Is court reporting a dying career?
Question:
Is court reporting a dying career?
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Answer:
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over the next 10 years the field of court reporting is going to grow approximately 7% which they state is faster than most career fields! The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that the median salary for court reporters as of 2019 was $60,130 per year.
Court reporters are in charge of recording verbatim the day-to-day interactions in court proceedings such as trials, hearings, or depositions. They are in charge of not only recording directly what is said when court is in session, they also must pay attention to the gestures and body language of those who are speaking.
Becoming a court reporter does not require a full 4-year degree. It does, however, require that one attends a specialized training program directly tailored to court reporting where one becomes well versed in legal terminology and proceedings, the use of transcription machines, and how to improve the speed and accuracy of typing.
Most careers in court reporting require that the candidate obtains a certification or license from a professional court reporting association. The type of certification one should obtain depends on the types of court reporting jobs they are looking to be qualified for. Some of these certifying agencies include:
- National Court Reporters Association (NCRA)
- American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT)
- National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA)
For more information on becoming a court reporter check out this article!
