Your next career can pay over $120K a year. No degree required. Just time and dedication.
Court reporters are in critical shortage. Voice writing gets you there in 6 to 9 months for a fraction of what steno school costs. Start free today with just headphones and a keyboard.
Start freeNo credit card. No equipment to buy. Practice in your browser.
Salary: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (bls.gov/ooh/legal/court-reporters.htm). Range is 10th to 90th percentile. Timeline based on comparable online voice writing programs and daily practice of 15-20 minutes. Individual results vary. The CVR exam can be taken one leg at a time.
What you earn now vs what court reporters earn
| Current job | Median pay | Court reporter pay | Your raise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast food / food service | ~$30,500 | $72,420+ | +$42K |
| Cashier / retail | ~$33,000 | $72,420+ | +$39K |
| Customer service rep | ~$42,800 | $72,420+ | +$30K |
| Administrative assistant | ~$47,400 | $72,420+ | +$25K |
| Rideshare / delivery driver | ~$35,000 | $72,420+ | +$37K |
All salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Court reporter median is $72,420; top 10% earn over $127,020. Freelance reporters often earn more through per-page and expedite rates.
Already a notary?
You already hold the legal authority. In Florida and over 20 other states, court reporters swear witnesses under their notary commission. No separate court reporter license is required for deposition work. You have the credential. You just need the skill.
Mobile notaries earn $75 to $150 per signing. Freelance court reporters earn $250 to $400+ per deposition appearance, plus $3 to $6 per page of transcript. Same attorneys. Same courthouses. Higher pay per job.
Florida has 420,000 notaries, the highest concentration in the nation. If you are one of them, VerbatimPrep is the fastest way to add court reporting to your services.
Sources: NNA 2022 notary census (4.4M US notaries); Urban Institute May 2023 (FL notary density); deposition rates vary by market and complexity.
Work for yourself. Set your own schedule.
Freelance court reporters book their own assignments. You choose which depositions to take, which days to work, and which attorneys to work with. There is no boss, no shift schedule, and no cap on what you earn.
A single deposition day typically pays $550 to $1,800+ depending on length, complexity, and market (appearance fee plus per-page transcript charges). Compare that to $24/hr driving for Uber or $13-$16/hr delivering for DoorDash, before vehicle costs.
How it works
Listen and type
Put on headphones. A voice reads a passage. You type what you hear. The platform scores you against the 17 error categories from the real CVR exam.
Equipment: headphones + keyboard. That's it.
Build speed and accuracy
Start at 120 WPM. When you hit 95% accuracy, the next speed unlocks. The data tells you when you're ready. No guessing.
Still just headphones and a keyboard through 180 WPM.
Pick up the mask
At 160+ WPM, you switch from typing to speaking into a stenomask. This is voice writing: the fastest path to becoming a court reporter.
Stenomask (~$290) + Dragon software (~$699, as of Aug 2026). One-time purchase, yours for your career.
Pass the CVR exam
Three legs (Literary 180, Jury Charge 200, Q&A 225 WPM). Each banks separately. VerbatimPrep's exam simulator mirrors real test conditions.
You bring your own equipment. Everything you bought in step 3.
The math: VerbatimPrep vs steno school
| Path | Cost | Time | Completion rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional steno school | $15,000 to $55,000 | 2 to 4 years | 10 to 15% |
| Online voice writing school | $5,750 | 9 months | Not published |
| VerbatimPrep | ~$2,700 total | 6 to 9 months | Mastery-gated progression |
VerbatimPrep total includes ~$1,000 equipment (stenomask + Dragon, as of Aug 2026), ~$600-$1,200 subscription, and ~$570 exam fees. Equipment is yours for your career. Phase 1 costs $0.
Why now?
Court reporters are in critical shortage. Over 1,100 retire every year. Fewer than 200 new reporters enter the field. Judges are postponing hearings because they cannot staff a reporter. This is not a trend. It is a structural crisis.
At the same time, AI is displacing cashiers, data entry clerks, and administrative assistants. The World Economic Forum projects 92 million jobs displaced by 2030. Court reporting resists automation because oath administration and certified legal records require a human officer under the law.
The window is open. High demand, shrinking supply, and a fast training path. Voice writing is the on-ramp.
Start free. No equipment needed.
Phase 1 is free forever. Practice at 120 and 140 WPM with literary passages, jury charge instructions, and Q&A depositions. Full scoring on all 17 NVRA error categories. Progress dashboard, streaks, and a certificate when you clear 140 WPM.
You don't need a stenomask to start. Phase 1 is listen-and-type. All you need is headphones and a keyboard. The mask comes later, and only when you've proven you can keep up with the audio by speaking along (Echo Drill).
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a degree?
No. The BLS classifies court reporting as requiring a "postsecondary nondegree award." VerbatimPrep provides the training. No college degree is required to sit the CVR exam or to work as a court reporter.
Do I need to buy equipment before I start?
No. Phase 1 needs only a keyboard and headphones. You will not need a stenomask or software until Phase 2, which most students reach in 2 to 6 weeks.
Can I do this part-time?
Yes. Practice takes 15 to 20 minutes a day. Once certified, freelance court reporters book their own assignments and choose their own schedule. Many work part-time or combine it with other work.
I'm a notary. Does that help?
Yes. In Florida and over 20 other states, court reporters administer oaths under their notary commission. If you are already a notary, you hold the legal authority for deposition reporting. VerbatimPrep teaches the skill.
How long does it take to get certified?
Most students reach the Literary exam leg (180 WPM) in 6 to 9 months of daily practice. You can sit one leg at a time. Each passed leg banks permanently.
What do court reporters earn?
The BLS salary range is $72,420 to over $127,020 (BLS OEWS, May 2025, 10th to 90th percentile). Freelance reporters often earn more through per-page transcript rates ($3-$6/page) and appearance fees ($250-$400+ per deposition).
Will AI replace court reporters?
No. Oath administration and certified legal records require a human officer under the law. AI speech recognition also makes roughly twice as many errors on certain speakers (Stanford PNAS study). Courts require human accuracy and legal authority.
Is this really free?
Phase 1 is free forever with no credit card required. Pro ($99/mo or $799/yr) unlocks Phase 2+ when you are ready for 160+ WPM and voice writing. See pricing.