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Court Reporter - A Rewarding CareerA court reporter’s job is very important and carries with it a big responsibility. The job demands accuracy and speed which at times can be very stressful. However, the skills of good listening and excellent comprehension along with fast transcription are very valuable to several different organizations. The legal and medical professions could not survive without accurate transcribers and court reporters. Television and Internet companies utilize the services of court reporters for the hearing impaired for not only recreational media, but for emergency related alerts and information. Because of this, court reporters may actually have a part in the saving of lives when they work as close captioning translators for tornado warnings or other emergencies. Court Reporter SalaryThe average salary of a court reporter, also called a stenotype reporter is somewhere between $33,000 and $62,000 depending on the experience and level of expertise acquired. Usually the minimum requirement of a court reporter is to hold a license that makes them a Certified Court Reporter. Pre-licensing education of approximately 33 months and continuing education are required to maintain this license for a stenotypist. A voice writer’s requirements are significantly less with training of a little under a year. Some of these requirements vary by state. The highest level attained by a court reporter is a Registered Diplomat Reporter and usually requires a Bachelor‘s Degree or 5 years experience as a Registered Merit Reporter. Each level of certification is attained by passing a state exam with regard to speed, accuracy and knowledge of business English and language. Court Reporter Job AvailabilityJob availability is very good and will be getting even better, because growth in this market is expected due to the new legislative requirement that every television show offer close captioning. Growth in civil and criminal cases is also expected to increase the demand for accurate court reporters. In addition, deaf and hard of hearing college students must now have access to translation in all their classes. In 2006, there were approximately 19,000 court reporter positions, but it expected that there will be more openings than job seekers in the future. Although, a court reporter position may at times be tiring due to sitting in the same position the entire assignment, the job offers a certain amount of freedom and the ability to work in a comfortable office. More freedom is experienced when a court reporter takes on a freelancer position. The position does not hold any significant job related hazards other than possibly hand and wrist soreness from repeated typing. Investigate the following links that offer some very helpful information to see if a court reporter position is the job for you. Court Reporter ResourcesCourt Reporter Occupational Outlook Handbook The American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers National Court Reporters Association United States Court Reporters Association
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