Interpreters and Translators Salary
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations · 52K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$60,170
Median hourly
$29
Average annual
$66,360
Typical range
$37,070–$103,660
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Interpreters and Translators is $60,170 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $29 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another..
Most earn between $37,070 and $103,660 a year. There are roughly 52K people employed as interpreters and translators in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Interpreters and Translators.
- Hourly
- $28.93
- Daily
- $231
- Weekly
- $1,157
- Bi-weekly
- $2,314
- Monthly
- $5,014
- Annual
- $60,170
$60,170 a year is around the 50th percentile for Interpreters and Translatorss. The median is $60,170.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1District of Columbia$109,970
- 2Maryland$88,550
- 3New York$84,090
- 4Rhode Island$82,320
- 5Massachusetts$72,750
- 6Colorado$71,790
- 7California$70,770
- 8Connecticut$68,340
- 9Minnesota$66,410
- 10Oregon$66,300
- 11Idaho$66,130
- 12Utah$65,770
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$101,530
- 2Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$94,510
- 3Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$93,960
- 4New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$87,590
- 5Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$84,960
- 6San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$83,680
- 7Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$83,200
- 8Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$82,440
- 9Salem, OR$80,960
- 10Akron, OH$80,640
- 11Boise City, ID$80,250
- 12Lancaster, PA$78,890
Related job titles
Employers advertise Interpreters and Translators roles under these titles.
- American Sign Language Interpreter (ASL Interpreter)
- Arabic Translator
- Bilingual Interpreter
- Bilingual Secretary
- Braille Translator
- Community Interpreter
- Court Interpreter
- Cryptologic Linguist
- Deaf Interpreter
- Diplomatic Interpreter
- Educational Interpreter
- Foreign Language Interpreter
- Freelance Translator
- Interpreter
- Language Interpreter
- Language Translator
Related occupations
- Speech-Language Pathologists$97,870
- Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$79,350
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$61,540
- Healthcare Support Workers, All Other$48,430
- English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$78,760
- Tutors$43,350
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers$51,120
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040
What a Interpreters and Translators does
- 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.
- 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.
- Identify and resolve conflicts related to the meanings of words, concepts, practices, or behaviors.
- Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary.
- Compile information on content and context of information to be translated and on intended audience.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Interpreters and Translators make?
- The median annual wage for Interpreters and Translators is $60,170 ($29 per hour). Pay ranges from about $37,070 at the 10th percentile to $103,660 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Interpreters and Translators?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $66,360, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Interpreters and Translatorss the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $109,970.
- Is Interpreters and Translators a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 52K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Interpreters and Translators 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.; Compile terminology and information to be used in translations, including technical terms such as those for legal or medical material..