Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners Salary: $98,445 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 12,630 court reporters and simultaneous captioners nationally earn a mean of $98,445. Employment in the series shown fell about 14% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 4.9% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners: what the data shows
Common questions about court reporters and simultaneous captioners careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a court reporters and simultaneous captioners?
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 27-3092.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 12,630 workers.
What does a court reporters and simultaneous captioners do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Documenting/Recording Information, Working with Computers, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Processing Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a court reporters and simultaneous captioners make?
BLS national median annual wage: $67,310 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $98,445 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,752 |
| 25th percentile | $52,663 |
| Median (50th) | $106,457 |
| 75th percentile | $134,858 |
| 90th percentile | $139,922 |
What education do you need?
For Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Writing, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Time Management, Speaking, and knowledge areas including English Language, Administrative, Computers and Electronics, Law and Government. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is court reporters and simultaneous captioners in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 4.9% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -22.1%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -39.3%.
Current U.S. headcount: 12,630.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do court reporters and simultaneous captionerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 12,630 | 17.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 8,530 | 11.9% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 8,460 | 11.8% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 8,460 | 11.8% |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 4,650 | 6.5% |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 4,620 | 6.5% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other | 174,060 | $48,790 |
| Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other | 195,890 | $46,040 |
| Public Relations Specialists | 280,590 | $69,780 |
| Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | 98,360 | $70,500 |
| Public Relations Managers | 76,060 | $138,520 |
| Healthcare Support Workers, All Other | 103,650 | $46,050 |
| Communications Equipment Operators, All Other | 1,390 | $49,910 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners workforce.
Employment Over Time
12,630 Workforce in 2023
The Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$98,445 Average Wage
In 2023, Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners earned an average of $98,445.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Salary distribution for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Employment Growth Projections
-4.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
4,566 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -22.1%
3,558 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -39.3%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Wage Trends by Industry
-7.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 1,340 employees, $98,386 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 220 employees, $117,745 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 220 employees, $70,842 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 170 employees, $103,139 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 150 employees, $113,133 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 130 employees, $68,064 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 130 employees, $109,596 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 120 employees, $96,894 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 60 employees, $117,088 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 40 employees, $95,743 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 30 employees, $116,626 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Diversity
Demographic information on Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners in 2023 was 12,630 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners in 2023 were Business Administration, Journalism, Communications.
Common majors for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners workers.
Education level distribution for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Skills
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Writing, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Time Management.
Required skills for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners include English Language, Administrative, Computers and Electronics, Law and Government, Customer and Personal Service.
Knowledge areas required for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners include Speech Recognition, Oral Comprehension, Written Expression, Near Vision, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
Daily Activities
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners spend their time on activities such as Documenting/Recording Information, Working with Computers, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners.
About
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
The average yearly wage for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners was $98,445 in 2023.
SOC Code
27-3092 - Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners reports an average salary of $98,445.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 12,630 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -4.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.