Court Reporting Work
Court reporters may be employed by court agencies to provide transcription
in court, or they may work as freelancers. In the freelance role, they
may either work for themselves or work for court reporting agencies
as an independent contractor.
In a courtroom situation, they may make suggestions regarding proper
procedure, do research for items in the official record, and assist
in other ways. Importantly, real time reporting has proven beneficial
for the judiciary, and many judges insist that their reporter be real
time capable.
Court reporters are also permitted to work outside the courtroom in
depositions and other situations that require an official legal transcript,
such as arbitration hearings or other formal proceedings. Court reporters
often provide real time transcription for public events, religious services,
webcasts, and educational services.
Retired court reporters and graduates of court reporting schools are
employed by television producers and stations in order to provide real
time closed captioning of live programs for the hearing-impaired.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics had earnings of between
$30,680 and $60,760 for the middle 50% of court reporters. Due to large
backlogs and resultant high overtime pay, salaries can however be much
higher.