Court Reporter Salary in Salt Lake City, UT: $59,020 (2026)
Quick Answer:A full-time court reporter in Salt Lake City, UT earns a median $59,020/year (≈ $28.38/hour) in nominal terms for 2026 — projected from BLS OEWS 2025 (SOC 27-3092). Once you factor in Salt Lake City's price level (2% below national, BEA RPP 98.1), that paycheck buys what $60,163 would nationally. Nominal pay sits 0.4% below the Utah state average.
Based on BLS state-level estimates · View source
In Salt Lake City, the projected salary for court reporters is set at $59,020 annually in 2026, which is significantly below the national median of $74,788. Local court reporter salaries exhibit a wide range, with earnings stretching from $34,872 at the tenth percentile to $91,481 at the ninetieth percentile. These figures, estimated from 2025 BLS data and adjusted for cost of living considerations, reflect the competitive landscape of the job market in Salt Lake City. The presence of multiple employers—from freelance reporting firms to state and federal courts—contributes to varied compensation, particularly for those with specialized skills such as realtime reporting or Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART). These specialties command higher premiums, influencing the overall court reporter salary in Salt Lake City.
About the Salt Lake City Market
Salary estimated from Utah average ($56,000) adjusted for local cost of living.
Salary Breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (P10) | $34,872 | $16.76 |
| Lower Range (P25) | $43,861 | $21.09 |
| Median (P50)(typical) | $59,020 | $28.38 |
| Upper Range (P75) | $75,545 | $36.32 |
| Top Earners (P90) | $91,481 | $43.98 |
Median Salary Position
21.08% below the national average
2026 Salary Percentile Distribution in Salt Lake City
In Salt Lake City, UT, the court reporter salary spread from the 10th to 90th percentile is $56,609 (2026 est.). At $59,020, the local median is 21.08% below the national median of $74,788.
Salary Calculator
At 40 hours/week in Salt Lake City: You'd be in the lower-middle range
How Salt Lake City Court Reporter Pay Compares
Salt Lake City median: $59,020/year (2026)
| Compared To | Median Salary | Salt Lake City Pays |
|---|---|---|
| Utah Average | $59,257 | -0.40% less |
| National Average | $74,788 | -21.08% less |
Court Reporters in Salt Lake City, UT earn a median of $59,020 per year (2026 est.), which is 21.08% lower than the national median of $74,788 and 0.40% below the Utah state average of $59,257.
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
Salt Lake City has a cost of living 1.90% below the national average, meaning your salary goes further here.
Adjusted salary = nominal × (100 / CoL index). CoL index: 100 = national average.
Salt Lake City, UT has a cost-of-living index of 98.1 (below the national average of 100). A court reporter earning $59,020 nominally has purchasing power equivalent to $60,163 in an average-cost city — an effective 1.94% boost.
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2019 BLS Actual
$47,452
2025 BLS Actual
$57,151
2026 Current Est.
$59,020
2019–2027 Growth
+28.4%
Salary Trajectory for Court Reporters in Salt Lake City (2019–2027)
2019–2025: actual BLS OEWS data for this metro area. 2026+: CAGR 3.27% projection.
| Year | Annual Salary | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $47,452 | Actual |
| 2020 | $48,660 | Actual |
| 2021 | $47,650 | Actual |
| 2022 | $50,159 | Actual |
| 2023 | $50,459 | Actual |
| 2024 | $54,697 | Actual |
| 2025 | $57,151 | Actual |
| 2026(current) | $59,020 | Estimated |
| 2027 | $60,950 | Projected |
Based on 7 years of BLS OEWS data for the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, the median court reporter salary grew 20.4% from $47,452 (2019) to $57,151 (2025). At a 3.27% compound annual growth rate, salaries are projected to reach $60,950 by 2027 — a total increase of $13,498 (28.45%) from 2019.
Note: Historical values (2019–2025) are actual BLS OEWS figures for the Salt Lake City 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) | $34,872 – $43,861 |
| 3-5 years (Mid Career) | $43,861 – $59,020 |
| 5+ years (Experienced) | $59,020 – $75,545 |
| 10+ years (Top Earner) | $75,545 – $91,481 |
CR salary ranges estimated from BLS percentile data. Individual court reporter compensation varies by employer, certifications, and specialization.
Court Reporter Job Market in Salt Lake City
The employment environment for court reporters in Salt Lake City is robust, with approximately 42 professionals currently in the field. The cost of living index stands at 98.1, slightly below the national average, which places a unique constraint on the purchasing power of salaries earned in this sector. Freelance opportunities often yield the highest pay, especially when working with agencies like Veritext or US Legal Support, where per-page transcript rates can vary between $3 to $8. Official court reporters, as state employees, work from a defined pay scale, while federal court reporter compensation is guided by civil service guidelines, typically resulting in lower pay compared to their freelance counterparts. For those aiming to maximize income in Salt Lake City UT, focusing on acquiring the RPR or CRR certifications can provide a financial edge, particularly due to the premium associated with realtime CART services during high-demand periods such as sports or news broadcasting. Crafting relationships with multiple agencies and leveraging varied employment avenues is key to increasing overall court reporter pay in Salt Lake City UT.
More salary data for Salt Lake City, UT:
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
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 $57,151 for court reportersin the Salt Lake City 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
Salary data for Salt Lake City is estimated from official BLS state-level occupational wage data (2025), adjusted for regional cost-of-living differences using BEA RPP (Regional Price Parities).
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