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According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for well-trained court reporters are projected to be excellent. The increasing demand for individuals trained in broadcast captioning will also help boost this employment growth.

Skilled realtime reporters have many options for their preferred work environment and the chance to do varied work every day. Some of the places you can find realtime reporters include depositions, meetings, in the military, at the Oscars and at behind-the-scenes captioning sports events.

During their education, reporters perfect their skill, speed and accuracy on the stenograph machine. Successful reporters also possess many of these skills:

  • Excellent listening and hearing
  • Good English grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation
  • Knowledge of business practices and current events
  • Ability to spell names of people, places and events that may be mentioned in a broadcast or in court proceedings
  • An understanding of legal terminology and appellate procedure
  • Knowledge of computer hardware and software applications

Court reporters and captioners are rewarded for their expertise with very competitive salaries. Income varies for court reporters from place to place and depending on the type of reporting jobs and the experience of the reporter. For captioners and CART providers, income varies depending on the experience and the hours the captioner is willing to work.

According to the National Court Reporters Association, the average annual income for judicial reporters is about $62,000. Broadcast captioners can receive from $35,000 to $75,000 per year, and CART providers can earn between $35,000 and $65,000 per year.

Links to learn more:

From CNN Money. Surprising 6-figure jobs.

Yahoo Education. Flexible Jobs

The Demand of Court Reporting Jobs is Increasing - ezine article

U.S. News & World Report: Court Reporter as one of the 50 best careers for 2010 with strong growth over the next decade. Learn More!

Best Careers in 2010. View video on FOXDC.com.