Court Reporter Salary
The average salary for a court reporter in the U.S. is about $61,660 per year.
$31,600 (low 10%)
$61,660 (median)
$109,240 (top 90%)
Court reporters earn an average of $61,660 per year according to the bls.gov.
The range in pay goes from $31,600 to $109,240 per year.
| Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| 10% | $32,900 |
| 25% | $43,730 |
| 50% | $61,660 |
| 75% | $88,420 |
| 90% | $109,240 |
How much does a court reporter make?
The average salary for a court reporter is around $61,660 per year or $29.64 per hour. If you have the talent and skills to become a court reporter, this can be an amazing career path to take.
You’ll need at least an associate degree from a community college or technical school in order to get your certification as a professional legal stenographer. As long as you work hard and stay dedicated, there’s no reason why you can’t make it big in this industry!
The range in pay goes from about $31,000 per year (or $15.19 per hour) up to $109,000 per year (or $52.52 per hour) so the pay range is massive. Pay rates vary depending on factors such as geographical location and industry.
Top paying industries for court reporters
Court reporter salaries vary depending on the industry, but there are certain industries that consistently offer higher pay than others. The highest paying industry for court reporters includes colleges, universities, and professional schools. This is likely where a court reporter is training others to learn the skills necessary to become a court reporter. This industry pays an average annual wage of $107,050 per year.
The second and third top-paying industries for court reporters are state and local government, excluding schools and hospitals. There, court reporters typically earn between $70,000 and $74,000 per year. Take a look at the table below for more information on top-paying industries in court reporting.
| Industry | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| Colleges, universities & professional schools | $107,050 |
| State government, excluding schools & hospitals | $74,520 |
| Local government, excluding schools & hospitals | $70,020 |
| Federal executive branch | $63,340 |
| Junior colleges | $60,080 |
Top paying cities for court reporters
If you are a court reporter, chances are there is a high demand for your services. That being said, there are cities that offer higher pay than other areas of the country. We put together a list of the top 5 paying cities for court reporters here.
The top-paying city for court reporters is San Francisco, CA, and the surrounding area. This city pays $118,300 per year on average which is much higher than the average court reporter salary of $61,660 per year. Riverside, CA is the second city on the list. Court reporters in Riverside typically earn $109,600 per year which is still over $40,000 more per year than the typical court reporter.
See the table for more on the top-paying cities for court reporters.
| City | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| San Francisco region, CA | $118,300 |
| Riverside region, CA | $109,600 |
| Dallas region, TX | $92,150 |
| Seattle region, WA | $91,860 |
| New York region, NY | $91,560 |
Court reporter salaries by state
The top-paying states for court reporters are New York, California, Washington, Texas, and New Jersey. These states pay much more than the average salary for court reporters with New York court reporters earning $96,640 annually. The average salary nationwide is $61,660 per year so that is about $35,000 more per year!
California court reporters earn around $89,120 per year, while those in Washington earn around $85,000 per year. Both significant increases over the average salary. Take a look at the table below to see the rest of the top paying states for court reporters.
| State | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| New York | $96,640 |
| California | $89,120 |
| Washington | $85,000 |
| Texas | $82,870 |
| New Jersey | $81,570 |
How do court reporter salaries compare to related careers?
How do court reporter salaries compare to related careers? The average salary for court reporters is reported as $61,660. It is one of the highest-paying careers in comparison to similar professions which includes interpreters and translators. This career pays an average of $52,330 per year which is about $9,000 less per year than court reporters.
Other careers on this list pay even less. These include medical transcriptionists ($35,270 per year), information clerks ($36,920 per year), and secretaries/administrative assistants ($40,990). Of these careers, court reporters are paid the highest. In comparison, it seems well worth it to gain the education necessary to become a court reporter.
| Career | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| Court reporters | $61,660 |
| Interpreters & translators | $52,330 |
| Medical transcriptionists | $35,270 |
| Information clerks | $36,920 |
| Secretaries & administrative assistants | $40,990 |