The judicial system of the American Constitution has many people working under it, who may not be as highly qualified as a judge or magistrate, but are surely the ones who keep the system running.
There are several employees, staff, clerks and reporters that hold up the system and make sure everything is operational so nothing is a hindrance where justice is being served.
What does a Court Reporter do?
A court reporter is a record-man. Someone who keeps track of records, documents and archives and makes sure everything is secure and untouched. These are also called guardians of the record because they are responsible for creating, managing and securing records of cases into archives with utmost responsibility.
They record everything being said during a court hearing, meetings, depositions and trials and prepare accurate transcripts. And during the discovery phase, attorneys may also use the same transcripts from depositions to prepare for the trial.
Court Reporter School
The knowledge and skills to become a court reporter or stenocaptioner are taught at more than 150 reporter training programs, including proprietary schools, community colleges, and four-year universities. Many of these programs offer distance learning options.
How long is the Court Reporting School?
Depending on the course load, an average time period of a court reporting school is between 18-24 months.
It takes almost 2 years to become a court reporter, which usually includes a certification period of over 6 months, and then the degree which is completed after that. Programs typically include coursework in legal procedures and terminology, court reporting procedures, technical dictation and voice writing technology. Students also receive practical training to be able to perform two-voice transcribing at 225 wpm, which is the ideal typing speed for this profession. Depending on the school, a court or freelance externship may be offered.
After their school, a court reporter is required to obtain the relevant licensing depending on the state. This process includes a series of exams and tests that the candidate is required to pass.
Court Reporter Salary
The average court reporter salary varies by each state, the highest being in New York and the lowest salary being offered to court reporters in North Carolina.
| State | Hourly Wage | Annual Salary |
| New York – Court Reporter Salary | $28.36 | $58,985 |
| Massachusetts – Court Reporter Salary | $28.09 | $58,428 |
| Washington – Court Reporter Salary | $27.89 | $58,020 |
| New Hampshire – Court Reporter Salary | $27.34 | $56,864 |
| Hawaii – Court Reporter Salary | $26.98 | $56,116 |
| Maryland – Court Reporter Salary | $26.03 | $54,148 |
| Connecticut – Court Reporter Salary | $26.02 | $54,131 |
| Rhode Island – Court Reporter Salary | $25.81 | $53,691 |
| Alaska – Court Reporter Salary | $25.78 | $53,622 |
| Vermont – Court Reporter Salary | $25.67 | $53,399 |
| Nebraska – Court Reporter Salary | $25.64 | $53,332 |
| Nevada – Court Reporter Salary | $25.58 | $53,201 |
| North Dakota – Court Reporter Salary | $25.48 | $53,000 |
| Wyoming – Court Reporter Salary | $25.46 | $52,953 |
| California – Court Reporter Salary | $25.42 | $52,868 |
| Virginia – Court Reporter Salary | $25.30 | $52,633 |
| Kentucky – Court Reporter Salary | $24.79 | $51,573 |
| South Dakota – Court Reporter Salary | $24.74 | $51,452 |
| New Jersey – Court Reporter Salary | $24.68 | $51,341 |
| West Virginia – Court Reporter Salary | $24.65 | $51,278 |
| Pennsylvania – Court Reporter Salary | $24.53 | $51,030 |
| South Carolina – Court Reporter Salary | $24.41 | $50,766 |
| Minnesota – Court Reporter Salary | $24.38 | $50,719 |
| Oregon – Court Reporter Salary | $24.33 | $50,597 |
| Delaware – Court Reporter Salary | $24.32 | $50,590 |
| Tennessee – Court Reporter Salary | $24.30 | $50,554 |
| Colorado – Court Reporter Salary | $24.29 | $50,522 |
| Montana – Court Reporter Salary | $24.27 | $50,485 |
| Ohio – Court Reporter Salary | $24.13 | $50,190 |
| Wisconsin – Court Reporter Salary | $24.07 | $50,070 |
| Arizona – Court Reporter Salary | $24.02 | $49,966 |
| Kansas – Court Reporter Salary | $23.92 | $49,750 |
| Utah – Court Reporter Salary | $23.91 | $49,728 |
| Indiana – Court Reporter Salary | $23.87 | $49,645 |
| Oklahoma – Court Reporter Salary | $23.83 | $49,567 |
| Idaho – Court Reporter Salary | $23.76 | $49,427 |
| Maine – Court Reporter Salary | $23.74 | $49,389 |
| Louisiana – Court Reporter Salary | $23.65 | $49,189 |
| Iowa – Court Reporter Salary | $23.40 | $48,682 |
| Georgia – Court Reporter Salary | $23.17 | $48,202 |
| Texas – Court Reporter Salary | $22.91 | $47,648 |
| New Mexico – Court Reporter Salary | $22.86 | $47,545 |
| Michigan – Court Reporter Salary | $22.80 | $47,424 |
| Arkansas – Court Reporter Salary | $22.78 | $47,389 |
| Illinois – Court Reporter Salary | $22.66 | $47,132 |
| Alabama – Court Reporter Salary | $22.63 | $47,074 |
| Mississippi – Court Reporter Salary | $22.40 | $46,597 |
| Missouri – Court Reporter Salary | $22.35 | $46,488 |
| Florida – Court Reporter Salary | $21.84 | $45,431 |
| North Carolina – Court Reporter Salary | $20.80 | $43,260 |
Note: Sample rates have been extracted online, courtesy of ZipRecruiter
Conclusion
To be a court reporter, a candidate must complete 2 years worth of schooling and must receive the basic educational requirements. Soon after that, internships and real-time work experience qualifies them enough to land them well-paying jobs in the industry. The whole process is around 2 years long, but could also take a little more than that depending on the student’s pace and passing of exams in due time.
There are several career paths that a court reporter may take, like freelancing, legislative jobs, official jobs etc., depending on their choice of career. A court reporter is definitely one of the most important people in the judicial department; someone who is responsible for the creation and maintenance of data and transcripts.
