Court Reporting and Stenotype Services Revenue Benchmarks
The average court reporting and stenotype services business in the United States generates $416K in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 3,038 court reporting and stenotype services businesses in the U.S., employing 12,128 workers with an average profit margin of 8.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $69K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Court Reporting and Stenotype Business Actually Do?
Court reporters and legal videographers producing deposition and court transcripts. Increasingly digital transcription competing.
Who buys: Law firms, courts, insurance companies, arbitration services.
Average Revenue
$416K
per year
Profit Margin
8.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$104K
per year
Total Businesses
3,038
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$33K
small business avg
Labor Cost
55.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$69K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
0.9
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Court Reporting and Stenotype Services Charge?
Court reporters charge per page for transcripts and per hour for reporting.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Deposition attendance fee | $150–350/hour |
Transcript (per page) | $3–8 per page |
Realtime transcription | $4–10 per page premium |
Video deposition (per hour) | $150–350 |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete court reporting and stenotype business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a court reporting and stenotype services business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the court reporting and stenotype services industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Direct service costs | $7 | $31K | Cleaning supplies, uniforms, equipment consumables — depends on service type. |
Wages & benefits | $55 | $229K | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $6 | $23K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $4 | $15K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $20 | $85K | Insurance, background checks, training, transportation, admin. |
Net profit | $8 | $33K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
8.81%
openings/year
Closure Rate
13.14%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
-7.8%
annual
Businesses Closed
2,058
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Court Reporting and Stenotype Business?
Startup Cost
$50K – $250K
Break-Even
54 months
5-Year Survival Rate
50.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a court reporting and stenotype services business do?
- Court reporters and legal videographers producing deposition and court transcripts. Increasingly digital transcription competing. Law firms, courts, insurance companies, arbitration services.
- How much do court reporting and stenotype services charge?
- Court reporters charge per page for transcripts and per hour for reporting. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average court reporting and stenotype services make per year?
- The average court reporting and stenotype services business generates $416K in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $33K per year at a 8.0% profit margin.
- How many court reporting and stenotype services businesses are there in the US?
- There are 3,038 court reporting and stenotype services businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 12,128 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a court reporting and stenotype services business?
- Startup costs for a court reporting and stenotype services business typically range from $50K to $250K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
- What is the average salary in the court reporting and stenotype services industry?
- The average employee in the court reporting and stenotype services industry earns $69K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The court reporting and stenotype services industry is contracting — losing jobs at a net rate of 7.8% per year. More establishments are closing (13.1%) than opening (8.8%), suggesting market challenges.
Approximately 49% of court reporting and stenotype services businesses survive their first 5 years. This is near the national average (~50%), with typical business risk. In 2023, 2,058 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the court reporting and stenotype services industry earns $68,530/year. This is near the national average of ~$65K. With 3,239 establishments employing 11,097 people, the typical business has about 3 employees. Most businesses in this industry are small operations — often owner-operated with minimal staff.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The court reporting and stenotype services industry has declined 23% since 2000 (from 25,410 to 19,450 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Court Reporting and Stenotype Services revenue with other industries: