Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners Salary
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners in Illinois make a median of $75,890 a year, or about $36.48 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $122K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $80,863 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,407/month, or 28.2% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $76K get you in Illinois?
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What this looks like in Illinois
Court reporters and simultaneous captioners pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $76K locally vs. $72K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,407/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level court reporters and simultaneous captioners (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $76K. Top earners bring in $122K or more, a $91K spread from bottom to top.
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners salary by metro in Illinois
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $77K | +1% | 510 |
Compare to other states
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Frequently asked questions
Can a court reporters and simultaneous captioner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
Yes — at the median salary of $76K, rent takes 29.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for court reporters and simultaneous captioners in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new court reporters and simultaneous captioners typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,872/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 75% 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 Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $76K locally vs. $72K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for court reporters and simultaneous captioners?
Illinois pays $76K median vs. the U.S. average of $72K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do court reporters and simultaneous captioners make in Illinois?
The median is $75,890 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,200, and experienced court reporters and simultaneous captioners can clear $122,390. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $76K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,835/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 29.1% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $80,863 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.