Job Details for Court Reporter
| Court Name/Organization | California Southern District Court |
| Overview of the Position | The Clerk’s Office is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Official Court Reporter to U.S. District Judge James E. Simmons, Jr. As part of the Operations section, the Court Reporter records verbatim all proceedings as directed, and reports to the Court Reporter/ECR Coordinator. |
| Location | San Diego, CA |
| Opening and Closing Dates | 07/10/2026 - Open Until Filled |
| Appointment Type | Permanent |
| Salary | $109,039 - $130,848 |
| Link to Court Careers Information | https://www.casd.uscourts.gov/Careers.aspx |
| Announcement Number | 26-28 |
| Link to Job Announcement | |
Position Description
Representative Duties:
Responsibilities include attending and recording verbatim all proceedings as directed by a judge or court or requested by any party who has agreed to pay the fees established by the Judicial Conference of the United States; reading back all or any portion of the court records; reviewing the court calendar and noting the appearance of attorneys, witnesses and the proper spelling of their names; producing transcripts within strict time limitations; billing, delivering and/or mailing official transcripts prepared; certifying and filing with the Clerk of Court original records and a copy of transcripts prepared; and covering other courts as needed, and all other duties as assigned. The incumbent is responsible for providing and maintaining his or her own computer equipment and telephone. Court reporter positions are eligible to receive a court-provided parking space as part of their employment, and a private office. Court reporters are also eligible to participate in the Clerk’s Office telework program.
Salary Range: Pay Rates* Per Annum
- Level 1 - $109,039, plus transcripts
- Level 2 - $114,491, plus transcripts
- Level 3 - $119,943, plus transcripts
- Level 4 - $125,395, plus transcripts
- Level 5* - $130,848, plus transcripts
We match Federal Transcript Page Rates Effective 10/1/2024.
Qualifications
Level 1: To qualify for a position of Official Court Reporter, the candidate must be a high school graduate or equivalent and must possess a minimum of 4 years prime court reporting experience in the freelance field of service or in other courts or a combination thereof and have qualified by testing for listing on the registry of professional reporters of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) or passed an equivalent qualifying exam. To qualify above Level 1, the candidate must meet the qualifications in Level 1 and the following:
- Level 2: Requires merit certification from NCRA or equivalent exam.
- Level 3: Requires real-time certification from NCRA or equivalent exam.
- Level 4: Requires merit and real-time certifications from NCRA or equivalent exam.
- Level 5*: Official court reporters appointed before Oct. 11, 2009, after 10 years of service in the federal courts and with merit and real-time certifications. This service includes credit for time spent serving in a federal court as a contract or per diem reporter.
Candidates should note that work in this position is performed in an office setting. This is not a full-time telework position.
Required Clearances:
Please note that this position does not require that applicants complete the “Optional Background Information” section on page 5 (Questions 18-20) of the AO-78 Application Form. The Court may require the disclosure of any criminal history information at the time a conditional offer is made. The selected candidate will also be required to submit to a background clearance which includes fingerprinting and a credit check.
General Experience
Personal Characteristics:
The successful candidate should be a mature, trustworthy, dedicated, responsible, and poised individual who possesses tact, good judgment, initiative, a strong work ethic, the ability to work well with chambers and Clerk’s Office staff, and the ability to report long court sessions.
Employee Benefits
Salary is just one component of the comprehensive compensation package offered by the Federal Court. Federal court employees are eligible for a full range of benefits that include 13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid holidays per year, a flexible work schedule, immediate matching Thrift Savings Plan, pre-tax programs (health, dependent care and transportation), and insurance plans (i.e., health, life, disability, and long-term care), car-pooling options and a transportation subsidy. Employer benefit contributions equate to no less than 33% of an employee’s total compensation. Be advised that eligibility may vary by appointment type and length.
Learn more about Federal court benefits.
Miscellaneous
Information for Applicants
The Court 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. In the event that a position becomes vacant in a similar classification, within a reasonable time of the original announcement, the Clerk of Court may elect to select a candidate from the applicants who responded to the original announcement without posting the position.
Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position. Employees of the U.S. District Court serve under “Excepted Appointments” and are considered “at will” employees. Federal Civil Service classifications or regulations do not apply; however, court employees are entitled to substantially the same benefits as other Federal Government employees.
All information provided by applicants is subject to verification and background investigation. Applicants are advised that false statements or omission of information on any application materials or the inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment or dismissal after being employed.
Participation in the interview process will be at the applicant’s own expense and relocation expenses will not be provided.
The position is subject to the mandatory electronic fund transfer (EFT) participation for payment of net pay (i.e., Direct Deposit).
Non-citizens may be interviewed and considered for employment, but employment offers will only be made to individuals who qualify under one of the exceptions in 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3)(B). In most cases, this means that an offer of employment cannot be made unless the candidate is a lawful permanent resident who is seeking U.S. citizenship as explained below.
Under 8 U.S.C. §1324b(a)(3)(B), a lawful permanent resident seeking citizenship may not apply for citizenship until he or she has been a permanent resident for at least five years (three years if seeking naturalization as a spouse of a citizen), at which point he or she must apply for citizenship within six months of becoming eligible, and must complete the process within two years of applying (unless there is a delay caused by the processors of the application). Non-citizens who have not been permanent residents for five years will be required to execute an affidavit that they intend to apply for citizenship when they become eligible to do so.
If selected for first time appointment to a position, you may be required to complete an initial performance probationary period. Failure to successfully complete the probationary period may result in termination of employment.
Application Info
Qualified candidates must submit a cover letter, resume, a minimum of three references with contact information, and the AO-78 Application Form (available for download in the application portal). All application materials must be submitted at CASD HR Application Portal. Preference will be given to applicants who submit application materials before 4:30 p.m., Monday, July 27, 2026.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.