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Official court reporter vs caption writer

The differences between official court reporters and caption writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a caption writer has an average salary of $84,808, which is higher than the $68,354 average annual salary of an official court reporter.

The top three skills for an official court reporter include district court, court reporters and transcription. The most important skills for a caption writer are transcription, DVD, and proofread.

Official court reporter vs caption writer overview

Official Court ReporterCaption Writer
Yearly salary$68,354$84,808
Hourly rate$32.86$40.77
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs2,43910,192
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age5252
Years of experience--

Official court reporter vs caption writer salary

Official court reporters and caption writers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Official Court ReporterCaption Writer
Average salary$68,354$84,808
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $114,000Between $57,000 And $125,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CA-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyNew Jersey Courts-
Best paying industryGovernment-

Differences between official court reporter and caption writer education

There are a few differences between an official court reporter and a caption writer in terms of educational background:

Official Court ReporterCaption Writer
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common majorLegal Support ServicesCommunication
Most common collegeBentley UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York

Official court reporter vs caption writer demographics

Here are the differences between official court reporters' and caption writers' demographics:

Official Court ReporterCaption Writer
Average age5252
Gender ratioMale, 17.5% Female, 82.5%Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1%
Race ratioBlack 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%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 Percentage5%5%

Differences between official court reporter and caption writer duties and responsibilities

Official court reporter example responsibilities.

  • Respond to inquiries by phone or person from attorneys/parties to litigation.
  • Obtain proficiency in computer software relating to transcription and word processing.
  • Create verbatim, stenographic record, and produce timely computer-aid transcription of various criminal/civil court proceedings
  • Record depositions covering employment, medical, pharmaceutical, environmental, and business litigation matters.
  • Provide verbatim transcripts of depositions, examinations under oath, and administrative hearings.

Caption writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage projects diligently under aggressive deadlines while maintaining editorial integrity and ensuring stories have entertainment and/or educational value.
  • Create closed captioning and metadata for television programs, involving transcription, formatting, and editing on specialize software.
  • Review and reformat files for DVD and syndication projects; convert tapes into captioning-friendly formats for the staff.
  • Coordinate logistics management for signal elements, including securing training sites, movement of personnel, communications, and equipment.
  • Coordinate efforts between web developers, SharePoint site administrators and product support representatives to build and support an active online community.

Official court reporter vs caption writer skills

Common official court reporter skills
  • District Court, 32%
  • Court Reporters, 12%
  • Transcription, 12%
  • Court Orders, 9%
  • Legal Terminology, 6%
  • Court Sessions, 4%
Common caption writer skills
  • Transcription, 35%
  • DVD, 33%
  • Proofread, 31%