The median annual wage for court reporters was $49,500 in May 2015.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,180, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $90,510.
In May 2015, the median annual wages for court reporters in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
State government, excluding education and hospitals
$53,550
Local government, excluding education and hospitals
52,290
Business support services
42,860
Freelance court reporters are paid for their time, but can also sell their transcripts per page for an additional profit.
Court reporters who work in a court setting typically work full time recording events and preparing transcripts. Freelance reporters have more flexibility in setting their work schedules.
Court Reporters
Median annual wages, May 2015
Legal occupations
$78,170
Court reporters
$49,500
Total, all occupations
$36,200
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics