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The differences between 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 $44,118 average annual salary of a transcriptionist.
The top three skills for a transcriptionist include transcription, patients and dictation. The most important skills for a court reporter are transcription, court proceedings, and legal terminology.
| Transcriptionist | Court Reporter | |
| Yearly salary | $44,118 | $76,080 |
| Hourly rate | $21.21 | $36.58 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 270 | 2,329 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 41 | 52 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A transcriptionist is responsible for listening to audio files and converting them to a written document, following transcribing rules and processes depending on the clients' specifications. Transcriptionists must also have excellent researching skills, especially to understand foreign terminologies and jargon, ensuring the written transcription accuracy. They also review drafts from various speech software to identify inconsistencies and revise speech discrepancies. A transcriptionist must have excellent communication skills, including written and listening mastery and time-management, submitting work on deadlines with the highest efficiency.
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.
Transcriptionists and court reporters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Transcriptionist | Court Reporter | |
| Average salary | $44,118 | $76,080 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $57,000 | 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 transcriptionist and a court reporter in terms of educational background:
| Transcriptionist | Court Reporter | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Legal Support Services |
| Most common college | - | Bentley University |
Here are the differences between transcriptionists' and court reporters' demographics:
| Transcriptionist | Court Reporter | |
| Average age | 41 | 52 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.3% Female, 88.7% | Male, 19.7% Female, 80.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 14.4% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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% |