Official court reporter vs certified shorthand reporter

The differences between official court reporters and certified shorthand reporters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an official court reporter has an average salary of $68,354, which is higher than the $64,522 average annual salary of a certified shorthand reporter.

The top three skills for an official court reporter include district court, court reporters and transcription. The most important skills for a certified shorthand reporter are medical terminology, district court, and proofread.

Official court reporter vs certified shorthand reporter overview

	Official Court Reporter	Certified Shorthand Reporter
Yearly salary	$68,354	$64,522
Hourly rate	$32.86	$31.02
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	2,439	35,859
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 48%	Associate Degree, 36%
Average age	52	52
Years of experience	-	-

Official court reporter vs certified shorthand reporter salary

Official court reporters and certified shorthand reporters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Official Court Reporter	Certified Shorthand Reporter
Average salary	$68,354	$64,522
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $114,000	Between $45,000 And $92,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	New Jersey Courts	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between official court reporter and certified shorthand reporter education

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

	Official Court Reporter	Certified Shorthand Reporter
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 48%	Associate Degree, 36%
Most common major	Legal Support Services	Legal Support Services
Most common college	Bentley University	Stanford University

Official court reporter vs certified shorthand reporter demographics

Here are the differences between official court reporters' and certified shorthand reporters' demographics:

	Official Court Reporter	Certified Shorthand Reporter
Average age	52	52
Gender ratio	Male, 17.5% Female, 82.5%	Male, 13.7% Female, 86.3%
Race ratio	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%	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	5%	5%

Differences between official court reporter and certified shorthand reporter 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.

Certified shorthand reporter example responsibilities.

Manage client expenses and prepare billing and financial statements using PClaw and reconcile attorney's escrow and general accounts using QuickBooks.
Proofread and prepare transcripts in compliance with California law.
Transcribe depositions into readable form, proofread and forward to attorney for his own review/use.
Prepare deposition transcripts using computer-assist transcription systems.
Obtain and review medical records, draft notices to consumer and deposition subpoenas, and transcribe communications.
Attend seminars to ensure proper CE credits are obtain for state and national certifications.

Official court reporter vs certified shorthand reporter skills

Common official court reporter skills

District Court, 32%
Court Reporters, 12%
Transcription, 12%
Court Orders, 9%
Legal Terminology, 6%
Court Sessions, 4%

Common certified shorthand reporter skills

Medical Terminology, 49%
District Court, 49%
Proofread, 1%
Transcription, 1%
Legal Depositions, 0%
Legal Proceedings, 0%

Official Court Reporter vs. similar jobs

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Official Court Reporter
Official Court Reporter vs Certified Shorthand Reporter

Updated January 8, 2025

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