Court Reporters, Medical Transcriptionists, and Related Workers

(NOC 1251)

in All Business, Finance, and Administration

Court reporters record and transcribe the proceedings of courts, legislative assemblies and committees, and prepare transcripts for use by judges, tribunals and quasi-judicial panels. They work for courts, provincial and federal legislative assemblies and committees, or they may be self-employed. Medical transcriptionists record, transcribe and edit dictation by physicians and other health care providers, surgical proceedings, health-related reports and other medical documentation. They work for hospitals, medical clinics and doctors' offices, or they may be self-employed. Closed captioners and other transcriptionists are included in this group.

Job Outlook

Average

Read more

  • Estimate Moderate growth employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 55 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate Low rate of unemployment in 2022

Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration

  • Estimate 3555 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 9370 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

$14.50

Minimum

$22.01

Median

$32.00

Maximum

Annual Pay

$7,632

Minimum

$35,369

Median

$53,951

Maximum

Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration

Hourly Pay

$15.00

Minimum

$23.00

Median

$38.50

Maximum

Annual Pay

$6,754

Minimum

$36,515

Median

$70,271

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

Court reporters record and transcribe the proceedings of courts, legislative assemblies and committees, and prepare transcripts for use by judges, tribunals and quasi-judicial panels. They work for courts, provincial and federal legislative assemblies and committees, or they may be self-employed.

Medical transcriptionists record, transcribe and edit dictation by physicians and other health care providers, surgical proceedings, health-related reports and other medical documentation. They work for hospitals, medical clinics and doctors' offices, or they may be self-employed. Closed captioners and other transcriptionists are included in this group.

Job duties

Court reporters:

  • Record proceedings of courtroom using electronic stenograph machine or steno mask.
  • Respond to requests during court sessions to read back verbatim evidence.
  • Transcribe recorded proceedings in appropriate formats.
  • Verify accuracy of transcripts by checking copy against original record of proceedings and accuracy of rulings by checking with judge.
  • Research and locate quotes to make sure they are accurate.
  • Respond to requests for transcripts ordered by judges, lawyers or the public.
  • File and store shorthand notes of court session.

Medical transcriptionists:

  • Transcribe recorded dictation in appropriate formats or written documentation from medical reports, correspondence, health records and patient information.
  • Proofread work for errors.
  • Edit transcripts for missing or incorrect content and formatting.

Sample job titles

  • braille transcriber
  • closed captioner
  • court recorder
  • court reporter
  • court stenographer
  • dictatypist
  • media transcriber
  • medical transcriptionist
  • transcriptionist

Skills

  • You need accurate and fast transcription and typing speeds, as well as excellent proofreading skills.

Job requirements

  • Court reporters need a high school diploma and usually need a college or other program in court reporting. They may also need the Chartered Shorthand Reporter (CSR) certificate.
  • Medical transcriptionists need a high school diploma and usually need to complete a recognized medical transcription program. They may also need the Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) certificate.

Other considerations

  • These jobs may cause back and neck strain due to sitting for long periods of time, as well as eye strain from computer screens. There is some movement between jobs in this group and other jobs requiring similar knowledge of legal or medical terminology like legal or medical administrative positions.

By the numbers

Quick look

450

employed in 2016

75.6%

employed full-time

26.7%

self employed

94.4%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
5.6%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
52.9

median age

Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration

63,775

employed in 2016

78.4%

employed full-time

6.6%

self employed

73.4%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
26.6%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
47.9

median age

Where will I likely work?

56.7%

Halifax

$27,982 median annual income
14.4%

North Shore

$39,978 median annual income
12.2%

Cape Breton

$38,857 median annual income
8.9%

Annapolis Valley

$22,843 median annual income
7.8%

Southern

N/A

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

41.6%

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

36.4%

Health care and social assistance

16.9%

Public administration

5.2%

Professional, scientific and technical services

What is the age of Employment?

33.0%

55-64

31.0%

45-54

17.0%

35-44

10.0%

65+

9.0%

25-34

Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration

26.3%

45-54

22.6%

55-64

19.4%

35-44

16.7%

25-34

7.5%

65+

Top levels of education

59.3%

College Diploma

$35,897 median annual income
16.5%

Bachelor

$21,364 median annual income
12.1%

High school

$41,579 median annual income
4.4%

Diploma Below Bachelor

N/A
3.3%

Less than high school

N/A

Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration

33.8%

College Diploma

$36,304 median annual income
23.8%

High school

$32,903 median annual income
22.8%

Bachelor

$41,755 median annual income
5.8%

Trade Certification

$34,807 median annual income
4.9%

Less than high school

$23,174 median annual income

Education & training

High School Diploma or Equivalent

High School Program

Adults without a high school diploma can contact the Nova Scotia School for Adult Learning (NSSAL) for tuition-free programming across the province. NSSAL oversees adult education programs in Nova Scotia. NSSAL partners with the Nova Scotia Community College, Adult High Schools, Université Sainte-Anne, and community-based learning organizations to deliver programs. NSSAL offers clear, accessible pathways from adult basic education to a high school credential or GED.

Institutions providing this program

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Adult High Schools

Various, NS

Community Learning Organizations

Various, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

No regulating bodies were found under this occupation profile

Contacts

Association of Administrative Professionals
Halifax, NS
Nova Scotia Department of Justice, Courts Services Division
Halifax, NS
Nova Scotia Court Transcriber Certification Program
Halifax, NS
Canadian Health Information Management Association
London, ON

Additional resources

There are no additional resources for this occupation.