Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners Salary
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV make a median of $51,880 a year, or about $24.94 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $85K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.88), so that salary is closer to $47,649 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,246/month, about 66.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $52K get you in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Washington-Arlington-Alexandria’s Regional Price Parity (108.88). 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Pay for court reporters and simultaneous captioners in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria runs about 28% below the U.S. median of $72K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,246/month, which is 64.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.88), so groceries and services cost more too. 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $61K | $58K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $55K | $56K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Entry-level court reporters and simultaneous captioners (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $85K or more, a $41K 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a court reporters and simultaneous captioner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 64.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,246/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new court reporters and simultaneous captioners typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,631/month. At HUD’s $2,246/month FMR, rent would take 85% 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
Local pay runs 28% below the national median — $52K here vs. $72K nationally.
How does Washington-Arlington-Alexandria compare to the national average for court reporters and simultaneous captioners?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $72K — that’s -28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.88), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — below the national median.
How much do court reporters and simultaneous captioners make in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The median is $51,880 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,850, and experienced court reporters and simultaneous captioners can clear $85,290. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,474/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,246/month, which eats 64.7% 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria has a Regional Price Parity of 108.88 (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 $47,649 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.