All careersEducation, law & social work

Interpreter / Translator

$60,170
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Convert speech or writing from one language to another so people can understand each other.

Where you work

Courts, hospitals, schools, and remote; varies widely by assignment.

The hours

Often freelance and irregular; some full-time staff roles.

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$60,170
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~6,900
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+2%
About average
Working in the U.S.
coming soon

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Fluency + certification; a degree helps.

License or certification

No universal license; court and medical work often require certification.

What it takes

Bilingual fluencyListeningCultural knowledgeConcentration

The honest take

Bilingual first-gen students start with the core skill already earned.

Standard Occupational Classification 27-3091. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.