BLS court reporter and captioner pay by state and level, court vs agency pay, freelance comparisons and take-home after 2026 tax
Court reporters and simultaneous captioners on payrolls earned a median of $72,420 a year in May 2025 ($34.82 an hour), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 12,870. The bottom tenth earned under $42,130 and the top tenth over $130,560. Freelance reporters, a third of the occupation, aren't included.
This is the BLS line for court reporters and simultaneous captioners (SOC 27-3092) on employers' payrolls. The third of the occupation that freelances is not counted, so these figures describe staff reporters at courts, legislatures and agencies, not per-page freelance income. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20.26 | $42,130 | $3,511 | $36,031 |
| 25th percentile | $25.85 | $53,760 | $4,480 | $45,376 |
| Median | $34.82 | $72,420 | $6,035 | $59,777 |
| 75th percentile | $48.45 | $100,780 | $8,398 | $79,729 |
| 90th percentile | $62.77 | $130,560 | $10,880 | $100,504 |
California ($116,020) and Texas ($110,080) are at the top, and together with New York ($101,990) employ the most staff reporters. Washington is third at $107,670. Florida is the outlier: 1,110 reporters at a median of $49,240, among the lowest in the country, with Delaware ($44,760) last. BLS released figures for 38 states.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $55.78 | $116,020 | 1,400 |
| Texas | $52.92 | $110,080 | 1,270 |
| Washington | $51.77 | $107,670 | 80 |
| New York | $49.03 | $101,990 | 1,400 |
| Iowa | $45.10 | $93,810 | 160 |
| Rhode Island | $44.35 | $92,250 | 60 |
| Minnesota | $40.23 | $83,680 | 320 |
| Colorado | $39.91 | $83,010 | 260 |
| Massachusetts | $38.44 | $79,940 | 50 |
| Arizona | $37.39 | $77,770 | 70 |
| Nebraska | $36.77 | $76,480 | 60 |
| Illinois | $36.48 | $75,890 | 770 |
| South Dakota | $36.16 | $75,210 | 40 |
| North Carolina | $35.34 | $73,510 | 110 |
| Missouri | $34.86 | $72,500 | 270 |
| North Dakota | $33.91 | $70,540 | 60 |
| Idaho | $33.33 | $69,330 | 40 |
| Alabama | $32.37 | $67,340 | 350 |
| Ohio | $32.37 | $67,330 | 340 |
| Mississippi | $32.36 | $67,300 | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $31.56 | $65,640 | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $31.30 | $65,100 | 670 |
| Louisiana | $30.47 | $63,380 | 270 |
| Montana | $30.16 | $62,730 | 50 |
| Nevada | $29.82 | $62,030 | 70 |
| Michigan | $29.62 | $61,600 | 260 |
| South Carolina | $29.38 | $61,100 | 140 |
| Oklahoma | $29.23 | $60,800 | 180 |
| Connecticut | $28.55 | $59,390 | 210 |
| Maryland | $28.51 | $59,300 | — |
| Arkansas | $28.45 | $59,180 | 130 |
| West Virginia | $27.30 | $56,790 | 90 |
| Virginia | $26.54 | $55,210 | 320 |
| Indiana | $26.32 | $54,740 | 890 |
| Kentucky | $24.21 | $50,350 | 80 |
| Florida | $23.68 | $49,240 | 1,110 |
| Maine | $23.61 | $49,110 | 30 |
| Delaware | $21.52 | $44,760 | 40 |
Local ($78,430) and state ($78,300) governments — the courts — pay almost the same, both well above business support services such as court reporting agencies ($58,760) (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | $78,430 |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | $78,300 |
| Business support services | $58,760 |
Court reporters and captioners in legal settings or offices typically work full time recording proceedings and preparing transcripts; freelance reporters have more flexible schedules. Local governments employ 24%, state governments 20% and business support services 19%, while 33% are self-employed, hired by law firms and corporations for depositions as needed. Captioners may work remotely (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
Employed court reporters paid by the hour are owed time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek (U.S. Department of Labor). Freelancers aren't employees, so no overtime applies: the OOH says they typically charge an hourly rate and may sell additional transcript copies at a set price per page, and none of that is in the BLS figures here.
Many court reporters complete a certificate or associate's program at a community college or technical institute, typically taking 2 or 3 years, covering English grammar, phonetics, legal procedure and terminology, and stenotype or steno-mask equipment. Many states require a license or a professional association's certification, usually a written test plus a speed and accuracy skills test, then on-the-job training on equipment and terminology (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
More ways to work with your court reporter pay:
$72,420 a year ($34.82 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $53,760 to $100,780.
California ($55.78 an hour, $116,020 a year), then Texas and Washington; Delaware pays least among the 38 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
Yes, on BLS figures: local and state government reporters have nearly the same median, both well above business support services, which includes court reporting agencies. Freelance income isn't in these numbers.
The OOH says freelance reporters and captioners typically charge an hourly rate, and court reporters may also sell additional copies of the transcript at a set price per page. BLS surveys employees only, so it publishes no freelance figure.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.