Starting Salary of a Court Reporter

Court reporters are the professionals responsible for transcribing all conversations in legal proceedings that take place in court or other locations. Keeping a verbatim record ensures that all parties involved in legal proceedings have access to an accurate legal record. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most court reporters work in government positions.

Starting Salary

• The starting salary of a court reporter ranges from $35,294 to $55,955 as of 2010, according to a PayScale survey of 225 court reporters. The survey data also shows that income grows along with years of experience in court reporting. For example, court reporters with one to nine years of experience make between $36,174 and $56,534. Those with 10 to 19 years of experience can expect to make between $41,039 and $78,788 and from $44,890 to $80,625 if they have at least 20 years of experience.

Overall Salary Figures

• Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that the median annual salary of a court reporter was $49,710 in 2008. Nationally, the lowest earning 10 percent of court reporters earned under $25,360 while the highest earning 10 percent earned over $83,500. The middle 50 percent of court reporters earned between $35,390 and $67,430 annually.

Industry

• Nationwide, there are also differences in earnings between court reporters working in various industries. BLS data from December 2009 indicates that court reporters in local government made $51,150 while court reporters in business services made $44,670. An October 2010 PayScale survey of 223 court reporters indicates that self-employed court reporters make from $47,417 to $73,398. Court reporters working for a legal firm or private practice earn between $36,303 and $67,428.

Additional Compensation

• In addition to salary, some court reporters also collect compensation from bonuses and commissions. PayScale data from October 2010 shows that in a survey of 264 court reporters, compensation from bonuses starts at $509 and can be as high as $7,500 annually. Furthermore, some court reporters receive compensation from commissions, which can accounts for $3,561 to $47,166 annually.

Location

• Starting salaries are also affected by location. An October 2010 PayScale survey of 225 court reporters indicates that San Diego has the highest starting salaries for court reporters. According to the survey, court reporters in San Diego make between $68,784 and $98,207 annually. The data also indicates that San Francisco has the second-highest salaries for court reporters, which ranges from $55,463 to $122,084. The lowest starting salaries for court reporters are in Los Angeles and Atlanta. Court reporters in Los Angeles start at $36,000 but can make as much as $82,938. In Atlanta, court reporters start at $46,661 and can make as much as $51,395.