Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners Salary
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners in Columbia, SC make a median of $60,380 a year, or about $29.03 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $64,467 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 32.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K get you in Columbia?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbia’s Regional Price Parity (93.66). 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
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What this looks like in Columbia
Pay for court reporters and simultaneous captioners in Columbia runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $72K. Rent runs $1,276/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.66 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for court reporters and simultaneous captioners in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $80K | $80K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $64K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbia, SC
Entry-level court reporters and simultaneous captioners (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $31K 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 Columbia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a court reporters and simultaneous captioner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 31.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,276/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new court reporters and simultaneous captioners typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,737/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 47% 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 Columbia?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $60K here vs. $72K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Columbia compare to the national average for court reporters and simultaneous captioners?
Columbia pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $72K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — below the national median.
How much do court reporters and simultaneous captioners make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $60,380 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,610, and experienced court reporters and simultaneous captioners can clear $76,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,026/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 31.7% 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 Columbia?
Columbia has a Regional Price Parity of 93.66 (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 $64,467 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.