Freelance Official Court Reporter Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary: See Position Description
Location : San Antonio, TX
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: USDC25-23
Agency: United States District Court
Division: San Antonio
Opening Date: 08/20/2025
Closing Date: Continuous
Position Overview
Position Title: Official Court Reporter
Job Number: USDC 25-23
Closing Date: Open Until Filled
Salary Range: $96,857 -$116,229* (Salary commensurate with qualifications and duty station)
*Court Reporter (CR) Levels1-5 in accordance with the 2026 Court Reporters' Rates of Pay.
Location: San Antonio, Texas
The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas is seeking qualified applicants for the full-time position of Official Court Reporter in the San Antonio divisional office. An official court reporter is responsible for the verbatim reporting of proceedings held before United States District Judges and Magistrate Judges and for the transcription of those proceedings upon request. Occasional travel will be required as the Court is designated to preside in other locations throughout the Western District of Texas.
Responsibilities

• Attend and record verbatim court sessions for both civil and criminal proceedings; read back portions of court record as required.
• Provide transcripts within the time and cost limitations set by the Judicial Conference; electronically file with the Clerk of Court a copy of all transcripts prepared concurrently with delivery to the requesting parties.
• Provide transcripts and/or a Realtime feed to the Court upon request, without charge.
• Perform administrative duties as required, such as billing for transcripts, financial and other record keeping, preparation and filing of required Administrative Office reports, and responding to official correspondence and telephone calls.
• Maintain and safeguard records until they are disposed of according to statutory requirements and national and local policies.
• Adhere to the requirements of The Guide to Judiciary Policy, Volume VI, as well as the Court's local Court Reporter Management Plan.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Preferred Qualifications

• Must possess a minimum of at least one (1) year of prime court reporting experience in a court, or in the freelance field of service or a combination thereof.
• Must have passed the Registered Professional Reporters (RPR) examination administered by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) or passed an equivalent qualifying examination*.
• Realtime court reporting proficiency, Realtime certification is preferred.
• Must own or be willing to purchase, upon entry on duty, realtime court reporting equipment.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills to permit the production of transcripts within strict time limitations.
• Work well under pressure and be willing to work as part of a team of court reporters fulfilling the needs of all judicial officers of the Court.
• Must possess tact, good judgement, poise, initiative, and always maintain a professional appearance and demeanor.

*Equivalent Qualifying Examination - Professional associations (other than the NCRA) and state license examinations may be acceptably equivalent to the NCRA testing, but the requirements for the examinations at the time of administration should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis as the requirements change from time-to-time.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

• Registered Professional Reporters (RPR) or equivalent qualifying exam.
• Reporters who possess a Certificate of Registered Merit Reporter (RMR) or are a Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR) from NCRA or have passed an equivalent qualifying exam.
• Reporters with prior federal court experience.

COMPENSATION
CRLEVEL1:$96,857 (minimum qualifications)
CRLEVEL2:$101,699 (requires merit certification)*
CRLEVEL3:$106,542 (requires realtime certification)**
CRLEVEL4:$111,385 (requires realtime and merit certification)
CRLEVEL5:$116,229 (current Federal Official Court Reporter hired before October 11, 2009, with longevity: minimum of ten years Federal Service; Merit and Realtime Certification by NCRA)
*Merit Certification (RMR): Registered merit reporter certificate from NCRA
**Realtime Certification (CRR): Successful completion of a certified realtime examination by NCRA
In addition to the starting salary for court reporters set by the Judicial Conference, an official court reporter is entitled to transcript fees from any party who has contracted with the court reporter for transcript services. The following link provides further information on the Federal Court Reporting Program transcripts.
Application Procedure
Qualified candidates may apply by submitting a cover letter (include job title/number listed above), detailed resume, e-mail address, daytime phone number, and a copy of all court reporter certifications to: www.txwd.uscourts.gov > Court Info > Jobs > Current Employment Opportunities & Online Application. Applications will be considered as soon as received and will continue to be considered until the position is filled.
The United States Courts reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, or to withdraw the announcement, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice. More than one position may be filled from this posting. In the event that a position becomes vacant in a similar classification, within a reasonable time of the original announcement, the Court Unit Executive may elect to select a candidate from the applicants who responded to the original announcement without posting the position. The Court is not authorized to reimburse travel expenses for interviews or relocation. This position is subject to mandatory electronic direct deposit of salary payments. All applicants must be a U.S. citizen or must be a lawful permanent resident (i.e., green card holder) and seeking U.S. citizenship. Applicants are advised that false statements or omission of information on any application materials may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed. Employees of the U.S. Courts serve under "Excepted Appointments" and are considered "at-will" employees (except for probation officers who may be removed for cause). All employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees (available for review upon request). Applicants scheduled to interview should advise the Human Resources staff if any accommodation is needed.
The United States District Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer
The federal Judiciary provides a generous benefit package, which includes:

• Retirement Benefits:
  • Federal Employes Retirement System (FERS) Basic Benefit Plan
  • Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) - 401k styled program with up to a 5% government match
  • Social Security
• Paid vacation and sick leave
• 11 paid federal government holidays
• Optional Benefits:
  • Health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance options
  • Flexible Benefits Program offering medical care, dependent care, and parking reimbursement
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Flexible work schedules and telework, depending on location and position
  • On-site gym, depending on location

For additional information regarding benefits, go to
01
Are you either qualified for listing on the registry of the National Court Reporters Association or have passed an equivalent qualifying examination?

• Yes
• No

02
Have you attached a copy of your certificate?

• Yes
• No

03
How many years of prime court reporting experience do you have?
Required Question