRA, CART reporters typically earn between $35,000 and $65,000 a year.
Webcasting
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As technology advances, court reporters are now finding job opportunities providing webcasting. Similar to captioning, webcasters, or information reporters, provide real-time translation of press conferences, seminars and business meetings via the Internet to all involved parties. Information reporters typically charge an hourly rate between $100 and $200 per hour.
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