How To Become A Legal Transcriptionist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a legal transcriptionist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

If you're a fast typist and can exceed the 75 words per minute speed, then listen up because legal transcription might just be right for you. Your role as a legal transcriptionist requires you to listen to audio recordings dictated by legal professionals and transcribe them into documents that may be produced in court. The documents you create, via transcription, include pleadings, legal memorandums, motions, and agreements.

As a legal transcriptionist, you are required to proofread your transcripts so that they are void of grammar-related and spelling errors. Furthermore, as a legal transcriptionist, you are required to organize, file, and keep track of legal documents.

To become a legal transcriptionist, you need to have excellent listening skills because this is the majority of what you will be doing. You need to have excellent writing skills and be able to pinpoint language errors. The comprehension of dictated material requires you to have knowledge of legal jargon. You need to have fast typing skills and be proficient when operating transcribing software. The education you will require to become a legal transcriptionist may either be on-the-job training or short transcription training courses.

ScoreLegal TranscriptionistUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $48,622

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.0

Growth rate 14%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%

Asian 5.98%

Black or African American 9.92%

Hispanic or Latino 16.51%

Unknown 4.90%

White 62.27%

Gender

female 93.55%

male 6.45%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

7.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a legal transcriptionist

Explore legal transcriptionist education requirements

Most common legal transcriptionist degrees

Bachelor's

37.4 %

Associate

34.0 %

High School Diploma

12.5 %

Start to develop specific legal transcriptionist skills

Skills	Percentages
Transcription	26.84%
Legal Terminology	15.46%
Dictation	15.06%
WPM	14.28%
Headphones	13.12%

Complete relevant legal transcriptionist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New legal transcriptionists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a legal transcriptionist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real legal transcriptionist resumes.

Research legal transcriptionist duties and responsibilities

Gather and prepare documents for binders/notebooks for depositions, arbitration, hearings/trial; manage incoming document production mostly for litigation purposes.
Own and operate successful transcription business, transcribing and producing medical reports for workers' compensation doctors.
Train incoming co-op to use SQL for cleaning and processing incoming data files.
Work from home transcribing court proceedings, hearings, examinations under oath, etc.

Prepare your legal transcriptionist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your legal transcriptionist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a legal transcriptionist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable legal transcriptionist resume templates

Build a professional legal transcriptionist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your legal transcriptionist resume.