According to “Forbes Magazine” and “MyKelly’s” hottest jobs in 2013, court reporting ranks sixth among professions not requiring a four-year degree. CareerCast ranked court reporting as 68th in its Top 200 Jobs for 2013, and Study.com indicates that the profession should anticipate an 18 percent growth rate between 2012 and 2018 due to “federal laws mandating that television programs and real-time broadcasts be captioned for the hearing-impaired.”
The National Court Reporters Association indicates that court reporting students can anticipate their training to take an average of between two and four years. The Princeton Review suggests that “25 percent of those who enter the profession leave within the first year or two” due to stress; but for those who remain, the outlook is excellent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2012 report reveals the mean annual wage for court reporters as $53,010, with the top 10 percent earning an average $90,530.
“County Woman Magazine” indicates that court reporters are among those “women who love their careers, have work-life balance with a flexible schedule, and feel that their jobs are rewarding and important to society.” Rebecca Forman, a court reporter in the Manhattan federal courthouse, answered questions about the profession for “The New York Times” in their series “Answers from a Court Reporter.”
For more information on the profession, the National Court Reporters Association and state court reporting associations are wonderful resources.