Do digital court reporters need a license in North Carolina?

No statewide license is required for digital court reporters in North Carolina. Most employers expect industry certifications such as AAERT.

How to Become a Digital Court Reporter in North Carolina (2026)

Q: How long does digital court reporter training take in North Carolina?

Most people become a Digital Court Reporter in North Carolina through a digital court-reporting or captioning program plus AAERT. Certified shorthand reporter licenses are a different credential.

Q: How much do digital court reporters earn in North Carolina?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (May 2025), digital court reporters in North Carolina earned a median annual wage of approximately $73,510. Employment concentration in North Carolina is roughly 0.27 of the national average, meaning fewer workers per capita than the U.S. as a whole.

Q: What is the job outlook for digital court reporters in North Carolina?

North Carolina currently employs approximately 110 workers, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -0.3% national employment change for this occupation from 2024 to 2034.

Updated June 8, 2026 | TradeCareerPath Editorial Team

North Carolina court reporters and simultaneous captioners earn a median annual wage of $73,510 ($35.34/hr) according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (May 2025), with about 110 workers employed statewide. The state median is approximately 1.5% above the national median of $72,420 for the same occupation.

Key Takeaways

Median annual pay: $73,510 ($35.34/hr)
25th percentile: $67,050 per year
75th percentile: $87,040 per year
Top 10% earn: more than $91,710 per year
Entry-level (bottom 10%): under $57,910 per year
Workers employed in North Carolina: 110
Versus national median: 1.5% above the U.S. median of $72,420
Job concentration: Location quotient 0.27 - this occupation is less concentrated in North Carolina than the national average

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Last reviewed June 8, 2026.

North Carolina employs about 110 digital court reporters earning a median $73,510 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Training as a Digital Court Reporter here means completing a digital court-reporting or captioning program plus AAERT. Certified shorthand reporter licenses are a different credential.

Key Facts

Median wage (North Carolina): $73,510/yr (Source: BLS OEWS, 2025)
Employed in North Carolina: 110 workers (Source: BLS OEWS, 2025)
Location quotient: 0.27x U.S. average (Source: BLS OEWS, 2025)
Projected growth: -0.3% (2024-2034) (Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024)

Compare Digital Court Reporter Schools in North Carolina

BOC Score, tuition, graduation rate, and median graduate earnings from federal IPEDS and U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard data. Earnings are reported across all programs at the school (all majors), not a single trade. Distance is measured from the page's primary location.
#	School	BOC Score (0–100)	Tuition	Median grad earnings (all majors)	Graduation rate	Online	Distance
1	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	70.7	$8,892 - $25,385	$58,372	54%	Yes*	482 mi
2	Lake Land College	53.4	$4,415 - $14,301	$48,594	56%	—	546 mi
3	Monroe Community College	50.8	Contact school for pricing	$47,430	25%	Yes*	541 mi
4	Plaza College	49.1	Contact school for pricing	$45,706	65%	Yes*	485 mi
5	Gadsden State Community College	47.7	$4,272 - $10,189	$46,678	35%	Yes*	368 mi
6	Cuyahoga Community College District	47.6	Contact school for pricing	$49,698	30%	Yes*	430 mi
7	Central Georgia Technical College	46.5	Contact school for pricing	$42,979	44%	Yes*	301 mi
8	Clark State College	46.3	Contact school for pricing	$50,997	23%	Yes*	378 mi
9	Stark State College	46.3	Contact school for pricing	$49,440	23%	Yes*	385 mi
10	Luzerne County Community College	43.0	Contact school for pricing	$49,521	Not reported	Yes*	446 mi

Schools closest to the page's primary location are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the page's primary location is shown for reference. The BOC Score is an independent measure of school outcomes (graduation, earnings, net price, retention) expressed as a 0–100 percentile within each school's peer group; higher is better and advertising never affects it. *Online availability refers to coursework; hands-on trade training is completed in person. Read the full methodology.

North Carolina employs approximately 110 digital court reporters according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a median annual wage of $73,510 ¹. Nationally, digital court reporter employment is projected to grow -0.3% from 2024 to 2034, with about 1,700 openings per year ². This page covers how to become a Digital Court Reporter in North Carolina, including licensing requirements, training programs, and salary data.

At a Glance

Training paths: digital court-reporting program (find programs)
Typical timeline: a digital court-reporting or captioning program plus AAERT. Certified shorthand reporter licenses are a different credential
Exam: AAERT
Median wage (North Carolina): $73,510 per year ¹

Quick Answers About How to Become a Digital Court Reporter in North Carolina

How to become a Digital Court Reporter in North Carolina? Complete a digital court-reporting or captioning program plus AAERT. Certified shorthand reporter licenses are a different credential. Confirm credential rules with the program and employer.

How long does it take? Most people finish a digital court-reporting or captioning program plus AAERT. Certified shorthand reporter licenses are a different credential. Confirm current hour totals with the program and employer.

Do I need a license in North Carolina? Most states do not require a statewide occupational license. Employers typically expect AAERT. See the licensing section below.

What do digital court reporters earn in North Carolina? The median annual wage for digital court reporters in North Carolina is $73,510 according to BLS data. Entry-level wages start around $57,910 and experienced professionals can earn $91,710 or more ¹.

How to Become a Digital Court Reporter in North Carolina

Complete a digital reporting program. Finish a digital court-reporting or captioning program. This is not a steno-machine apprenticeship.
Earn AAERT. AAERT is the digital and electronic reporting path. Do not treat a certified shorthand reporter (CSR/CCR) row or a Board of Court Reporting as the digital-reporter credential.
Most states do not license digital reporters as a separate occupation. Confirm employer and court-contract rules. Do not apply to a steno court-reporting board for a digital-only path.

Steps and hour totals vary by credential level; confirm current requirements with the program and employer before you enroll.

Digital Court Reporter License Requirements in North Carolina

Digital court reporters typically earn AAERT. Certified shorthand reporter licenses and Boards of Court Reporting are a related but different (steno) path, not the digital credential.

Typical path

Complete a digital reporting program.
Earn AAERT.
Do not treat a steno CSR license as the digital path.

Hour totals, fees, and reciprocity rules change. Confirm current requirements with the program and employer before you enroll.

Digital Court Reporter Wages by Metro Area in North Carolina

Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners Wages by Metro Area in North Carolina

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), court reporters and simultaneous captioners wages in North Carolina vary by metro area.

Metro Area	Employment	Median Annual Wage	Avg. Annual Wage	Entry Level (10th pctile)	Experienced (90th pctile)
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk	60	$55,210	$53,000	$37,610	$72,790
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia	30	$63,840	$67,900	$35,230	$93,080

Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the job outlook for digital court reporters in North Carolina? North Carolina currently employs approximately 110 digital court reporters ¹. Nationally, digital court reporter employment is projected to grow -0.3% from 2024 to 2034 ².

What training programs are available in North Carolina? Options include trade schools, community colleges, and state-approved training programs. Use the school finder above to search for programs in North Carolina.

How much do digital court reporters earn in North Carolina compared to the national average? The median annual wage for digital court reporters in North Carolina is $73,510, which is $6,200 above the national median of $67,310 according to BLS data ¹.

In North Carolina

Best Trade Schools in North Carolina (2026)

Top local programs

Explore More Trades in North Carolina

Citations

About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics - Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/oes/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Bureau of Labor Statistics - Employment Projections: https://www.bls.gov/emp/ ↩︎ ↩︎

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

Data	Provider	Vintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics	May 2025
Employment Projections	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics	2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System	National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)	2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)	U.S. Department of Education	latest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)	U.S. Department of Education	latest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirements	CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)	latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programs	CareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)	latest release (updated 2025-10-25)
O*NET occupation profiles (skills, tasks, tools, job zones)	U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET / Employment & Training Admin.)	O*NET 29.1 (updated 2026-06-13)