Law

Court Reporter

Create verbatim transcripts of legal proceedings. Strong pay with no degree — freelance reporters can clear $100k.

no-degree-requiredhigh-pay

ROI · Moderate

Investment vs return

Cost · time · demand normalized 0–100

Expected value

ROI × Attainability ÷ 100

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Compare this career

Salary progression

What you'll earn over your career

$48k

$65k

$105k

Entry

Mid-career

Senior

10-yr outlook

+3%

+3% (Average)

Open positions

1,700

Estimated nationwide

Entry paths

How to get here

Multiple paths lead to this career. Compare time, cost, online vs in-person delivery, and program links.

Fastest ROI

Certification Hybrid

RPR / state court reporter cert

Time

2–3 years

Cost

$5,000 – $25,000

Top programs

NCRA-approved schoolsHybrid College of Court ReportingOnline

Stenography is hard — 95%+ accuracy at 225 wpm needed.

Affiliate disclosure: Some of the program links above may be affiliate partnerships. If you enroll, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only link to programs we have actually reviewed against our methodology. See our methodology for how we evaluate schools.

Attainability breakdown

What are the odds
you actually get there?

Six factors weighted to estimate the realistic probability a motivated person reaches this outcome. Higher = more attainable.

Composite

Attainability Score

Data-backed

Educational difficulty
How hard the required schooling is to complete
65
20%
Licensing & exams
Pass rates and difficulty of required exams
55
15%
Entry-job competition
How many applicants per open entry-level role
75
20%
Career stay-rate
Inverse of early-career attrition / industry exit
50
15%
Market demand
Openings vs available workforce
65
15%
Alternative paths
How many viable ways exist to enter the field
50
15%

Quick math

If you took the fastest path…

You'd train for

2–3 years

You'd spend (avg)

$15,000

Starting salary

$48,000

Mid-career

$65,000

Articles & resources

Court Reporters – BLS

BLS