Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners Salary
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC make a median of $55,210 a year, or about $26.54 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $73K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.94), that's roughly $56,371 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,713/month, about 47.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk’s Regional Price Parity (97.94). 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Pay for court reporters and simultaneous captioners in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $72K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,713/month, which is 47% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.94) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for court reporters and simultaneous captionerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for court reporters and simultaneous captioners in metros near Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $52K | $48K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $61K | $58K |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $49K | $53K |
| 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, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
Entry-level court reporters and simultaneous captioners (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $73K or more, a $35K 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a court reporters and simultaneous captioner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 47% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,713/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new court reporters and simultaneous captioners typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,257/month. At HUD’s $1,713/month FMR, rent would take 76% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $55K here vs. $72K nationally.
How does Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk compare to the national average for court reporters and simultaneous captioners?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $72K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — below the national median.
How much do court reporters and simultaneous captioners make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?
The median is $55,210 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,610, and experienced court reporters and simultaneous captioners can clear $72,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,645/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,713/month, which eats 47% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk has a Regional Price Parity of 97.94 (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 $56,371 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.