Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners Salary
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners in Birmingham, AL make a median of $76,560 a year, or about $36.81 an hour. The range runs from $58K at the entry level to $86K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.64), which stretches that salary to about $83,544 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,266/month, or 25.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $77K get you in Birmingham?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Birmingham’s Regional Price Parity (91.64). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About court reporters and simultaneous captioners
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Birmingham
Court reporters and simultaneous captioners pay in Birmingham tracks closely to the national median, $77K locally vs. $72K nationwide, a 6% difference. Rent runs $1,266/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.64 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for court reporters and simultaneous captioners in metros near Birmingham, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile | $80K | $91K |
| Montgomery | $42K | $47K |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $48K | $42K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $80K | $80K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Birmingham, AL
Entry-level court reporters and simultaneous captioners (10th percentile) start around $58K. Mid-career wages sit at $77K. Top earners bring in $86K or more, a $28K spread from bottom to top.
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $116K | +60% | 1,400 |
| Texas | $110K | +52% | 1,270 |
| Washington | $108K | +49% | 80 |
| New York | $102K | +41% | 1,400 |
| Iowa | $94K | +30% | 160 |
| Rhode Island | $92K | +27% | 60 |
| Minnesota | $84K | +16% | 320 |
| Colorado | $83K | +15% | 260 |
| Massachusetts | $80K | +10% | 50 |
| Arizona | $78K | +7% | 70 |
| Nebraska | $76K | +6% | 60 |
| Illinois | $76K | +5% | 770 |
| South Dakota | $75K | +4% | 40 |
| North Carolina | $74K | +2% | 110 |
| Missouri | $73K | +0% | 270 |
| North Dakota | $71K | -3% | 60 |
| Idaho | $69K | -4% | 40 |
| Alabama | $67K | -7% | 350 |
| Ohio | $67K | -7% | 340 |
| Mississippi | $67K | -7% | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $66K | -9% | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $65K | -10% | 670 |
| Louisiana | $63K | -12% | 270 |
| Montana | $63K | -13% | 50 |
| Nevada | $62K | -14% | 70 |
| Michigan | $62K | -15% | 260 |
| South Carolina | $61K | -16% | 140 |
| Oklahoma | $61K | -16% | 180 |
| Connecticut | $59K | -18% | 210 |
| Maryland | $59K | -18% | N/A |
| Arkansas | $59K | -18% | 130 |
| West Virginia | $57K | -22% | 90 |
| Virginia | $55K | -24% | 320 |
| Indiana | $55K | -24% | 890 |
| Kentucky | $50K | -30% | 80 |
| Florida | $49K | -32% | 1,110 |
| Maine | $49K | -32% | 30 |
| Delaware | $45K | -38% | 40 |
Showing 1–10 of 38 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track court reporters and simultaneous captioners salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Birmingham numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a court reporters and simultaneous captioner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Birmingham?
Yes — at the median salary of $77K, rent takes 25.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,266/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for court reporters and simultaneous captioners in Birmingham?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new court reporters and simultaneous captioners typically earn — is $58K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,486/month. At HUD’s $1,266/month FMR, rent would take 36% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is court reporters and simultaneous captioner a high-paying job in Birmingham?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $77K locally vs. $72K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Birmingham compare to the national average for court reporters and simultaneous captioners?
Birmingham pays $77K median vs. the U.S. average of $72K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.64), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do court reporters and simultaneous captioners make in Birmingham, AL?
The median is $76,560 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $58,100, and experienced court reporters and simultaneous captioners can clear $86,250. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $77K enough to live in Birmingham?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,882/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,266/month, which eats 25.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a court reporters and simultaneous captioners salary go in Birmingham?
Birmingham has a Regional Price Parity of 91.64 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median court reporters and simultaneous captioners salary is worth about $83,544 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do court reporters and simultaneous captioners get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.