Court reporters must have excellent grammatical and spelling skills. They must also be able to maintain speed and accuracy under pressure.
Court reporters must be trained to use a variety of equipment such as stenotype machines, audio and broadcast captioning, and voice writing equipment to transcribe speech into writing. The material may be preserved electronically or as printed records.
Training programs are offered through community colleges or vocational schools. The training programs teach students how to use stenography equipment as well as other hardware and software. They usually take 12 to 33 months to complete, and students must be able to type at least 225 words per minute.
Court reporters who earn a bachelor's degree or have five years of experience may apply for a license as a Registered Diplomat Reporter. This is the highest attainable level.
The job outlook for court reporters is expected to increase 14 to 19 percent between 2008 and 2018, with approximately 7,100 job openings anticipated.
According to Onetcenter.org, in 2009 court reporters earned $22.98 per hour or $47,810 per year.