Top Skills for This Career
BLS identifies these as the three highest-rated skills for this detailed occupation. TrustInEd adds the plain-language explanations so visitors understand what each skill means.
Adjusting effectively when priorities, conditions, tools, or expectations change.
Paying close attention to accuracy, quality, instructions, and small but important details.
Using computers, software, digital systems, and technology to complete work and solve problems.
How Do You Prepare for This Career?
BLS describes the typical preparation for this occupation. Requirements can vary by employer, state, licensing rules and individual circumstances.
How to Become One
How to Become a Court Reporter or Simultaneous Captioner Court reporters must give their full attention to the speaker and capture every word that is said. Many community colleges and technical institutes offer postsecondary certificate programs for court reporters and simultaneous captioners. These workers typically on-the-job
Education
Many court reporters and simultaneous captioners attend programs at community colleges or technical institutes that lead to either a certificate or an associate’s degree. Either credential qualifies applicants for many entry-level positions. Certification programs prepare students to pass the licensing exams and typing-speed tests required by most states and employers. Most court reporting programs include courses in English grammar and phonetics, legal procedures, and legal terminology. Students also practice preparing transcripts to improve the speed and accuracy of their work. Some schools also offer training in the use of different transcription equipment, such as stenotype machines or steno masks. Completing a court reporting program typically takes 2 or 3 years.
Training
; the length of training varies by type of reporting or captioning. Many states require court reporters and simultaneous captioners to have a state license or a certification from a professional association.
Licenses, Certifications & Registrations
Many states require court reporters and simultaneous captioners to be licensed or certified by a professional association. Licensing requirements vary by state and by method of reporting or captioning. Certifications typically require the successful completion of a written test, as well as a skills test in which applicants must type, record, or transcribe a minimum number of words per minute with a high level of accuracy. In addition, professional associations often require court reporters and simultaneous captioners to obtain a certain amount of continuing education credits in order to renew their certification. Information on certifications is available from CareerOneStop. For more information on certification, exams, and continuing education requirements, visit the specific association’s website. State licensing and continuing education requirements are available on the state association’s or state judicial agency's website. Training After completing their formal program, court reporters and simultaneous captioners must undergo on-the-job training. The length of training varies by type of reporting or captioning but typically includes training on the specific equipment and technical terminology that may be used during complex medical or legal proceedings.
Your Next Step
Explore shorter-term education and training pathways that may prepare you for this type of work.
Pay
the median annual wage for all workers was $50,980.
Job Outlook
Job Outlook Employment of court reporters and simultaneous captioners is projected to decline 0 percent from 2025 to 2035. Despite declining employment, about 1,800 openings for court reporters and simultaneous captioners are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Employment Court reporters will continue to be needed to create detailed, accurate records of legal proceedings. Technology may make transcription work more efficient; however, court reporters will continue to be needed to review and edit digitally produced documentation. State and local government budgets may affect the employment of court reporters because judicial budgets are contingent on available funds. Demand for simultaneous captioners is expected to be driven by television programming as well as communication access real-time translation (CART). As the population ages, demand for CART is expected to grow because older adults are more likely to experience hearing loss. However, transcription generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools is expected to dampen employment demand. Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners Percent change in employment, projected 2025–35 Total, all occupations 3% Court reporters and simultaneous captioners 0% Media and communication workers 0% Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
What They Do
What Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners Do
Court reporters create word-for-word transcriptions at trials, depositions, administrative hearings, and other legal proceedings. Simultaneous captioners provide similar transcriptions for television or for presentations in other settings, such as press conferences and business meetings, for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Duties
Court reporters and simultaneous captioners typically do the following:
- Attend depositions, hearings, proceedings, and other events that require verbatim transcripts
- Capture spoken dialogue with special equipment, such as stenography machines and digital recording devices
- Report speakers' identification, gestures, and actions
- Read or play back portions of events or legal proceedings upon request
- Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements or testimony
- Review notes they have taken, including the spelling of names and technical terminology
- Provide copies of transcripts and recordings to the parties involved
- Transcribe television or movie dialogue for the benefit of viewers
- Provide real-time transcription of presentations in public forums for people who are deaf or hard of hearing
Court reporters have a critical role in legal proceedings, which require an exact record of what occurred. These workers are responsible for producing a complete, accurate, and secure transcript of depositions, trials, and other legal proceedings. The official record allows judges and lawyers to efficiently search for important information contained in the transcript. Court reporters also index and catalog exhibits used during legal proceedings.
Simultaneous captioners primarily serve people who are deaf or hard of hearing by transcribing speech to text as the speech occurs. They typically work in settings other than courtrooms or law offices.
The following are examples of types of simultaneous captioners:
Broadcast captioners provide transcriptions for television programs (called closed captions). They capture dialogue for displaying to television viewers, primarily those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Some broadcast captioners may transcribe dialogue in real time during broadcasts; others caption during the program’s postproduction.
Communication access real-time translation (CART) providers work primarily with people who are deaf or hard of hearing during meetings, doctors’ appointments, and other situations requiring real-time transcription. For example, CART providers may caption the dialogue of college classes and present an immediate transcript to students who are learning English as a second language.
Although some simultaneous captioners accompany their clients to events, many broadcast captioners and CART providers do not. Establishing remote access allows these workers to hear and type dialogue without having to be physically present in the room.
Court reporters and simultaneous captioners turn dialogue into text for a variety of audiences. For information about workers who convey dialogue through sign language, cued speech, or other means to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, see the profile on interpreters and translators.
Court reporters and simultaneous captioners use different methods for recording speech, such as stenotype machines, steno masks, and digital recording devices.
Stenotype machines work like keyboards but create words through key combinations rather than single characters, allowing court reporters to keep up with fast-moving dialogue.
With steno masks, court reporters and simultaneous captioners speak directly into a covered microphone to record dialogue and to describe gestures and actions. Because the microphone is covered, others cannot hear what the reporter or captioner is saying.
Digital recording devices create an audio or video file rather than a written transcript. In addition to recording dialogue, court reporters and simultaneous captioners who use this equipment also take notes to identify the speakers and provide context for the recording. In some cases, they use the audio recording to create a written transcript.
Work Environment
Work Environment
Court reporters and simultaneous captioners held about 19,900 jobs in 2025. The largest employers of court reporters and simultaneous captioners were as follows:
| Self-employed workers | 33% |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 24 |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 20 |
| Business support services | 19 |
Most court reporters work in courts or legislatures. Many are self-employed (freelance) reporters who are hired by law firms or corporations for pretrial depositions and other events on an as-needed basis.
Some court reporters and simultaneous captioners travel to other locations, such as meeting sites or public events. Simultaneous captioners may work remotely from either their home or a central office.
Because of the speed and accuracy required to capture a verbatim record and the time-sensitive nature of legal proceedings, court reporting positions may be stressful.
Work Schedules
Court reporters and simultaneous captioners who work in a legal setting or office typically work full time recording events and preparing transcripts. Freelance reporters often have more flexibility in their work schedules.
Important Qualities
The following are examples of qualities that are important for these workers to perform their duties. For more information, visit the Employment Projections (EP) skills data page. Concentration. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners must be able to focus for long periods so that they remain attentive to the dialogue they are recording. Detail oriented. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners must produce error-free work because they create transcripts that serve as legal records. Listening skills. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners must give their full attention to speakers and capture every word that is said. Writing skills. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners need a good command of grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation.
More Information
More Information, Including Links to O*NET
Learn more about court reporters and simultaneous captioners by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
Take the Next Step
Explore Certificates & Training
Explore shorter-term education and training pathways that may prepare you for this type of work.
Explore pathway →Hear From ED
Use the guided career counseling experience to connect this career to your goals, skills and education preferences.
Start with ED →Career data and occupational profile text are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections program. Education requirements are typical entry-level requirements and may vary by employer, state, occupation or individual circumstance. View the official BLS profile.