Interpreters and Translators
Interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another.
Also called: American Sign Language Interpreter (ASL Interpreter), Arabic Translator, Bilingual Interpreter, Bilingual Secretary, Braille Transcriber, Braille Translator
Median pay
$60,170
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$37,070 – $103,660
People employed
52,060
Holland code
CAS
Conventional · Artistic · Social
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you OK repeating the same tasks most of the day?
- 2.Do you prefer doing your own work rather than directing others?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
- Mistakes can have serious consequences
Interpreters and Translators pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (46 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What interpreters and translators do
- 01Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information.
- 02Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible.
- 03Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary.
- 04Compile terminology and information to be used in translations, including technical terms such as those for legal or medical material.
- 05Adapt translations to students' cognitive and grade levels, collaborating with educational team members as necessary.
- 06Refer to reference materials, such as dictionaries, lexicons, encyclopedias, and computerized terminology banks, as needed to ensure translation accuracy.
Skills that matter most
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge
- English Language
- Foreign Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Administrative
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Intellectual Curiosity
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a bachelor's degree (O*NET Job Zone 4).
- Related work experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years.
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
- A professional certification is often expected.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from interpreters and translators
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors80% · +2%
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education76% · +20%
- Speech-Language Pathologists75% · +63%
- Special Education Teachers, Middle School75% · +11%
- Speech-Language Pathology Assistants75% · group pay
Change into interpreters and translators
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers68% · $51,120
- Archivists67% · $64,550
- Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary63% · $79,350
Majors that lead here
- Deaf Studies
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness
- Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
- Linguistics
- Language Interpretation and Translation
- Applied Linguistics
- African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
- Chinese Language and Literature
- Japanese Language and Literature
- Korean Language and Literature
- Tibetan Language and Literature
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.