How to hire a court reporter

How to hire a court reporter, step by step

Here's a step-by-step court reporter hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a court reporter job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new court reporter
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a court reporter do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the court reporter you need to hire. Certain court reporter roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a court reporter to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a court reporter that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of court reporter salaries for various roles:

   Type of Court Reporter	Description	Hourly rate
   Court Reporter	Court reporters create word-for-word transcriptions at trials, depositions, and other legal proceedings. Some court reporters provide captioning for television and real-time translation for deaf or hard-of-hearing people at public events, in business meetings, or in classrooms.	$24-54
   Reporter	In journalism, a reporter is responsible for relaying truthful and reliable information to the public audience through various mediums such as print and media. A reporter must ensure to gather necessary and factual data that are supported by interviews and comments of those involved, remain unbiased in all aspects, produce a concise and comprehensive informational material within an allotted time, and efficiently coordinate with every staff... Show more	$13-35
   Official Court Reporter	A Court Reporter is engaged to provide official transcripts of meetings such as hearings, trials, legal proceedings, and any other legislative nature. The transcripts are, in most cases, used for reference... Show more	$19-54

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Transcription
   • Court Proceedings
   • Legal Terminology
   • District Court
   • Technical Terminology
   • Litigation
   • Legal Proceedings
   • Courtroom Proceedings
   • Court Sessions
   • Medical Terminology
   • Office Equipment
   • Court Hearings
   • WPM
   • Transcribing

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Commission as a public notary to administer the oath.
   • Attend depositions or court proceedings and taking dictation verbatim; provide transcription of proceedings; coordination of exhibits for depositions
   • Report, proofread and produce computer transcripts of medical malpractice, product liability, personal injury and divorce litigation.
   • Produce official transcripts, appeals and expedite transcripts.
   • Perform notary public duties and swear in say witnesses.
   • Assist in deployment of company FTP to allow co-workers to upload files.

   More court reporter duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your court reporter job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A court reporter salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a court reporter in Alabama may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level court reporter usually earns less than a senior-level court reporter. Additionally, a court reporter with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average court reporter salary

   $76,080yearly

   $36.58 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level court reporter salary

   $50,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average court reporter salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$106,111	$51
   2	New York	$99,172	$48
   3	District of Columbia	$96,555	$46
   4	Nevada	$91,214	$44
   5	Massachusetts	$89,248	$43
   6	Texas	$87,478	$42
   7	North Dakota	$80,915	$39
   8	Louisiana	$79,067	$38
   9	Montana	$78,642	$38
   10	Mississippi	$78,329	$38
   11	South Carolina	$77,880	$37
   12	South Dakota	$77,662	$37
   13	Washington	$75,927	$37
   14	North Carolina	$72,726	$35
   15	Oklahoma	$71,897	$35
   16	Idaho	$71,517	$34
   17	Georgia	$71,169	$34
   18	Minnesota	$70,092	$34
   19	Indiana	$64,860	$31
   20	Florida	$64,803	$31

   Average court reporter salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Law360	$105,136	$50.55	2
   2	United States Courts	$86,041	$41.37	24
   3	New Jersey Courts	$84,974	$40.85
   4	Delaware State Government	$81,289	$39.08	3
   5	Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County	$80,444	$38.67
   6	RELX	$76,557	$36.81	6
   7	Minnesota Judicial Branch	$75,302	$36.20	17
   8	Superior Court Of California	$73,834	$35.50	5
   9	Capital City Press, L.L.C.	$73,180	$35.18	7
   10	McLennan County	$72,470	$34.84	1
   11	Travis County	$71,602	$34.42	2
   12	COUNTY OF MERCED	$68,687	$33.02
   13	My Florida Regional Mls	$68,169	$32.77
   14	Superior Court of Fulton County	$66,954	$32.19	2
   15	SHASTA COUNTY	$56,555	$27.19
   16	State Of South Dakota	$56,524	$27.18	5
   17	State of Rhode Island	$54,226	$26.07
   18	Florida Department of Transportation	$53,148	$25.55
   19	State Of Idaho	$52,798	$25.38
   20	State Of Florida	$52,411	$25.20	25

4. Writing a court reporter job description

   A court reporter job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a court reporter job description:

   Court reporter job description example

   The Courts Reporter will cover stories and breaking news by cultivating diverse sources and help build diverse audiences, working closely with editors to monitor metrics and apply the data to help inform coverage as we serve our loyal subscribers, seek new subscribers and strive to better understand key audiences and topics. The beat encompasses Suffolk-based courts, both state and federal, and the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. Beat coverage includes court cases of major community interest and impact, the DA's work and public safety issues that arise in state and federal courts. This reporter also is responsible for daily and weekend enterprise.
   Essential Duties & Functions
   Find “Cover” stories and report on breaking news in relation to the assignment/beat.Use social media to find sources and stories to supplement our reporting and to communicate about the topic areas they cover.Alternative storytelling and visual storytelling - collaborating with our teams, including on Newsday TV coverage - are key growth areas, and reporters need to continue to develop skills in these areas.
   
   Essential Job Knowledge & Skills
   Experience covering breaking news on deadline is a plus.Demonstrated the ability to break news, file quickly and accurately for all our platforms, meet tight deadlines, juggle more than one story at a time, cultivate sources, understand the importance of data-driven reporting and produce high-profile enterprise stories.A self-starter who can bring a creative approach to covering the news.Comfortable and proficient using social media, smartphone photo and video and other media platforms to report and tell stories.
   Ability to write in an engaging manner is essential.Attention to detail is required.Ability and willingness to collaborate and build a rapport with others.Ability to find fresh story angles and write concise, lively copy in keeping with Newsday's tone and format.
   Proficiency shooting iPhone photos and videos is a necessary skill.Strong organization and time management skills.Ability to prioritize and handle multiple assignments simultaneously while meeting aggressive deadlines.Excellent verbal and written communication skills required.Ability to work a flexible and varied schedule to include weekends, holidays and extended hours as needed to support business needs.
   
   Physical Requirements
   Ability to travel throughout Long Island as related to the assignment being covered. Driver's license in good standing and reliable means of transportation are required The Company requires that the successful candidate hired for this position be fully-vaccinated for COVID-19, absent being granted an accommodation due to medical, pregnancy, or sincerely held religious belief or other legally required exemption. If you are selected for this position, you will be asked if you are able to meet the requirement.
   
   Newsday Media Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer and maintains a drug-free and smoke-free workplace. In addition, Newsday Media Group provides a reasonable accommodation for applicants/incumbents with disabilities.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right court reporter for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your court reporter job on Zippia to find and recruit court reporter candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit court reporters, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new court reporter

   Once you've selected the best court reporter candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new court reporter. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a court reporter?