Court Reporter Salary in Columbia, SC: $62,354 (2026)
Quick Answer:A full-time court reporter in Columbia, SC earns a median $62,354/year (≈ $29.98/hour) in nominal terms for 2026 — projected from BLS OEWS 2025 (SOC 27-3092). Once you factor in Columbia's price level (6% below national, BEA RPP 93.7), that paycheck buys what $66,573 would nationally. Nominal pay sits 8.9% below the South Carolina state average.
Official BLS data · View source
Court reporters in Columbia, South Carolina, face a diverse salary structure influenced by whether they work as freelancers or official reporters. The median annual salary in the area is projected at $62,354, which is notably lower than the national median of $74,788, reflecting a divergence in compensation. Local salaries range from $47,101 for the lowest earners to $78,795 for those at the higher end of the scale. Derived from 2025 BLS OEWS data, projected to 2026, these figures reveal both the opportunities and challenges within Columbia's job market for court reporters. The compensation primarily hinges on the nature of the employment, with different avenues leading to significant disparities in earnings.
Salary Breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (P10) | $47,101 | $22.65 |
| Lower Range (P25) | $50,262 | $24.17 |
| Median (P50)(typical) | $62,354 | $29.98 |
| Upper Range (P75) | $69,170 | $33.25 |
| Top Earners (P90) | $78,795 | $37.88 |
Median Salary Position
16.63% below the national average
2026 Salary Percentile Distribution in Columbia
In Columbia, SC, the court reporter salary spread from the 10th to 90th percentile is $31,694 (2026 est.). At $62,354, the local median is 16.63% below the national median of $74,788.
Salary Calculator
At 40 hours/week in Columbia: You'd be in the lower-middle range
How Columbia Court Reporter Pay Compares
Columbia median: $62,354/year (2026)
| Compared To | Median Salary | Columbia Pays |
|---|---|---|
| South Carolina Average | $68,446 | -8.90% less |
| National Average | $74,788 | -16.63% less |
Court Reporters in Columbia, SC earn a median of $62,354 per year (2026 est.), which is 16.63% lower than the national median of $74,788 and 8.90% below the South Carolina state average of $68,446.
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
Columbia has a cost of living 6.34% below the national average, meaning your salary goes further here.
Adjusted salary = nominal × (100 / CoL index). CoL index: 100 = national average.
Columbia, SC has a cost-of-living index of 93.662 (below the national average of 100). A court reporter earning $62,354 nominally has purchasing power equivalent to $66,573 in an average-cost city — an effective 6.77% boost.
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2019 BLS Actual
$50,133
2025 BLS Actual
$60,380
2026 Current Est.
$62,354
2019–2027 Growth
+28.4%
Salary Trajectory for Court Reporters in Columbia (2019–2027)
2019–2025: actual BLS OEWS data for this metro area. 2026+: CAGR 3.27% projection.
| Year | Annual Salary | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $50,133 | Actual |
| 2020 | $51,409 | Actual |
| 2021 | $48,980 | Actual |
| 2022 | $54,670 | Actual |
| 2023 | $55,050 | Actual |
| 2024 | $59,180 | Actual |
| 2025 | $60,380 | Actual |
| 2026(current) | $62,354 | Estimated |
| 2027 | $64,393 | Projected |
Based on 7 years of BLS OEWS data for the Columbia metropolitan area, the median court reporter salary grew 20.4% from $50,133 (2019) to $60,380 (2025). At a 3.27% compound annual growth rate, salaries are projected to reach $64,393 by 2027 — a total increase of $14,260 (28.44%) from 2019.
Note: Historical values (2019–2025) are actual BLS OEWS figures for the Columbia 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.
Salary by Experience Level
| Experience | Estimated Salary Range |
|---|---|
| 0-2 years (New Graduate) | $47,101 – $50,262 |
| 3-5 years (Mid Career) | $50,262 – $62,354 |
| 5+ years (Experienced) | $62,354 – $69,170 |
| 10+ years (Top Earner) | $69,170 – $78,795 |
CR salary ranges estimated from BLS percentile data. Individual court reporter compensation varies by employer, certifications, and specialization.
Court Reporter Job Market in Columbia
With 40 court reporters employed in the region, Columbia’s local job market presents various opportunities. The cost of living index at 93.662 indicates that living expenses are below the national average, allowing for potentially better purchasing power for court reporters. Freelance reporting, the most common employment type in Columbia, usually pays less per hour in comparison to official court reporters, who may be bound by state salary scales. Since a significant number of reporters work independently through firms like Veritext or Esquire, their pay is often dependent on per-page rates, which can vary widely. To maximize earnings, court reporters in Columbia should consider specializing in realtime and CART services, which command the highest premiums, ranging from $150 to $300 per hour for live captioning. Strategies for increasing pay include building a strong client network and enhancing skills through professional certifications such as RPR or CRR, ensuring a robust position in the competitive market.
More salary data for Columbia, SC:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do court reporters make in Columbia, SC in 2026?
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Related Pages
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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
Salary figures on this page are 2026 projections based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2026 release. The BLS reported a median annual salary of $60,380 for court reportersin the Columbia metropolitan area. A 3.27% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), calculated from 6-year national BLS wage trends, was applied to project current 2026 compensation. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) represent the full salary distribution across experience levels and practice settings in this market.
Data Sources & Methodology
Source: BLS, OEWS, 5-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