Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for court reporters and simultaneous captionerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$108,890
- Texas$104,730
- New York$101,280
- Washington$101,110
- Iowa$89,730
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Kentucky$43,840
- Maine$55,950
- Florida$56,850
- Virginia$58,050
- West Virginia$59,610
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $108,890 | $116,020 | $52 | +38.3% | 1,400 |
| 2 | Texas | $104,730 | $110,080 | $50 | +33% | 1,270 |
| 3 | New York | $101,280 | $101,990 | $49 | +28.6% | 1,400 |
| 4 | Washington | $101,110 | $107,670 | $49 | +28.4% | 80 |
| 5 | Iowa | $89,730 | $93,810 | $43 | +13.9% | 160 |
| 6 | Colorado | $86,320 | $83,010 | $42 | +9.6% | 260 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $84,160 | $92,250 | $40 | +6.9% | 60 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $81,290 | $83,680 | $39 | +3.2% | 320 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $76,250 | $73,510 | $37 | -3.2% | 110 |
| 10 | Arizona | $75,720 | $77,770 | $36 | -3.9% | 70 |
| 11 | Nebraska | $75,450 | $76,480 | $36 | -4.2% | 60 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $74,700 | $65,640 | $36 | -5.2% | 60 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $73,870 | $79,940 | $36 | -6.2% | 50 |
| 14 | South Dakota | $73,500 | $75,210 | $35 | -6.7% | 40 |
| 15 | Illinois | $73,260 | $75,890 | $35 | -7% | 770 |
| 16 | Ohio | $70,870 | $67,330 | $34 | -10% | 340 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $70,670 | $70,540 | $34 | -10.3% | 60 |
| 18 | Missouri | $70,580 | $72,500 | $34 | -10.4% | 270 |
| 19 | Idaho | $68,500 | $69,330 | $33 | -13% | 40 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $66,630 | $65,100 | $32 | -15.4% | 670 |
| 21 | Nevada | $64,810 | $62,030 | $31 | -17.7% | 70 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $64,730 | $67,300 | $31 | -17.8% | 40 |
| 23 | Montana | $64,270 | $62,730 | $31 | -18.4% | 50 |
| 24 | Alabama | $63,580 | $67,340 | $31 | -19.3% | 350 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $62,300 | $63,380 | $30 | -20.9% | 270 |
| 26 | Arkansas | $62,140 | $59,180 | $30 | -21.1% | 130 |
| 27 | Maryland | $61,460 | $59,300 | $30 | -22% | — |
| 28 | South Carolina | $61,460 | $61,100 | $30 | -22% | 140 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $61,410 | $59,390 | $30 | -22% | 210 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $60,520 | $60,800 | $29 | -23.2% | 180 |
| 31 | Michigan | $60,050 | $61,600 | $29 | -23.8% | 260 |
| 32 | Indiana | $59,850 | $54,740 | $29 | -24% | 890 |
| 33 | Delaware | $59,760 | $44,760 | $29 | -24.1% | 40 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $59,610 | $56,790 | $29 | -24.3% | 90 |
| 35 | Virginia | $58,050 | $55,210 | $28 | -26.3% | 320 |
| 36 | Florida | $56,850 | $49,240 | $27 | -27.8% | 1,110 |
| 37 | Maine | $55,950 | $49,110 | $27 | -29% | 30 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $43,840 | $50,350 | $21 | -44.3% | 80 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 76 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $143,170 | $128,960 | 50 |
| 2 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $138,340 | $123,680 | 30 |
| 3 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $133,900 | $122,540 | 230 |
| 4 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $130,730 | $114,230 | 130 |
| 5 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $129,380 | $110,490 | 260 |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $129,270 | $120,200 | 260 |
| 7 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $125,970 | $109,410 | 220 |
| 8 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $123,900 | $100,140 | 150 |
| 9 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $123,230 | $104,720 | 110 |
| 10 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $118,200 | $109,560 | 110 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing court reporters and simultaneous captionerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $110,690 | $89,450 | 80 |
| 2 | Legal Services | $110,690 | $90,510 | 70 |
| 3 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $110,690 | $89,450 | 80 |
| 4 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $78,430 | $84,950 | 8,530 |
| 5 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $78,430 | $84,910 | 8,590 |
| 6 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $78,430 | $85,810 | 4,710 |
| 7 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $78,430 | $85,700 | 4,730 |
| 8 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $78,430 | $84,950 | 8,530 |
| 9 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $78,300 | $83,960 | 3,790 |
| 10 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $78,300 | $84,000 | 3,810 |
| 11 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $75,360 | $75,780 | 40 |
| 12 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $75,360 | $76,020 | 40 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do court reporters and simultaneous captioners make in the U.S.?
The median court reporters and simultaneous captioners salary in the United States is $72,420 per year (mean $78,760), and about 80% earn between $42,130 and $130,560.
How much do court reporters and simultaneous captioners make per hour?
Roughly $38 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $78,760 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays court reporters and simultaneous captioners the most?
California has the highest average pay for court reporters and simultaneous captioners at $108,890 per year (median $116,020).
What is the job outlook for court reporters and simultaneous captioners?
Employment is projected to change -0.3% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 1,700 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.