Prevailing Wage for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
Prevailing wage floors for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners are set by the DOL under SOC 27-3092, covering roles filed under titles such as Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR), Court Stenographer, and Court Monitor. DOL assigns four experience levels, and the wage floor shifts significantly by city, so where the job is located matters as much as the level assigned.
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Level 1 covers entry-level reporters with limited experience, typically fresh from a court reporting program or with fewer than two years on the job. Work is closely supervised, limited to straightforward proceedings, and output is reviewed before finalizing.
Level 2 applies to qualified reporters who handle a full range of proceedings with moderate supervision. This is the most common filing level for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners, reflecting standard professional competency and independent transcript production.
Level 3 describes experienced reporters handling complex litigation, multi-party depositions, or captioning assignments with minimal oversight. May provide guidance to less experienced staff and demonstrate consistent speed and accuracy across specialized or technical subject matter.
Level 4 reflects fully competent senior reporters, including those in lead roles, real-time certified professionals, or those managing transcript quality for a team. Assignments involve the highest complexity and the greatest degree of independent judgment.
Prevailing Wage for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for this role and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your worksite state for captioning roles
Stenocaptioners and broadcast captioners sometimes work remotely but the LCA must list the primary worksite location. A Texas-based employer filing for work performed in California owes the California prevailing wage, which can be substantially higher for this occupation.
Watch for title aliasing on court reporter filings
Employers occasionally file LCAs under Court Monitor or Court Recording Monitor rather than Court Reporter, which may shift the SOC code and the associated wage floor. Confirm the SOC 27-3092 code appears on your Labor Condition Application before accepting an offer.
Understand how per-page and per-diem pay meets the floor
Many court reporting positions compensate through transcript page rates or daily flat fees rather than a straight salary. For prevailing wage purposes, DOL evaluates annualized compensation, so per-page earnings must aggregate to at least the applicable wage floor for your level and location.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsors with court reporter history
Court reporting is a niche occupation with a limited pool of visa-sponsoring employers. Migrate Mate shows which employers have sponsored Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners before, helping you focus on firms with a demonstrated record rather than cold-approaching agencies unlikely to sponsor.
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Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 27-3092.00 alongside Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR) Prevailing Wage
Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR) Prevailing Wage
Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR) positions fall under SOC 27-3092.00 (Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Court Monitor Prevailing Wage
Court Monitor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Court Monitor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 27-3092.00 (Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Court Recording Monitor Prevailing Wage
Court Recording Monitor Prevailing Wage
Court Recording Monitor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 27-3092.00 (Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Court Reporter Prevailing Wage
Court Reporter Prevailing Wage
Court Reporter positions fall under SOC 27-3092.00 (Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Court Stenographer Prevailing Wage
Court Stenographer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Court Stenographer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 27-3092.00 (Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Deposition Reporter Prevailing Wage
Deposition Reporter Prevailing Wage
Deposition Reporter is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 27-3092.00 (Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Digital Court Reporter Prevailing Wage
Digital Court Reporter Prevailing Wage
Digital Court Reporter positions fall under SOC 27-3092.00 (Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Official Court Reporter Prevailing Wage
Official Court Reporter Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Official Court Reporter for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 27-3092.00 (Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Realtime Court Reporter Prevailing Wage
Realtime Court Reporter Prevailing Wage
Realtime Court Reporter is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 27-3092.00 (Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Stenographer Prevailing Wage
Stenographer Prevailing Wage
Stenographer positions fall under SOC 27-3092.00 (Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners?
DOL derives prevailing wages for SOC 27-3092 from Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The OFLC publishes these figures in its wage library, and employers must certify on the Labor Condition Application that they will pay at least the prevailing wage for the assigned level and worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL assigns levels based on experience, supervision, and job complexity. Level 1 is entry-level under close supervision. Level 2 is the standard qualified professional handling routine proceedings independently. Level 3 reflects experienced reporters taking on complex or real-time work. Level 4 covers senior or lead roles. The employer selects the level when preparing the LCA, and it must match the actual duties in the job description.
Why does the prevailing wage for this role vary so much from city to city?
DOL uses regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data, so each metro area reflects local market rates for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners. Markets with high court activity or a dense legal sector, such as major California metros, produce higher survey medians. The LCA worksite rule means the wage is tied to where the work is actually performed, not where the employer is headquartered.
What happens if my job offer falls below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA at a wage below the DOL prevailing wage floor for the applicable level and location. USCIS will not approve an H-1B or other sponsored petition if the underlying LCA wage is deficient. If an offer is below the floor, the employer must either raise the offered salary to the required level or file at the correct lower experience level if the duties genuinely support it.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, selecting SOC code 27-3092 and the metro area matching your worksite. OFLC publishes wage data by level for hundreds of metropolitan areas. For locations not covered by a specific metro survey, OFLC applies statewide figures. Migrate Mate lets you filter court reporter and captioner job listings by location and employer sponsorship history, giving you a starting point to cross-check against OFLC wage data.
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