How to Become a Court Reporter in Nebraska

By Chelsea Wilson in Court Reporter Programs

Being a court reporter can provide a sense of justice, as you’ll be responsible for documenting various cases.

Not only do court reporters work in the court, but they also are present for depositions, administrative hearings, and more.

If you want to become a court reporter, you’ll need the correct education and skills before applying.

Becoming a court reporter in Nebraska requires that you attend a certificate or degree program while also meeting certain criteria.

Below, we’ll help introduce you to where you can find these courses, a list of them, and the options available to you.

How to Become a Court Reporter – Step-by-Step

Becoming a court reporter in the state of Nebraska is a bit challenging, as there aren’t as many programs there.

However, you can still attend online training if you can’t find a local college to take your classes.

That being said, hands-on experience is also important, and you will need to get some to become a professional and pass the exam and certification.

Meet the Minimum Requirements

You must meet the minimum requirements to become a court reporter in the state of Nebraska.

Minimum requirements are set by the federal government and must be met before applying for a program.

Court reporters must be over the age of 18 and have attained their high school diploma or equivalent.

In addition, court reporters should demonstrate skills required for the job, such as high attention to detail, fast typing, and reliability.

Attend a Certificate or Degree Program

Becoming a court reporter in Nebraska requires that you attend the proper schooling.

In the state, courts require that you have a minimum of either a certificate or an associate’s degree.

You can be a Certified Real-Time Reporter (CRR) from the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) or attend an official associate program for court reporter writing.

Become Certified or Attain a Degree

Attending a program and successfully completing a degree or certificate program will allow you to work as a court reporter in Nebraska.

You will need to attend all classes and maintain a good grade.

After completing the degree or certificate program, you must apply for a three-part licensing exam.

This exam is a state exam that demonstrates your competency.

It includes multiple sections, including a dictation and transcription exam, a written exam, and a state exam.

These tests often require that you have an accuracy of 97.5%.

If you don’t, then you will need to practice until you do.

In addition, each state has its own requirements.

Preferences for typists that can document around 200 words per minute.

This should be done with high accuracy.

Otherwise, you will not meet the minimum requirements.

Attend an Internship or Gain Experience

Court reporting is challenging if you’re not used to the pacing.

A good way to improve your skills is to get an internship or gain relevant experience.

Working as a court reporter as an intern can help you learn the ins and outs of the job.

In addition, you’ll learn about difficult words to type and legal lingo.

If you’re working a similar job, such as data entry, transcription, etc., you’ll have an easier time making the switch.

Working similar jobs can help boost your words per minute and also accuracy.

However, court reporters have a special job, as they must type efficiently without interrupting the court to repeat what was said.

Networking

Familiarize yourself with court employees and recruiters.

Knowing your employers means you’ll be first in line when a job opens.

Many court reporter jobs are currently closed because they already have court reporters.

However, the workforce expects most court reporters to retire in the next decade.

So, you’ll have plenty of opportunities if you get in the know and network.

Apply

Once you’ve completed the other steps, you must apply for jobs.

Finding job listings might be difficult, but you can use websites like Indeed.

However, the best way is for you to contact your local court and provide them with your contact info.

When an opening is there, then they can notify you first thing.

Court Reporter Schools in Nebraska

Unfortunately, there are no court reporter schools in Nebraska.

The state has no official degree or certificate programs you can attend locally.

Instead, you must attend a national-level certificate or degree program and apply for internships to gain experience.

Once you complete the training, you can take the state exam and apply for work.

NCRA

The NCRA site features an NCRA-approved programs list.

You can search for the closest college to you or look for online classes.

Then, you can apply for a certificate or degree program that works for you.

Once you attend, you can apply for the state court reporter exam to become certified.

After that, then you can start working.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need state licensing to work as a court reporter in Nebraska?

Yes, all states require that you at least take the state exam and hold a certificate approved by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA).

This certificate proves you have the skills to work as a court reporter.

However, depending on where you apply, you might also need to undergo a certificate or degree program.

Is it difficult to become a court reporter in Nebraska?

Becoming a court reporter in Nebraska is a bit more challenging than in other states.

Nebraska doesn’t have any in-person programs.

So, it can be difficult to find schooling.

That being said, plenty of internships and similar jobs can still gain you experience.

Where can I apply to become a court reporter in Nebraska?

You should join the State of Nebraska Judicial Branch website and list yourself as a court reporting personnel.

Once you do, then you can apply to work for any judge in the court system

Court Reporter Salary Information

The average salary of court reporters in the United States is $62,459, which falls between $30,904 on the low end and $99,313 on the high end.

The average court reporter’s salary in Nebraska was $58,711.

On the low end, it was $29,050; on the high end, it was $93,355.

Annual Salary Range:

Item	Percent
$42K



$58K



$76K

Average Salary in Nebraska

City Name	Salary
Omaha	$59,158
Lincoln	$58,636
Bellevue	$59,158
Grand Island	$57,822
Kearney	$57,822
Fremont	$58,219
Hastings	$57,822
North Platte	$56,735
Norfolk	$53,756
Abie	$57,822

Regional Salary

Region	Employed	Avg. Annual Salary	Avg. Hourly Pay	Top 10% Annual Salary	Bottom 10% Annual Salary
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA	30	$68,140	$32.76	$85,760	$56,960

* Salary information based on the May 2022 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners, OCC Code 27-3092, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

Court Reporter Programs by State

About Chelsea Wilson

Chelsea Wilson is the Community Relations Manager for Washington University School of Law’s distance learning LLM degree program, which provides foreign trained attorneys with the opportunity to earn a Master of Laws degree from a top-tier American university from anywhere in the world.

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