How much does a interpreters and translator make?

The median pay is $28.93 per hour — roughly $60,000 a year, with the real range running from about $17.82/hr (10th percentile) to $49.84/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a interpreters and translator?

The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).

What does a interpreters and translator actually do all day?

Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information. Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible. Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary.

Arts & Media

Interpreters and Translators

Interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another.

What it pays
Interpreters and Translators earn a median of $28.93/hr — about $60,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.82/hr; the top 10% earn $49.84/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information.
Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible.
Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary.
Compile terminology and information to be used in translations, including technical terms such as those for legal or medical material.
Refer to reference materials, such as dictionaries, lexicons, encyclopedias, and computerized terminology banks, as needed to ensure translation accuracy.
Check translations of technical terms and terminology to ensure that they are accurate and remain consistent throughout translation revisions.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).

The feel of the work

Precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 27% of interpreters and translators are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused, creative and people-focused.

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Quick questions

How much does a interpreters and translator make?: The median pay is $28.93 per hour — roughly $60,000 a year, with the real range running from about $17.82/hr (10th percentile) to $49.84/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a interpreters and translator?: The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
What does a interpreters and translator actually do all day?: Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information. Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible. Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.