Court reporters typically take verbatim reports of speeches, conversations, legal proceedings, meetings, and other events when written accounts of spoken words are necessary for correspondence, records, or legal proof. They document all statements made in official proceedings using a stenotype machine, in addition to other duties before and after transcribing events.

Necessary Education

Usually a 2- or 4-year postsecondary school degree

Helpful High School Courses

English, Mathematics, Computer Applications

Working Conditions

• Work in comfortable settings
  
• Many work a standard 40-hour week; others who are self-employed may work evenings, weekends, or on an on-call basis
  
• May experience stress due to the need for accuracy and being fast
  
• Sitting in the same position for long periods of time can be tiring and cause strain or repetitive motion injuries

Salary Range

• 2003, Delaware average annual salary, $54,610
  
• 2003, Delaware average hourly wage, $26.25

Career Ladder Information

• Some States require court reporters to be Notary Publics, or to be Certified Court Reporters (CCR)
  
• Job opportunities should be best for those with certification from the National Court Reporters Association
  
• Compensation methods for court reporters vary, depending on the type of reporting job, the experience of the individual reporter, the level of certification achieved, and the region
  
• A majority of court reporter positions are found in State and local governments; others may work as independent contractors or employees of court reporting agencies
  
• With experience and education, court reporters may advance to administrative and management positions, consulting, or teaching

Personal Qualities and Interests

     You:

• Perform accurate work and pay attention to detail
  
• Have excellent listening skills
  
• Have good English grammar and punctuation skills
  
• Are aware of business practices and current events
  
• Are knowledgeable about computer hardware and software applications
  
• Have an expert knowledge of legal terminology and criminal and appellate procedure (if working in courtroom)

Did you know?

• Demand for realtime and broadcast captioning and translating should result in employment growth of court reporters.

Additional Information

• Occupational Outlook Handbook: http://www.bls.gov/oco
• National Court Reporters Association: http://www.ncraonline.org
  
• United States Court Reporters Association: http://www.uscra.org

  
  

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