Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
Using stenograph machines, stenomasks, or other computerized recording gear, the work is taking down every word said in court, legislative sessions, committee meetings, or live broadcasts, and speakers may be asked to repeat anything that cannot be heard. After a session, notes are transcribed in a set format, proofread for spelling, and filed with the court clerk; exhibits and shorthand notes are logged and stored, and transcripts go to judges, lawyers, or the public on request. Captioners do the same verbatim capture for television so viewers who are hard of hearing can follow. It suits people who can listen without a break and keep an accurate written record under time pressure.
Typical education: Post-Secondary Certificate (vocational/technical)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$72'420
Median Wage Market Position
$72'420
What you might do
- Record court and meeting proceedings word for word
- Caption broadcasts for deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers
- Transcribe sessions into the required format
- Proofread transcripts for correct spelling
- Ask speakers to clarify inaudible remarks
- File transcripts and store exhibits and notes
Skills that matter
- Proceedings recorded word for word
- Transcripts proofread for correct spelling
- Speakers asked to clarify inaudible remarks
- Live or recorded broadcasts captioned
- Court exhibits logged and stored
- Finished transcripts filed with the clerk
AI & the future of this role
Speech-to-text engines may increasingly capture hearings and broadcasts with less manual keystroking. Certified accuracy, legal admissibility, and managing messy live audio still matter, but routine transcription demand is likely to erode.
Does Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners fit your values?
Take the free LostInCareer assessment to see personalized matches based on your core values—not just a personality label.
Related careers
Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details