27 Series · SOC 27-3092
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $72,420
- Median / year
- $130,560
- Top 10% earn
- -0.3%
- Growth '23–'33
- 12,870
- US workers
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners earn a median of $72,420 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $72,420, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $42,130 (10th percentile) to $130,560 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 12,870 US workers. California pays the most ($116,020), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners earn a median of $72,420, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 64% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media, it ranks #16 of 36 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 0.3% by 2033.
- $72,420
- Median annual wage
- Top 36%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #16 of 36
- in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- 3.1×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: California at $116,020. Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners (SOC 27-3092) pays a national median of $72,420 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $42,130 at the 10th percentile to $130,560 at the 90th, with a mean of $78,760 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 12,870 Americans work in this occupation across 39 reporting states and 76 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -0.3% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 1,700 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Postsecondary nondegree award and short-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.6 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. California pays the highest state median at $116,020, which is +60% above the national figure. The top metro is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $143,170 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$72,420
per year
Median Hourly
$34.82/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$78,760
average
Employment
12,870
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$72,420 Top 36% higher than 64% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 27-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 25 27-series occupations with growth data, Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners sits on the slower-growing side at -0.3% growth and $72,420 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-0.3%
Declining
Annual Openings
1,700
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
On-the-Job Training
Short-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.6/100K
Injury Rate
0.5/100
Danger Index
2.3/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Record symbols on computer storage media and use computer aided transcription to translate and display them as text.
- ▸ Take notes in shorthand or use a stenotype or shorthand machine that prints letters on a paper tape.
- ▸ Provide transcripts of proceedings upon request of judges, lawyers, or the public.
- ▸ Transcribe recorded proceedings in accordance with established formats.
- ▸ Log and store exhibits from court proceedings.
- ▸ File and store shorthand notes of court session.
- ▸ File a legible transcript of records of a court case with the court clerk's office.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$42,130
25th Percentile
$53,760
Median
$72,420
75th Percentile
$100,780
90th Percentile
$130,560
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 39 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $116,020 | +60% above national |
| 2 | Texas | $110,080 | +52% above national |
| 3 | Washington | $107,670 | +49% above national |
| 4 | New York | $101,990 | +41% above national |
| 5 | Iowa | $93,810 | +30% above national |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $92,250 | +27% above national |
| 7 | Minnesota | $83,680 | +16% above national |
| 8 | Colorado | $83,010 | +15% above national |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $79,940 | +10% above national |
| 10 | Arizona | $77,770 | +7% above national |
| 11 | Nebraska | $76,480 | +6% above national |
| 12 | Illinois | $75,890 | +5% above national |
| 13 | South Dakota | $75,210 | +4% above national |
| 14 | North Carolina | $73,510 | +2% above national |
| 15 | Missouri | $72,500 | same as national |
| 16 | North Dakota | $70,540 | 3% below national |
| 17 | Idaho | $69,330 | 4% below national |
| 18 | Alabama | $67,340 | 7% below national |
| 19 | Ohio | $67,330 | 7% below national |
| 20 | Mississippi | $67,300 | 7% below national |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $65,640 | 9% below national |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $65,100 | 10% below national |
| 23 | Louisiana | $63,380 | 12% below national |
| 24 | Montana | $62,730 | 13% below national |
| 25 | Nevada | $62,030 | 14% below national |
| 26 | Michigan | $61,600 | 15% below national |
| 27 | South Carolina | $61,100 | 16% below national |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $60,800 | 16% below national |
| 29 | Connecticut | $59,390 | 18% below national |
| 30 | Maryland | $59,300 | 18% below national |
| 31 | Arkansas | $59,180 | 18% below national |
| 32 | West Virginia | $56,790 | 22% below national |
| 33 | Virginia | $55,210 | 24% below national |
| 34 | Indiana | $54,740 | 24% below national |
| 35 | Kentucky | $50,350 | 30% below national |
| 36 | Florida | $49,240 | 32% below national |
| 37 | Maine | $49,110 | 32% below national |
| 38 | Delaware | $44,760 | 38% below national |
| 39 | Puerto Rico | $38,300 | 47% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 76 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $143,170 | +98% above national |
| 2 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $138,340 | +91% above national |
| 3 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $133,900 | +85% above national |
| 4 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $130,730 | +81% above national |
| 5 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $129,380 | +79% above national |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $129,270 | +79% above national |
| 7 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $125,970 | +74% above national |
| 8 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $123,900 | +71% above national |
| 9 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $123,230 | +70% above national |
| 10 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $118,200 | +63% above national |
| 11 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $113,200 | +56% above national |
| 12 | Visalia, CA | $108,790 | +50% above national |
| 13 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $108,230 | +49% above national |
| 14 | El Paso, TX | $106,010 | +46% above national |
| 15 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $102,900 | +42% above national |
| 16 | Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $102,260 | +41% above national |
| 17 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $99,620 | +38% above national |
| 18 | North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $93,750 | +29% above national |
| 19 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $92,250 | +27% above national |
| 20 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $90,230 | +25% above national |
| 21 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $86,900 | +20% above national |
| 22 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $86,510 | +19% above national |
| 23 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $85,690 | +18% above national |
| 24 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $83,000 | +15% above national |
| 25 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $82,040 | +13% above national |
| 26 | Fargo, ND-MN | $80,720 | +11% above national |
| 27 | Mobile, AL | $80,110 | +11% above national |
| 28 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $80,000 | +10% above national |
| 29 | Colorado Springs, CO | $79,100 | +9% above national |
| 30 | Omaha, NE-IA | $77,900 | +8% above national |
| 31 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $76,790 | +6% above national |
| 32 | Birmingham, AL | $76,560 | +6% above national |
| 33 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $76,310 | +5% above national |
| 34 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $75,980 | +5% above national |
| 35 | Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $75,090 | +4% above national |
| 36 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $74,760 | +3% above national |
| 37 | Baton Rouge, LA | $74,630 | +3% above national |
| 38 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $74,630 | +3% above national |
| 39 | Boise City, ID | $69,330 | 4% below national |
| 40 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $69,100 | 5% below national |
| 41 | Columbus, OH | $67,330 | 7% below national |
| 42 | Wichita, KS | $67,200 | 7% below national |
| 43 | Cleveland, OH | $66,220 | 9% below national |
| 44 | Fort Wayne, IN | $66,160 | 9% below national |
| 45 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $65,850 | 9% below national |
| 46 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $65,000 | 10% below national |
| 47 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $64,230 | 11% below national |
| 48 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $63,970 | 12% below national |
| 49 | Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $63,970 | 12% below national |
| 50 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $63,840 | 12% below national |
| 51 | Pittsburgh, PA | $63,480 | 12% below national |
| 52 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $63,050 | 13% below national |
| 53 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $62,030 | 14% below national |
| 54 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $61,470 | 15% below national |
| 55 | Oklahoma City, OK | $61,390 | 15% below national |
| 56 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $60,640 | 16% below national |
| 57 | Columbia, SC | $60,380 | 17% below national |
| 58 | Bloomington, IN | $60,340 | 17% below national |
| 59 | Evansville, IN | $59,740 | 18% below national |
| 60 | Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $58,100 | 20% below national |
| 61 | Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $57,470 | 21% below national |
| 62 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $55,700 | 23% below national |
| 63 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $55,210 | 24% below national |
| 64 | Terre Haute, IN | $54,740 | 24% below national |
| 65 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $52,300 | 28% below national |
| 66 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $51,880 | 28% below national |
| 67 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $50,720 | 30% below national |
| 68 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $50,560 | 30% below national |
| 69 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $49,370 | 32% below national |
| 70 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $48,430 | 33% below national |
| 71 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $47,170 | 35% below national |
| 72 | Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $46,990 | 35% below national |
| 73 | Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $46,350 | 36% below national |
| 74 | Jacksonville, FL | $46,240 | 36% below national |
| 75 | Montgomery, AL | $42,130 | 42% below national |
| 76 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $38,300 | 47% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 27 (arts design entertainment sports and media) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with this data
How to use Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $100,780/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: California leads at $116,020/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.