How much do Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners make?
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners earn a median annual salary of $72,420 in the United States, which works out to roughly $34.82 per hour for full-time work. Most earn between $42,130 at the entry level and $130,560 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $53,760 and $100,780 a year.
That is $11,030 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners salary range by percentile
Half of all Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners earn between $53,760 and $100,780 a year.
| Pay level | Annual salary | Hourly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $42,130 | $20.25 | |
| 25th percentile (early career) | $53,760 | $25.85 | |
| 50th percentile (median) | $72,420 | $34.82 | |
| 75th percentile (experienced) | $100,780 | $48.45 | |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $130,560 | $62.77 |
Highest-paying states for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
Where you work matters more than almost anything else. California leads the country for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners pay at $116,020 a year, followed by Texas ($110,080) and Washington ($107,670). At the other end, Delaware posts the lowest median at $44,760 — a gap of $71,260 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.
| # | State | Median salary | Hourly | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $116,020 | $55.78 | +60% |
| 2 | Texas | $110,080 | $52.92 | +52% |
| 3 | Washington | $107,670 | $51.76 | +49% |
| 4 | New York | $101,990 | $49.03 | +41% |
| 5 | Iowa | $93,810 | $45.10 | +30% |
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners salary in every state
Official BLS state-level figures across 38 states and territories. Click a state for the full local breakdown.
Workforce and education
About 13,000 people work as Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $78,760 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a bachelor's degree (about 4 years of college) is the standard entry requirement, per O*NET occupation data.
Frequently asked questions
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