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The differences between legal transcriptionists and court reporters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a court reporter has an average salary of $76,080, which is higher than the $48,622 average annual salary of a legal transcriptionist.
The top three skills for a legal transcriptionist include transcription, legal terminology and dictation. The most important skills for a court reporter are transcription, court proceedings, and legal terminology.
| Legal Transcriptionist | Court Reporter | |
| Yearly salary | $48,622 | $76,080 |
| Hourly rate | $23.38 | $36.58 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 6,047 | 2,329 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 46 | 52 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
A legal transcriptionist produces written transcriptions of audio recordings from various legal conversions such as consultations, interviews, and court proceedings. It is their responsibility to deliver accurate transcriptions, from dialogues to gestures and diction. To carry out their duties, they must maintain an active communication line with the employer, keep an eye out for errors and inconsistencies, and organize files accordingly. Moreover, a legal transcriptionist may directly work at government offices and legal firms. They can also work as independent contractors, typically working from home.
A court reporter is primarily in charge of documenting and transcribing court proceedings verbatim, including the speakers' gestures and actions. Their responsibilities include utilizing recording devices such as video equipment and stenography machine, attending hearings and other legal proceedings, coordinating with court staff, and providing different parties with transcriptions, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Furthermore, as a court reporter, it is essential to provide assistance or services to judges by playing records or readings transcripts in meetings upon request.
Legal transcriptionists and court reporters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Legal Transcriptionist | Court Reporter | |
| Average salary | $48,622 | $76,080 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $65,000 | Between $50,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Law360 |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a legal transcriptionist and a court reporter in terms of educational background:
| Legal Transcriptionist | Court Reporter | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Legal Support Services |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Bentley University |
Here are the differences between legal transcriptionists' and court reporters' demographics:
| Legal Transcriptionist | Court Reporter | |
| Average age | 46 | 52 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 6.5% Female, 93.5% | Male, 19.7% Female, 80.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 6.0% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 5.6% Asian, 1.4% White, 85.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 5% |