Hawaii Court Reporting schools

Court Reporter Education, Training And Salary

The amount of training required to become a Hawaii Court Reporter varies with the type of reporting chosen. It
usually takes less than a year to become a novice voice writer, although it takes at least two years to become
proficient at realtime voice writing. Electronic reporters and transcribers learn their skills on the job. The average
length of time it takes to become a realtime stenotypist is 33 months. Training is offered by about 130
postsecondary vocational and technical schools and colleges, both on campus and online. The National Court
Reporters Association (NCRA) has certified about 70 programs, all of which offer courses in stenotype
computer-aided transcription and real-time reporting. NCRA-certified programs require students to capture a
minimum of 225 words per minute, a requirement for Federal Government employment as well.

Electronic court reporters use audio-capture technology and, therefore, usually learn their skills on the job.
Students read manuals, review them with their trainers, and observe skilled electronic transcribers perform
procedures. Court electronic transcribers generally obtain initial technical training from a vendor when it is placed in
service, with further court-specific training provided on the job. If working for a private company or organization,
hands-on training occurs under direct supervision of an established practitioner or firm.
Wage and salary
court reporters had median annual earnings of $45,610 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between
$33,160 and $61,530. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $23,430, and the highest paid 10 percent
earned more than $77,770. Median annual earnings in May 2006 were $45,080 for court reporters working in local
government and $41,720 for those working in business support services.
Compensation and compensation methods for court reporters vary with the type of reporting job, the experience of
the individual reporter, the level of certification achieved, and the region of the country. Official court reporters
earn a salary and a per-page fee for transcripts. Many salaried court reporters supplement their income by doing
freelance work. Freelance court reporters are paid per job and receive a per-page fee for transcripts. CART
providers are paid by the hour. Captioners receive a salary and benefits if they work as employees of a captioning
company; Captioners working as independent contractors are paid by the hour.
Employment of court reporters is projected to grow 25 percent, much faster than the average for all occupations
between 2006 and 2016. Demand for court reporter services will be spurred by the continuing need for accurate
transcription of proceedings in courts and in pretrial depositions, by the growing need to create captions for live
television, and by the need to provide other real-time broadcast captioning and translating services for the deaf
and hard-of-hearing.
Court reporters held about 19,000 jobs in 2006. More than half worked for State and local governments, a
reflection of the large number of court reporters working in courts, legislatures, and various agencies. Most of the
remaining wage and salary workers were employed by court reporting agencies. Around 8 percent of court reporters
were self-employed.

Hawaii Higher Education System
With 10 public and 10 private institutions of higher learning, plus vocational and technical schools, Hawaii holds
many educational opportunities for students. The most noted university, the University of Hawaii, attracts many
students and scholars from all parts of the Pacific area.
Jobs in Hawaii
Because tourism is the hub of economic activity in the state of Hawaii, most of the workforce (41%) is devoted to
service related industries. Other important industries in Hawaii are or military and government related services
(18%), wholesale and retail trade (20%), transportation (8%), and farming (4%).
Hawaii Economic Information
Tourism drives the Hawaii economy, but manufacturing and agriculture are also very important to the state. Anyone
who is interested in the service industry, commerce trade, or agriculture services should find plenty of opportunities
for success in Hawaii.