Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners Salary
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners in California make a median of $116,020 a year, or about $55.78 an hour. The range runs from $55K at the entry level to $143K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $109,308 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 34.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $116K get you in California?
About court reporters and simultaneous captioners
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What this looks like in California
California sits well above the national pay line for court reporters and simultaneous captioners, local pay runs about 60% higher than the U.S. median of $72K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 35.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level court reporters and simultaneous captioners (10th percentile) start around $55K. Mid-career wages sit at $116K. Top earners bring in $143K or more, a $88K spread from bottom to top.
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners salary by metro in California
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $143K | +23% | 50 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $138K | +19% | 30 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $134K | +15% | 230 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $129K | +11% | 260 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $123K | +6% | 110 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $118K | +2% | 110 |
| Visalia | $109K | -6% | 30 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $103K | -11% | 30 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $87K | -25% | 290 |
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a court reporters and simultaneous captioner afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $116K, rent takes 35.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for court reporters and simultaneous captioners in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new court reporters and simultaneous captioners typically earn — is $55K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,317/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 74% 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 California?
Local pay is 60% above the national median — $116K here vs. $72K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does California compare to the national average for court reporters and simultaneous captioners?
California pays $116K median vs. the U.S. average of $72K — that’s +60%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $109K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do court reporters and simultaneous captioners make in California?
The median is $116,020 a year, that works out to about $56 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $55,280, and experienced court reporters and simultaneous captioners can clear $142,930. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $116K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,923/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 35.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a court reporters and simultaneous captioners salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median court reporters and simultaneous captioners salary is worth about $109,308 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.