What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners in the U.S. earn more than $72,420 a year — the middle 80% land between $42,130 and $130,560. About 12,870 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$72,420typical pay / year
12,870people in this work
$130,560+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Keeping the record5
Transcribe pretrial and trial proceedings
+Transcribe the full pretrial and trial proceedings from today’s audio into a verbatim transcript, mark…
Transcribe pretrial and trial proceedings
+Transcribe the full pretrial and trial proceedings from today’s audio into a verbatim transcript, mark speaker changes and timestamps every five minutes, flag unclear passages for follow-up, and deliver the draft to the case file by close of business Friday.
The tools that do the workAudioScribe SpeechCATjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Transcribe the hearings in court
+Transcribe the hearing record verbatim from the courtroom feed, identify and label each speaker, insert…
Transcribe the hearings in court
+Transcribe the hearing record verbatim from the courtroom feed, identify and label each speaker, insert timecodes at the start of each new speaker, and upload the ready-for-proof transcript to the docket before the end of the day.
The tools that do the workCheetah International SmartCATESCOjob descriptionsO*NET
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Proofread transcripts for correct spelling
+Proofread the completed transcript for spelling, speaker names, legal terms, and exhibit references, correct…
Proofread transcripts for correct spelling
+Proofread the completed transcript for spelling, speaker names, legal terms, and exhibit references, correct errors, run a final spellcheck pass, and save the cleaned file as final-ready in the case folder by 10 a.m. tomorrow.
The tools that do the workCorel WordPerfect Officejob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements
+Approach each speaker during the break to ask them to repeat or clarify any inaudible or garbled statements…
Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements
+Approach each speaker during the break to ask them to repeat or clarify any inaudible or garbled statements noted in the transcript, record their exact phrasing, and append the confirmed text to the transcript with a verification note.
The tools that do the workAdvantage Software Total Eclipsejob descriptionsO*NET
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Attend depositions, hearings, proceedings, and other events
+Cover today’s deposition, hearing, and proceedings on the calendar, produce realtime captioning as events…
Attend depositions, hearings, proceedings, and other events
+Cover today’s deposition, hearing, and proceedings on the calendar, produce realtime captioning as events unfold, note any audio issues or witness name discrepancies, and upload time-stamped raw files and the draft transcript to the client folder by end of day.
The tools that do the workAcclaim Legal Acclaim DepoManagejob descriptionsWikipedia
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The daily work15
Type court orders for judges.
+Type the judge’s signed court order exactly as handwritten into a clean, proofed final order ready for…
Type court orders for judges.
+Type the judge’s signed court order exactly as handwritten into a clean, proofed final order ready for filing, preserve all docket numbers and signatures, run a quick read-aloud check, and save the PDF to the case folder by 3pm today.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordO*NET
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Operate stenocaptioning equipment for live or prerecorded broadcasts
+Operate the captioning rig for the live hearing: verbatim realtime captions for the two-hour prerecorded…
Operate stenocaptioning equipment for live or prerecorded broadcasts
+Operate the captioning rig for the live hearing: verbatim realtime captions for the two-hour prerecorded segment, monitor audio levels and latency, correct any miskeys on the fly, and deliver the timed caption file and log to the producer immediately after broadcast.
The tools that do the workAudioScribe SpeechCATjob descriptions
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Certify transcripts as accurate and verbatim accounts
+Certify the transcript of yesterday’s deposition as a true and verbatim record: compare stenotype notes to…
Certify transcripts as accurate and verbatim accounts
+Certify the transcript of yesterday’s deposition as a true and verbatim record: compare stenotype notes to the draft, mark and correct discrepancies, date and sign the certificate, and place the certified transcript in the secure delivery queue by close of business.
The tools that do the workAdvantage Software Total EclipseWikipedia
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Administer oaths to witnesses (if authorized as a notary)
+Administer the oath to the witness on the record at 10:30 and note the jurat verbatim in the transcript,…
Administer oaths to witnesses (if authorized as a notary)
+Administer the oath to the witness on the record at 10:30 and note the jurat verbatim in the transcript, confirm the witness name and spelling, record the notary certificate details, and file the notarial page with the sealed transcript copy within 24 hours.
The tools that do the workCorel WordPerfect OfficeWikipedia
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Maintain certification and licensure through relevant associations
+Update my certification and license records: assemble current CE certificates, complete the renewal form,…
Maintain certification and licensure through relevant associations
+Update my certification and license records: assemble current CE certificates, complete the renewal form, attach proof of testing hours and payment receipt, and submit the renewal packet to the state association before the month-end deadline.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordWikipedia
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Type in word processors or other software
+Type the cleaned transcript into a final word-processed file using verbatim formatting, apply standard…
Type in word processors or other software
+Type the cleaned transcript into a final word-processed file using verbatim formatting, apply standard punctuation and speaker IDs, run spellcheck and a readback pass, then export a PDF and upload the signed copy to the client folder by noon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordESCO
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Record court procedures
+Record the judge's rulings, witness testimony, objections and bench conferences verbatim into the transcript…
Record court procedures
+Record the judge's rulings, witness testimony, objections and bench conferences verbatim into the transcript while time-stamping each entry to the audio, flag unclear audio for review, and deliver the draft transcript to the court clerk by 5pm today.
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Court procedures
+Live-caption the entire morning court calendar, include speaker IDs for judge, attorneys and witnesses, mark…
Court procedures
+Live-caption the entire morning court calendar, include speaker IDs for judge, attorneys and witnesses, mark exhibits and procedural pauses, and upload the synchronized caption file to the clerk and broadcast vendor before the noon recess.
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Type error-free documents
+Produce an error-free, formatted transcript of yesterday's hearing: correct stenotype expansions, fix grammar…
Type error-free documents
+Produce an error-free, formatted transcript of yesterday's hearing: correct stenotype expansions, fix grammar and punctuation, reconcile inaudible marks against the recording, and deliver the proofed transcript to the court reporter and case attorney by 3pm.
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Issue the official hearings of the legal case
+Issue the official hearing transcript for State v. Ramirez: assemble the certified verbatim file, attach the…
Issue the official hearings of the legal case
+Issue the official hearing transcript for State v. Ramirez: assemble the certified verbatim file, attach the index and exhibit list, set the filing date as next Thursday, and send the package to the court clerk and to Deputy Clerk Marla Reed for signature confirmation.
The tools that do the workCourtpagesESCO
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Use free typing techniques
+Practice ninety minutes of free‑typing drills using plain English passages, focus on maintaining 95wpm…
Use free typing techniques
+Practice ninety minutes of free‑typing drills using plain English passages, focus on maintaining 95wpm accuracy without steno briefs, then save the session log and send my error report to mentor Jason Holt before Friday.
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Transcription methods
+Create a one‑page guide of my preferred transcription methods for depositions: realtime punctuation rules,…
Transcription methods
+Create a one‑page guide of my preferred transcription methods for depositions: realtime punctuation rules, speaker ID conventions, and common edit workflows, then circulate it to reporter team and post to the shared drive by Tuesday noon.
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Use stenotype machines
+Schedule a two‑hour stenotype practice block on Wednesday evening to work briefs and speed drills on case…
Use stenotype machines
+Schedule a two‑hour stenotype practice block on Wednesday evening to work briefs and speed drills on case vocabulary, log mileage and accuracy, then upload the training file and note any troublesome briefs for review with mentor Alana.
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Digitise documents
+Digitise the set of five hearing exhibits: scan each at 300dpi, run OCR, correct misreads on exhibits 2 and…
Digitise documents
+Digitise the set of five hearing exhibits: scan each at 300dpi, run OCR, correct misreads on exhibits 2 and 4, assemble a searchable PDF bundle named Ramirez Exhibits, and deliver to counsel and the filing queue by end of day Thursday.
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Legal terminology
+Compile a two‑page legal terminology cheat sheet for court sessions: include common courtroom phrases,…
Legal terminology
+Compile a two‑page legal terminology cheat sheet for court sessions: include common courtroom phrases, objection language, and accurate spellings of names in the Rivera case, then circulate to the captioning team and attach to the Rivera job folder.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses