Court reporting is a challenging and engaging field of work. The clients and cases are always changing, so you never have a chance to get bored. You can also derive a lot of satisfaction from knowing you are contributing to your community in meaningful ways.
For someone willing to learn the right skills, court reporting can be a very lucrative career. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average voice writing court reporting salary is $64,990 per year. That averages out to $31.25 per hour — and it gets better. The top ten percent of earners in the court reporting profession earn an average of $106,210 annually!
What Industries Offer the Best Voice Writing Court Reporting Salary?
Obviously, most court reporters work in the official court system. The skills you learn as a voice writer, however, apply to any industry that benefits from verbatim records and realtime captioning. Legal depositions, captioning for large conferences or assembly meetings, government gatherings like the United Nations, or realtime captioning of any number of events for the hearing impaired all require voice writers. There are many different career paths you can take with your voice writing and verbatim recording skills.
Different specialties and career paths help you develop unique skill sets to grow your client base. As you master your skill set, you will notice a steep increase in what your clients are willing to pay for your services. Many talented senior voice writers make upwards of $80,000 a year, and the top performers earn over $100,000.
Even when you are just starting out, you can count on a comfortable income. An entry-level realtime captioner salary is well above the national average. One of the best things about being a voice reporter is that your earning potential is limited only by your experience and ability to specialize — and there is always room to grow.
If you are looking for high-paying work outside of court reporting, consider getting your Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) certification or taking work in the broadcast captioning field for experience. Any way you can enhance your resumé and expand your knowledge will help you achieve lofty financial goals.
Voice Writing Court Reporting Salary for Private vs Contract Employees
If you prefer the stability and employer-covered benefits of a full-time job, you can make excellent money working as an employee of local, state, or federal court systems, individual law firms, broadcasting companies; or private schools or businesses.
Many court reporters end up working as contractors because of the flexible hours and the ability to charge by the project. You can go out on your own as a contractor, or you can join a contracting service firm. A contracting service firm is an excellent way to improve your skills and learn on the job with support before you attempt to go completely out on your own.
Top Paying Industries for Court Reporters
The average annual salaries of voice writers working in the top-paying industries are:
- State Government: $71,670;
- Local Government: $65,870;
- Federal Government: $59,920; and
- Business Support Services $52,000.
All job searches have become highly competitive, but a limited number of trained and certified voice writers exists in most states. Voice writing is not an incredibly well-known profession, which makes now the perfect time to start your education. You can finish your courses, get certified, and be ready to work in as little as six months!
What Is The Average Voice Writing Court Reporting Salary in My State?
The following list of the average voice writing court reporting salary in each state is based on the numbers compiled in May 2019 by the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data does not represent starting salaries and excludes the top ten percent of earners to avoid skewing data.
- Alabama: $44,660 – $56,240
- Arizona: $62,160 – $78,340
- Arkansas: $48,910 – $65,120
- California: $90,710 – $125,580
- Colorado: $67,490 – $95,360
- Connecticut: $55,930 – $68,970
- Delaware: $ 67,500- $79,230
- Florida: $38,650 – $94,930
- Georgia: $38,760 – $93,160
- Idaho: $57,020 – $57,030
- Illinois: $63,650 – $101,160
- Indiana: $38,620 – $50,390
- Iowa: $77,920 – $77,930
- Kansas: $53,270 – $58,280
- Louisiana: $50,070 – $64,180
- Maine: $72,970 – $80,780
- Maryland: $52,460 – $82,020
- Massachusetts: $84,700 – $99,880
- Michigan: $55,920 – $95,240
- Minnesota: $76,480 – $76,500
- Missouri: $55,730 – $62,090
- Montana: $48,120 – $59,910
- New Jersey: $60,510 – $98,180
- New Mexico: $58,760 – $87,060
- New York: $102,980 – $125,270
- North Carolina: $59,410 – $77,300
- North Dakota: $52,460 – $77,860
- Ohio: $51,440 – $77,460
- Oregon: $46,510 – $51,540
- Pennsylvania: $53,600 – $76,980
- South Dakota: $54,710 – $62,080
- Texas: $65,380 – $116,160
- Virginia: $48,040 – $63,260
- Washington: $80,210 – $105,370
- Wisconsin: $56,990 – $91,030
A Proven Voice Court Reporting Online School
The International Realtime Court Reporting Institute has been training realtime voice writers since 2005. Our comprehensive, easy-to-understand courses are designed to be worked at your own pace. Our students generally graduate within one year, but our flexible, self-guided syllabus means you can finish in as little as six months! Our instructors are well-known in their field and have been certified court reporters for decades.
For More Information
If you want to learn how to become a voice writer, contact the IR Court Reporting Institute online or call us at (501) 823-9179. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about enrollment, coursework, or certification. Our mission is to help qualify our students for high-paying, long-term, in-demand careers and provide the opportunity to live and work on completely individualized schedules.
