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For Educators: Military Resources
For Educators: Military Resources
Occupation FinderEducation and Training

Interpreters and Translators

Median Salary
57,090
Job Outlook
+2%

Overview

What are the responsibilities of this role?

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

What sectors do they work in?

Private for profit

42%

Self-employed

24%

State and local government

20%

Private not for profit

11%

Federal Government

3%

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What is the job outlook?

Compensation

What is the typical salary range?

$36,860

10%

$57,090

Median

$101,010

90%

How does location impact how much salary?

Education

What level of education do professionals in this role have?

Education Level

  • Bachelor's degree

    54%

  • Master's degree

    27%

  • High school

    8%

  • Associate's degree

    4%

  • Post-master's certificate

    3%

  • Post-secondary certificate

    1%

Which college majors best prepare you for this role?

  • Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
  • German Language and Literature
  • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Spanish Language and Literature
  • French Language and Literature
  • Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature
  • Latin Language and Literature
  • Sign Language Interpretation and Translation
  • Linguistics
  • Japanese Language and Literature
  • American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Russian Language and Literature
  • Italian Language and Literature
  • Applied Linguistics
  • Iranian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • Arabic Language and Literature
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Language Interpretation and Translation
  • Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • American Sign Language (ASL)
  • Deaf Studies
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness
  • Chinese Language and Literature
  • Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Scandinavian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • Dutch/Flemish Language and Literature
  • Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • Celtic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • Korean Language and Literature
  • East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • Portuguese Language and Literature
  • Hebrew Language and Literature
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • Vietnamese Language and Literature
  • History and Language/Literature
  • Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Linguistics of ASL and Other Sign Languages
  • Hawaiian Language and Literature
  • Filipino/Tagalog Language and Literature
  • South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Polish Language and Literature
  • Sanskrit and Classical Indian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • American Sign Language, Other
  • African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian Languages and Literatures
  • Swedish Language and Literature
  • Modern Greek Language and Literature
  • Hindi Language and Literature
  • Indonesian/Malay Languages and Literatures
  • Thai Language and Literature
  • Turkish Language and Literature
  • Norwegian Language and Literature
  • Economics and Foreign Language/Literature
  • Danish Language and Literature
  • Uralic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other

Skills and Interest

Which skill sets are the most valuable to possess?

Skills

  • Verbal Skills

    High

  • Leadership

    Mid

  • Math and Science Skills

    Low

  • Technology Design and Control

    Low

  • Equipment Operation and Maintenance

    Low

  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

    Mid

What knowledge should you bring to the table?

  • English Language
  • Foreign Language
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Administrative
  • Education and Training

What challenges will you likely face in the workplace?

Workplace

  • Repetitiveness

    High

  • Decision Making

    High

  • Level Of Competition

    High

  • Time Pressure

    Mid

  • Physical Activity

    Mid

  • Exposure to Job Hazards

    Low

  • Responsibility

    Low

What personality traits help people thrive in this role?

Conventional

You like structure, staying organized, and working with systems to get things done efficiently.

Artistic

You love creating things and expressing yourself through art, writing and music.

Social

You love connecting with people, helping others and making a difference in your community.

RIASEC represents six broad interest areas—Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional—helping individuals identify careers that match their skills and preferences.

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Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center of Education Statistics, Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule). Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.

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