How to hire court reporters and simultaneous captioners

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements.
• File a legible transcript of records of a court case with the court clerk's office.
• Proofread transcripts for correct spelling of words.
• Provide transcripts of proceedings upon request of judges, lawyers, or the public.
• Record depositions and other proceedings for attorneys.
• Record symbols on computer storage media and use computer aided transcription to translate and display them as text.
• Record verbatim proceedings of courts, legislative assemblies, committee meetings, and other proceedings, using computerized recording equipment, electronic stenograph machines, or stenomasks.
• Transcribe recorded proceedings in accordance with established formats.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Postsecondary nondegree award]
• Strong active listening, writing, reading comprehension, monitoring and speaking skills
• Working knowledge of English Language, computers and electronics, administrative and law and government
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $34.82 an hour ($72,420 a year).
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Copy the template Check your finished job post

Interview questions for court reporters and simultaneous captioners

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

1. Tell me about a time you had to ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
2. Tell me about a time you had to file a legible transcript of records of a court case with the court clerk's office. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
3. Tell me about a time you had to proofread transcripts for correct spelling of words. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
4. Tell me about a time you had to provide transcripts of proceedings upon request of judges, lawyers, or the public. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
5. Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
6. Describe something important you wrote at work, such as a report, notes or an email. Who read it and what happened next?
7. Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What court reporters and simultaneous captioners do

• Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements.
• File a legible transcript of records of a court case with the court clerk's office.
• Proofread transcripts for correct spelling of words.
• Provide transcripts of proceedings upon request of judges, lawyers, or the public.
• Record depositions and other proceedings for attorneys.
• Record symbols on computer storage media and use computer aided transcription to translate and display them as text.
• Record verbatim proceedings of courts, legislative assemblies, committee meetings, and other proceedings, using computerized recording equipment, electronic stenograph machines, or stenomasks.
• Transcribe recorded proceedings in accordance with established formats.

Skills that matter most

Active ListeningWritingReading ComprehensionMonitoringSpeakingEnglish LanguageComputers and ElectronicsAdministrativeLaw and Government

Education, experience and outlook for court reporters and simultaneous captioners

• Typical education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award (BLS)
• Related work experience most have: 3 to 6 months (O*NET)
• Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
• Job outlook: -0.1% over ten years, little or no change · about 1,800 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay court reporters and simultaneous captioners

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

See court reporters and simultaneous captioners pay in every state

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Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.