- Page Content
- Should I Become a Voice Writing Reporter ?
- Career Outlook
- Steps to Become a Voice Writing Reporter
- Duration to Become a Voice Writing Reporter </a
- Requirements to Become a Voice Writing Reporter in the US?
- How Much Will I Earn as a Voice Writing Reporter in the US?
- What Skills Does a Voice Writing Court Reporter Need
- How To Get Job as a voice writing court reporter
A Voice Writing Court Reporter is required to take down all the verbal conversation that is taking place in a courtroom. Highly skilled professionals, they have to capture every word being spoken and convert it into written text by using computer-aided transcription software. Just like stenographers use steno machines to type data, voice writing court reporters use their voice to record information and then prepare verbatim transcripts of proceedings.
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Should I Become a Voice Writing Reporter ?
If you think you have what it takes to become a voice writing reporter, then the following career guide is for you.
| Educational Requirements | Post-secondary education or an Associate’s degree |
| Experience/Training | Certification and License |
| Key Skills | Strong interest in legal field, good grammar, punctuation, and editing skills, listening skills, adhere to code of ethics, flexibility, self-motivated |
| Annual Mean Salary – US (2021) | $ 65,240 (Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners) |
| Job Outlook – US (2021-2031) | 1% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021)
Career Outlook
As per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, voice writing reporters are forecasted to experience a 1% growth in job opportunities from 2021 to 2031. Below are the states with the highest employment level in Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners:
| State | Employment |
| California | 1,400 |
| New York | 1,250 |
| Michigan | 990 |
| Florida | 810 |
| Indiana | 790 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021)
Steps to Become a Voice Writing Reporter
You will have to complete the following steps to become a court reporter or a voice writing reporter:
You will have to get a postsecondary certificate or an Associate’s degree to start your journey. A specific license will take you around six months to complete, while an Associate’s degree will take two years.
Some states have made it mandatory for court reporters to have a license. The requirements to get the licensure vary from state to state, so check the requirements before working.
You will have to get a certification to work as a voice writing reporter. You can get this certificate from professional bodies like the National Verbatim Reporters Association or the National Court Reporters Association. Quite a few states consider these certifications equivalent to state certificates.
Once you have cleared all the steps, start looking for jobs.
Almost all states and certification organizations require court reporters to get some continuing education to maintain membership. The requirements vary by state, so check your state’s continuing education requirements.
Duration to Become a Voice Writing Reporter
It will take you somewhere between 2 to 4 years after high school to become a court reporter in the US.
Requirements to Become a Voice Writing Reporter in the US?
- Complete education requirements.
- Obtain a license.
- Obtain certification, if applicable.
- Apply for jobs.
- Complete continuing education to maintain licensure.
How Much Will I Earn as a Voice Writing Reporter in the US?
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual salary of Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners was $ 65,240 in the year 2021. Voice writing reporters also falls under this category. Below are the top paying states for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners:
| State | Annual Mean Wage |
| New York | $ 100,270 |
| California | $ 83,720 |
| Texas | $ 81,460 |
| Iowa | $ 77,090 |
| Colorado | $ 76,410 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021)
What Skills Does a Voice Writing Court Reporter Need
As per the National Verbatim Reporters Association, aspiring voice writers need to have proper knowledge and training in all the elements of legal system and court proceedings. Some of the characteristics of a successful voice writer include:
- English grammar skills.
- Document production and word processing.
- legal, medical, and technical terminology.
- Understanding of proper legal procedure.
- Trained to listen and speak at the same time, identifying the speakers and describing courtroom environment.
- Proficiency with computer system.
- Thorough training in realtime voice writing, speech recognition, and court reporting software.
- Achieving speeds near 350 words per minute.
How To Get Job as a voice writing court reporter
Voice reporting is an alternative to conventional court reporting and with a voice writing certificate, you can pursue career in the field. With the right qualification and experience, voice writing reporters can choose a career path at will. The field is in great demand, providing opportunities to work as court reporters, broadcast captioners, or CART providers. To start working as a voice writing reporter you need to:
- Obtain certification in software like Dragon speech recognition and Eclipse CAT software.
- With this certification, you can apply in different parts of the country and start working in any state’s judicial system.
- Search online job portals for employment opportunities as judicial court reporters, captioners, CART providers, or transcriptionists.
- Look for job opportunities in non-legal areas like medical organizations that need transcribers to increase information accessibility for people with hearing challenges.
- With additional certifications, voice court reporters can also advance their career and translate skills to become paralegal, legal secretaries, or legal assistants.
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