Interpreters and translators

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

82.7k

Average Age

44.3

Estimated Job Growth

1.73%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$47,046

Average Male Salary

$53,978

Average Female Salary

$44,356

About

Interpreters and translators are most often employed by the Other professional, scientific & technical services industry. The average yearly wage for Interpreters and translators was $47,046 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Interpreters and translators are Monterey County (North Central)--Seaside, Monterey, Marina & Pacific Grove Cities PUMA, CA, El Paso City (East) PUMA, TX, and Clackamas County (Northwest)--Milwaukie & Happy Valley Cities PUMA, OR. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Interpreters and translators are Hennepin County--Minneapolis (North) & St. Anthony Cities PUMA, MN, Monterey County (North Central)--Seaside, Monterey, Marina & Pacific Grove Cities PUMA, CA, and Wayne County (Northeast)--I-94 Corridor PUMA, MI.

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Employment

Employment and salary information for the Interpreters and translators workforce. Interpreters and translators workforce in 2024 was 82,682 people, of which 72% were women and 28% were men.

Interpreters and translators are paid most in Boulder PUMA, CO but are relatively concentrated in Hennepin County--Minneapolis (North) & St. Anthony Cities PUMA, MN.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

23,116

Male Workforce

± 3.73k

59,566

Female Workforce

± 5.99k

The Interpreters and translators workforce in 2024 was 82,682 people (72% women and 28% men). This implies an average annual growth of 1.01% between 2018 (81,854) and 2024 (82,682).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Interpreters and translators.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were District of Columbia ($98,958), Delaware ($80,092), and Georgia ($69,954).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$47,046

AVERAGE WAGE

#345 in the ranking (2018)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Interpreters and translators earned an average of $47,046, $22,832 less than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Interpreters and translators in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2018.

In 2024, Interpreters and translators had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.418, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Interpreters and translators (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Interpreters and translators compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Interpreters and translators and on wages for those in the field. Other professional, scientific & technical services is the industry that employs the most Interpreters and translators, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Interpreters and translators, by average wage, is National security & international affairs ($130,014).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

82.7k

2024 Workforce

± 7,058

−0.175%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 12.1%

This graphic shows the share of Interpreters and translators employed by various industries. Other professional, scientific & technical services employs the largest share of Interpreters and translators at 57.1%, followed by Elementary & secondary schools with 23.8% and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals with 12.6%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Interpreters and translators in the US. The workforce of Interpreters and translators in 2024 was 82,682 people, with 72% woman, and 28% men. The average age of male Interpreters and translators in the workforce is 43.7 and of female Interpreters and translators is 44.6, and the most common race/ethnicity for Interpreters and translators is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Interpreters and translators in 2024 was 82,682 people, with 72% woman, and 28% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 35 to 39 years (9,673 people), 40 to 44 years (9,258 people), and 30 to 34 years (8,965 people). Among them they concentrated 33.9% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 44.2% of Interpreters and translators workers were Hispanic and 55.8% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (47%), Puerto Rican (12.3)%, and Colombian (5.25)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 42.9% of the Interpreters and translators workforce were White, of which 72.1% were women and 27.9% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Two or More Races (24.7%) and Other (13.6%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Interpreters and translators from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Interpreters and translators is Language & Linguistics but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Language & Linguistics.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Interpreters and translators in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Language & Linguistics (6,997 people), Business (5,483 people), and Education (4,174 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Interpreters and translators workers were Bachelors Degree (27,302 people), Some college (17,488 people), and Graduate Degree (15,820 people).

The graphic shows the Interpreters and translators workforce by gender and educational level.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Interpreters and Translators from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Interpreters and Translators are expected to see a growth of 1.73% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow less than the national average.

Job Growth

1.73%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Interpreters and translators. This profession is expected to grow less than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.