Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
Use verbatim methods and equipment to capture, store, retrieve, and transcribe pretrial and trial proceedings or other information. Includes stenocaptioners who operate computerized stenographic captioning equipment to provide captions of live or prerecorded broadcasts for hearing-impaired viewers.
Court reporters and simultaneous captioners use verbatim methods and equipment to capture, store, retrieve, and transcribe pretrial and trial proceedings or other information. The role reports a median annual salary of $67,310 in the US and is projected to decline by 30% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a Postsecondary nondegree award, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.68 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Writing, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Monitoring.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £34,954 a year for Personal assistants and other secretaries (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £28,565 to £43,903 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 4215). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- English Language
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
- Law and Government
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Communications and Media
- Public Safety and Security
A day in the life
You arrive at court early, set up your recording machine and laptop, and test the microphones before the judge enters. Once the hearing starts you capture every word spoken by lawyers, witnesses and the judge, keeping pace even when people talk quickly or over one another. When a witness mumbles, you politely ask for the statement to be repeated so the record stays accurate. You also log each exhibit as it is introduced. During a break you check your notes for names and technical terms you will need to confirm. In the afternoon, back at your desk, you turn the day's notes into a clean transcript in the required format, proofreading carefully for spelling and punctuation. A lawyer requests an urgent copy, so you prioritise that section. The concentration is intense and the hours can be long, but knowing the official record depends on your accuracy gives the work real importance.
In India: In India this work is usually done by court stenographers, who take dictation of orders and judgments from judges and prepare typed records, rather than recording every spoken word verbatim.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Court reporters and simultaneous captioners do?
Use verbatim methods and equipment to capture, store, retrieve, and transcribe pretrial and trial proceedings or other information. Includes stenocaptioners who operate computerized stenographic captioning equipment to provide captions of live or prerecorded broadcasts for hearing-impaired viewers.
What does a typical day look like in Court reporters and simultaneous captioners?
You arrive at court early, set up your recording machine and laptop, and test the microphones before the judge enters. Once the hearing starts you capture every word spoken by lawyers, witnesses and the judge, keeping pace even when people talk quickly or over one another. When a witness mumbles, you politely ask for the statement to be repeated so the record stays accurate. You also log each exhibit as it is introduced.
How much does Court reporters and simultaneous captioners earn?
The median annual salary for Court reporters and simultaneous captioners in the US is $67,310.
What is the job outlook for Court reporters and simultaneous captioners?
The role is projected to decline by 30% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 17,700 workers.
How do I become court reporters and simultaneous captioners?
The typical entry education is a Postsecondary nondegree award. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Court reporters and simultaneous captioners need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Writing, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Monitoring, Time Management. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Court reporters and simultaneous captioners?
Our AI-durability model gives Court reporters and simultaneous captioners a score of 0.68 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Court reporters and simultaneous captioners has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.