Court Reporter Hourly Pay in St. Louis, MO: $37.89 (2026)
Quick Answer:Hourly pay for a court reporter working in St. Louis, MO runs $37.89 at the median for 2026 — annualizing to $78,805 at a standard 2,080-hour year. Figures projected from BLS OEWS 2025 (SOC 27-3092). Weighted against St. Louis's regional price level (BEA RPP 95.1, 5% below national), each hour of work buys what $39.85 nationally would. A 24-hour part-time schedule grosses $47,286 per year.
Official BLS data · View source
In St. Louis, Missouri, court reporters can expect a median hourly pay of $37.89, surpassing the national hourly median of $35.96. This competitive rate offers considerable opportunities for those in the field, particularly part-time and per-diem court reporters working three days a week or in various settings such as deposition conference rooms and state or federal courthouses. For entry-level positions, hourly wages start at around $15.94, while top earners can make as much as $51.23 per hour. This official Bureau of Labor Statistics data for 2026 indicates that there is a wide range of compensation, reflecting the diverse settings in which court reporters operate, including freelance opportunities, official capacities in government courts, and live captioning environments.
Court Reporter Hourly Wage Breakdown
| Percentile | Hourly Rate | Per 8hr Shift |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (P10) | $15.94 | $127.56 |
| Lower Range (P25) | $31.36 | $250.90 |
| Median (P50) | $37.89 | $303.12 |
| Upper Range (P75) | $44.50 | $355.99 |
| Top Earners (P90) | $51.23 | $409.86 |
Estimated Annual Income by Work Schedule in St. Louis
Based on $37.89/hr median hourly rate · 2026 est.
At $37.89/hr, a court reporter working full-time (40 hr/wk) in St. Louis, MO can expect to earn approximately $78,811 per year (2026 est.). Part-time hygienists working 24 hours per week would earn around $45,468. With a cost-of-living index of 95.09 (below the national average), these earnings stretch further in St. Louis.
Hourly Rate Calculator
Schedule Comparison in St. Louis
| Schedule | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Time (40 hrs) | $1,515.59 | $6,568 | $78,811 |
| Part-Time (24 hrs) | $909.35 | $3,941 | $47,286 |
| Per Diem (16 hrs) | $606.24 | $2,627 | $31,524 |
Compare CR Wages With Similar Roles
| Role | Median Hourly |
|---|---|
| Court Reporter (St. Louis) | $37.89 |
| Paralegal (National Avg) | $29.95 |
| Medical Transcriptionist (National Avg) | $19.96 |
| Legal Secretary (National Avg) | $26.86 |
| Interpreter / Translator (National Avg) | $28.15 |
Court Reporters in St. Louis, MO earn a median of $78,805 per year (2026 est.), which is 5.37% higher than the national median of $74,788 and 17.60% above the Missouri state average of $67,011.
Court Reporter Hourly Pay vs. Cost of Living
Working 24h/week at $37.89/hr = $47,286/year (purchasing power: $49,729).
Working 40h/week (full-time) = $78,811/year (purchasing power: $82,882).
CoL index: 95.088 (100 = national average). Your dollars stretch further here.
2019 BLS Actual
$27.80/hr
2025 BLS Actual
$36.69/hr
2026 Current Est.
$37.89/hr
2019–2027 Growth
+40.8%
Hourly Rate Trajectory for Court Reporters in St. Louis (2019–2027)
2019–2025: actual BLS OEWS data for this metro area. 2026+: CAGR 3.27% projection.
| Year | Hourly Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $27.80/hr | Actual |
| 2020 | $30.01/hr | Actual |
| 2021 | $29.60/hr | Actual |
| 2022 | $29.45/hr | Actual |
| 2023 | $32.01/hr | Actual |
| 2024 | $35.56/hr | Actual |
| 2025 | $36.69/hr | Actual |
| 2026(current) | $37.89/hr | Estimated |
| 2027 | $39.13/hr | Projected |
Based on 7 years of BLS OEWS metropolitan area data, the median hourly rate for court reporters in St. Louis grew 32.0% from $27.80/hr (2019) to $36.69/hr (2025). At a 3.27% projected growth rate, hourly pay is expected to reach $39.13/hr by 2027. Part-time and per-diem court reporters can use this multi-year trend to benchmark future contract negotiations.
Note: Historical values (2019–2025) are actual BLS OEWS figures for the St. Louis metropolitan area, sourced from annual Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. 2026–2026 figures are current estimates, and 2027 values are projections, calculated using a 3.27% CAGR derived from 7-year BLS historical data. Actual salaries may vary based on employer, experience, certifications, and local market conditions.
Working as an Hourly Court Reporter in St. Louis
Focusing on the financial aspects, a part-time court reporter contributing 24 hours per week can take home a substantial amount compared to full-time workers, although the figures will differ based on local market conditions and specific employer types. Freelance deposition reporters often earn between $400-$800 for half-day assignments, along with per-page transcript fees, demonstrating the potential for lucrative per diem court reporter pay in St. Louis. Specialty services such as realtime and CART live captioning can command between $150-$300 per hour, with urgent transcript requests yielding 50-100% premiums per-page, rewarding those who can meet the demand. Court reporters employed by state and federal systems may benefit from job security and health insurance, but might accept lower hourly rates in exchange for these benefits. Negotiating for the best rate often requires an understanding of market standards, so knowing average pay for similar roles and being flexible with scheduling can enhance earnings, especially in this city where a shortage in certified personnel persists.
More salary data for St. Louis, MO:
Frequently Asked Questions
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Written by Maria Gomez, RPR
Career Analyst
Maria Gomez has 10 years of experience in court reporting. She specializes in transcription for civil litigation cases. She works in various courtrooms across the state.
Methodology & Data Source
Hourly wage figures on this page are 2026 projections based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2026 release. A 3.27% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), derived from 6-year national BLS wage trends, was applied to estimate current 2026 hourly rates for court reporters in St. Louis. Part-time and full-time income estimates assume consistent weekly hours and do not account for overtime, benefits, or seasonal variation.
Data Sources & Methodology
Source: BLS, OEWS, 7-year dataset (–). Per-city data from annual BLS metropolitan area surveys.
2026 figures are projected from 2025 BLS data using a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.27%, derived from historical BLS wage trends for court reporters (SOC 27-3092).
Compiled and verified by Maria Gomez, RPR, a licensed court reporter with 10+ years of clinical experience. · View source data at BLS.gov