Explore
Legal transcription & captioning
Court Reporter
A skill almost nobody has anymore, and a shortage that keeps growing.
Typical pay
$60k-$120k
How you get in
Stenography program, 2-4 years, plus certification
Outlook
Strong; the shortage is well documented and worsening
Court reporters create verbatim records of legal proceedings using stenography. The training washout rate is very high because of the speed requirement, which is precisely why the shortage is severe and freelance rates are strong.
A day in the life
- 8:30aSet up equipment and load the case dictionary
- 9:00aDeposition — write everything at conversational speed
- 12:00pLunch
- 1:00pAfternoon session continues
- 4:00pEdit and proofread the transcript
- 6:00pDeliver expedited transcripts, which bill at a premium
How to get in
Stenography program
Duration
2-4 years
Cost
$10,000-$40,000
Credential
RPR (Registered Professional Reporter) plus state certification
- Enroll in a court reporting program and learn machine shorthand theory
- Build speed in stages to 225 words per minute — this is where most people quit
- Pass the RPR and any state certification required
- Start with depositions through a freelance agency
Voice writing
Duration
6-18 months
Cost
$3,000-$15,000
Credential
CVR (Certified Verbatim Reporter)
- Learn voice writing, which uses a mask and speech recognition instead of a steno machine
- Substantially faster to learn than machine shorthand
- Certify through NVRA
- Accepted in many but not all jurisdictions — check your state first
Captioning and CART
Duration
2-4 years
Cost
$10,000-$40,000
Credential
CRC (Certified Realtime Captioner)
- Complete steno training with a realtime focus
- Certify in realtime captioning
- Provide live captioning for broadcast, education and events
- Fully remote work with strong demand from accessibility requirements
What people love
- · Severe nationwide shortage of reporters
- · Freelance rates are excellent
- · No degree required
- · Captioning work is fully remote
What wears people down
- · Training washout rates exceed 80 percent
- · Requires 225 words per minute at high accuracy
- · Editing time is unpaid but necessary
- · Repetitive strain injury risk