Court reporting is a solid career option for people who are interested in the legal field but have no desire to go into six figures of debt for law school. In 2016, there were almost 20,000 court reporter jobs in the United States, according to the federal government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of 2017, those court reporters took home a median salary of more than $55,000 per year, or $26.50 per hour. This is a job that requires a lot of attention to detail, because court reporters have to get a record of every single word uttered in court. You also typically need some sort of certification or state licensing before you can begin work. Once that is attained, court reporters can work just about anywhere. Let’s take a look at the advantages of being a court reporter in Miami.
It’s a banking center
You don’t have to go to New York to find yourself in the heart of a bustling financial district. Miami’s Brickell neighborhood is known as “Wall Street South.” In 2015, Forbes reported that the area’s diversity was a big factor in turning Brickell into a hotbed of financial activity. Latin American countries are particularly interested in bringing their business to this part of Miami, and this city is happy to welcome banks from around the world. Brickell was home to a whopping 53 banks as of 2015, and the population of the neighborhood has at least doubled since the year 2000.
What does all that financial activity in Brickell mean for court reporters? If you work as a court reporter in downtown Miami, you may very well end up working on cases involving financial matters. Those cases can get technical in a way that’s hard for a layperson to follow, but an experienced court reporter has the skills to follow along and make sure everything they take down is accurate.
There’s no state income tax
Florida is one of seven states that does not make its residents pay a personal income tax. That means court reporters can keep more of their paycheck, although they’ll still have to pay some taxes to the federal government. If you’ve ever wondered why so many celebrities live in Florida, you can probably thank that lack of a state income tax, although the sunny weather doesn’t hurt either.
However, states without an income tax often have to use other mechanisms to raise money. In the Sunshine State, residents have to deal with a sales tax. The property taxes here are also higher than average, so think about that when you’re searching for a place to live in Miami. The cost of living in Florida is also higher than average, but many Floridians have decided it’s worth paying more for the increased quality of life they enjoy.
Great vacation options
People travel from all over the country to vacation in Florida. The only state that draws more tourists than Florida is California. When you live in Miami, you’ll find a wealth of great getaway options within easy driving distance. The east side of the state offers great beaches overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, while traveling to the west side of the state allows you to experience Florida’s Gulf Coast.
It’s hard to pick between the two bodies of water, so why not try both? When you live in Florida, you don’t have to worry about cramming every single tourist attraction into a single visit. If you don’t get to something in one visit, you can go back a few weeks later. Court reporting is a challenging job, and you deserve the chance to unwind once you’re off the clock. Once you’ve accumulated some paid time off, you can simply pick a destination and start driving.
