Please enable javascript to play this video. Quick Facts: Interpreters and Translators $47,190 per year $22.69 per hour Bachelor's degree None None 68,200 18% (Much faster than average) 12,100 Interpreters and translators convert information from one language into another language. Interpreters work in spoken or sign language; translators work in written language. Interpreters work in settings such as schools, hospitals, courtrooms, meeting rooms, and conference centers. Some work for translation and interpretation companies, individual organizations, or private clients. Many translators also work remotely. Self-employed interpreters and translators frequently have variable work schedules.

1. Study Guide For Medical Interpreters Exam
2. Study Booklets For Medical Interpreters
3. Medical Interpreter Exam Questions

Most interpreters and translators work full time during regular business hours. Although interpreters and translators typically need at least a bachelor’s degree, the most important requirement is to have native-level proficiency in English and at least one other language. The median annual wage for interpreters and translators was $47,190 in May 2017. Employment of interpreters and translators is projected to grow 18 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. Globalization and large increases in the number of non-English-speaking people in the United States will drive employment growth. Job prospects should be best for those who have professional certification. Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for interpreters and translators.

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of interpreters and translators with similar occupations. Learn more about interpreters and translators by visiting additional resources, including O.NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations. Interpreters and translators speak, read, and write in at least two languages fluently. Interpreters and translators convert information from one language into another language.

Interpreters work in spoken or sign language; translators work in written language. Legal interpreters must sometimes read documents aloud in a language other than that in which they were written. Interpreters and translators held about 68,200 jobs in 2016. The largest employers of interpreters and translators were as follows: Professional, scientific, and technical services 30% Educational services; state, local, and private 23 Self-employed workers 22 Hospitals; state, local, and private 8 Government 6 Interpreters work in settings such as schools, hospitals, courtrooms, detention facilities, meeting rooms, and conference centers.

Judiciary and conference interpreters may travel frequently. Depending on the setting and type of assignment, interpreting may be stressful, as highly technical or sensitive information must be relayed accurately. In some settings, interpreters may work as part of a team. With the development of new communication technology, more interpreters are working remotely via video or telephone connections. Translators who work remotely receive and submit their work electronically, and must sometimes deal with the pressure of deadlines and tight schedules.

Some translators are employees at translation companies or individual organizations. Work Schedules Self-employed interpreters and translators often have variable work schedules, which may include periods of limited work and periods of long, irregular hours. Most interpreters and translators work full time. Some interpreters and translators attain a bachelors degree in a specific language or American Sign Language. Although interpreters and translators typically need at least a bachelor’s degree, the most important requirement is that they be fluent in at least two languages (English and at least one other language). Education A bachelor’s degree is typically needed to become an interpreter or translator along with proficiency in at least two languages, one of which is usually English. High school students interested in becoming an interpreter or translator should take a broad range of courses that focus on foreign languages and English writing and comprehension.

Beyond high school, people interested in becoming interpreters or translators have numerous educational options. Those in college typically choose a specific language as their major, such as Spanish or French. Although many jobs require a bachelor’s degree, majoring in a language is not always necessary. Through community organizations, students interested in sign language interpreting may take introductory classes in American Sign Language (ASL) and seek out volunteer opportunities to work with people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Training Interpreters and translators generally do not need any formal training, as they are expected to be able to interpret and translate before they are hired. However, those working in the community as court or medical interpreters or translators are more likely to complete job-specific training programs or certificates.

Continuing education is a requirement for most state court and medical interpreting certification programs. It is offered by professional interpreter and translator associations such as the and the on a regular basis. Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations There is currently no universal certification required of interpreters and translators beyond passing the required court interpreting exams offered by most states. However, workers can take a variety of tests that show proficiency. For example, the American Translators Association provides certification in 29 language combinations.

The federal courts offer court interpreter certification for Spanish language interpreters. At the state level, the courts offer certification in at least 20 languages. The and the jointly offer certification for general sign language interpreters. In addition, the registry offers specialty tests in legal interpreting, speech reading, and deaf-to-deaf interpreting—which includes interpreting among deaf speakers of different native languages and from ASL to tactile signing. The has a three-test series for prospective interpreters—one test in simple consecutive interpreting (for escort work), another in simultaneous interpreting (for court work), and a third in conference-level interpreting (for international conferences)—as well as a test for prospective translators. These tests are not considered a credential, but their completion indicates that a person has significant skill in the occupation. The and many other organizations also have testing programs.

The offers two types of certifications for healthcare interpreters: Associate Healthcare Interpreter, for interpreters of languages other than Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin; and Certified Healthcare Interpreter, for interpreters of Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin. The offers certification for medical interpreters of Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, Korean, and Vietnamese languages.

Other Experience Other helpful experience for pursuing this career include spending time in a foreign country, interacting directly with foreign cultures, and studying a variety of subjects in English and at least one other language. Some students study a specialty such as law, engineering, or medicine in order to provide a higher level of interpreting and translation. A good way for translators to learn firsthand about the occupation is to start working in-house for a translation company.

Doing informal or volunteer work is an excellent way for people seeking interpreter or translator jobs to gain experience. Volunteer opportunities for interpreters are available through community organizations, hospitals, and sporting events, such as marathons, that involve international competitors. Paid or unpaid internships are other ways that interpreters and translators can gain experience.

Escort interpreting may offer an opportunity for inexperienced candidates to work alongside a more experienced interpreter. Interpreters also may find it easier to begin working in industries with particularly high demand for language services, such as court or medical interpreting. Whatever path of entry new interpreters and translators pursue, they should develop mentoring relationships with experienced workers in the field to build their skills and confidence and to establish and expand a network of contacts. Mentoring may be formal, such as that received through a professional association, or informal, such as that engaged in with a coworker or an acquaintance who has experience as an interpreter or translator. Both the American Translators Association and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf offer formal mentoring programs.

Advancement After interpreters and translators have enough experience, they can move up to more difficult assignments, seek certification, and obtain editorial responsibility. They can also manage or start their own business. Many self-employed interpreters and translators choose to become self-employed as a means to advance. They may submit resumes and samples to different translation and interpreting companies who will match their skills with various jobs. Many get work on the basis of their reputation or through referrals from clients or colleagues. Some may also start their own companies, where they hire other translators and interpreters to work for them.

Important Qualities Business skills. Self-employed interpreters and translators need general business skills to manage their finances and careers successfully. They must set prices for their work, bill customers, keep records, and market their services in order to build their client base. Interpreters and translators must be able to concentrate while others are speaking or moving around them. Cultural sensitivity. Interpreters and translators must be sensitive to cultural differences and expectations among the people whom they are helping to communicate.

Successful interpreting and translating is a matter not only of knowing the words in different languages but also of understanding people’s cultures. Sign language interpreters must be able to make quick and coordinated hand, finger, and arm movements when interpreting. Interpersonal skills. Interpreters and translators, particularly those who are self-employed, must be able to get along with those who hire or use their services in order to retain clients and attract new business. Listening skills. Interpreters must listen carefully when interpreting for audiences to ensure that they hear and interpret correctly. Reading skills.

Translators must be able to read in all of the languages in which they are working. Speaking skills.

Interpreters and translators must speak clearly in all of the languages in which they are working. Writing skills.

Translators must be able to write clearly and effectively in all of the languages in which they are working. Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics The median annual wage for interpreters and translators was $47,190 in May 2017. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $25,620, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $82,290. In May 2017, the median annual wages for interpreters and translators in the top industries in which they worked were as follows: Government $51,970 Professional, scientific, and technical services 51,800 Hospitals; state, local, and private 47,420 Educational services; state, local, and private 45,570 Wages depend on the language, specialty, skill, experience, education, and certification of the interpreter or translator, as well as on the type of employer.

Wages of interpreters and translators vary widely. Interpreters and translators who know languages that are in high demand or that relatively few people can translate often earn higher wages. Those who perform services requiring a high level of skill, such as conference interpreters, also receive higher pay. Self-employed interpreters usually charge per hour.

Half-day or full-day rates are also common. Self-employed interpreters and translators often have variable work schedules, which may include periods of limited work and periods of long, irregular hours. Most interpreters and translators work full time. Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program Employment of interpreters and translators is projected to grow 18 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. Employment growth reflects increasing globalization and a more diverse U.S. Population, which is expected to require more interpreters and translators.

Demand will likely remain strong for translators of frequently translated languages, such as French, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Demand also should be strong for translators of Arabic and other Middle Eastern languages; for the principal Asian languages including Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, and Korean; and for the indigenous languages from Mexico and Central America such as Mixtec, Zapotec, and Mayan languages. Demand for American Sign Language interpreters is expected to grow due to the increasing use of video relay services, which allow people to conduct online video calls and use a sign language interpreter.

In addition, growing international trade and broadening global ties should require more interpreters and translators, especially in emerging markets such as Asia and Africa. The ongoing need for military and national security interpreters and translators should result in more jobs as well. Computers have made the work of translators and localization specialists more efficient. However, many of these jobs cannot be entirely automated, because computers cannot yet produce work comparable to the work that human translators do in most cases. Job Prospects Job prospects should be best for those who have at least a bachelor’s degree and for those who have professional certification. Those with an advanced degree in interpreting and/or translation also should have an advantage. Job prospects for interpreters and translators should also vary by specialty and language.

Study Guide For Medical Interpreters Exam

For example, interpreters and translators of Spanish should have good job prospects because of expected increases in the population of Spanish speakers in the United States. Similarly, job opportunities should be plentiful for interpreters and translators specializing in healthcare and law, because of the critical need for all parties to understand the information communicated in those fields. Interpreters for the deaf will continue to have favorable employment prospects because there are relatively few people with the needed skills. Employment projections data for interpreters and translators, 2016-26 Occupational Title SOC Code Employment, 2016 Projected Employment, 2026 Change, 2016-26 Employment by Industry Percent Numeric SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program Interpreters and translators 27-3091 68,200 80,300 18 12,100.

State & Area Data Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) The (OES) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OES data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Projections Central Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices.

All state projections data are available at. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved. CareerOneStop CareerOneStop includes hundreds of with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a to search for wages by zip code. Similar Occupations This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of interpreters and translators.

Occupation Job Duties ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION 2017 MEDIAN PAY Adult literacy and high school equivalency diploma teachers instruct adults in basic skills, such as reading, writing, and speaking English. They also help students earn their high school equivalent diploma. Bachelor's degree $52,100 Career and technical education teachers instruct students in various technical and vocational subjects, such as auto repair, healthcare, and culinary arts. They teach academic and technical content to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to enter an occupation. Bachelor's degree $55,240 Court reporters create word-for-word transcriptions at trials, depositions, and other legal proceedings. Some court reporters provide captioning for television and real-time translation for deaf or hard-of-hearing people at public events, in business meetings, or in classrooms. Postsecondary nondegree award $55,120 High school teachers help prepare students for life after graduation.

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They teach academic lessons and various skills that students will need to attend college and to enter the job market. Bachelor's degree $59,170 Kindergarten and elementary school teachers instruct young students in basic subjects, such as math and reading, in order to prepare them for future schooling. Bachelor's degree $56,900 Medical transcriptionists, sometimes referred to as healthcare documentation specialists, listen to voice recordings that physicians and other healthcare workers make and convert them into written reports. They also may review and edit medical documents created using speech recognition technology. Transcriptionists interpret medical terminology and abbreviations in preparing patients’ medical histories, discharge summaries, and other documents. Postsecondary nondegree award $35,250 Middle school teachers educate students, typically in sixth through eighth grades. They help students build on the fundamentals they learned in elementary school and prepare them for the more difficult curriculum they will face in high school.

Bachelor's degree $57,720 Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and technical subjects beyond the high school level. They may also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books. $76,000 Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. They adapt general education lessons and teach various subjects, such as reading, writing, and math, to students with mild and moderate disabilities. They also teach basic skills, such as literacy and communication techniques, to students with severe disabilities. Bachelor's degree $58,980 Technical writers, also called technical communicators, prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information more easily.

Medical Interpreter Exam Questions

They also develop, gather, and disseminate technical information through an organization’s communications channels. Bachelor's degree $70,930 Writers and authors develop written content for various types of media, including advertisements; books; magazines; movie, play, and television scripts; and blogs. Bachelor's degree $61,820. Pay The Pay tab describes typical earnings and how workers in the occupation are compensated—annual salaries, hourly wages, commissions, tips, or bonuses. Within every occupation, earnings vary by experience, responsibility, performance, tenure, and geographic area.

For most profiles, this tab has a table with wages in the major industries employing the occupation. It does not include pay for self-employed workers, agriculture workers, or workers in private households because these data are not collected by the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey, the source of BLS wage data in the OOH.

All candidates are required to pass a multiple-choice written examination assessing English Language Proficiency and basic Legal Terminology, which covers the following areas: Reading and Understanding Written Material - Sentence Completion and Paragraph Comprehension; Grammar and Language Usage; Vocabulary - Synonyms and Antonyms; Idiomatic Expressions; and, Legal Terminology. The Written Exam (for all languages OTHER THAN SPANISH) assesses applicants' English language proficiency and knowledge of legal terminology. (SPANISH interpreters only) These questions assess applicants' language proficiency in both English and Spanish, and knowledge of legal terminology. Candidates who are successful in this examination are then invited to take an oral examination which is currently administered in the following languages: Albanian, Arabic, BCS (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian), Bengali, Cantonese, French, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Urdu, Vietnamese and Wolof. Candidates interested in interpreting languages that are not listed above are required to submit appropriate professional references related to their interpreting skills. — sections III-VI Spanish The Oral Exam assesses applicants' ability to interpret in various modes, i.e., sight, consecutive, and simultaneous in the six sections of the exam. Although this video is for the Spanish language only, the format is similar for exams in other languages.

— sections I-II, Spanish The interpreter is given a written document in one language and asked to read it aloud in another language For additional information on preparation tools for interpreters go to.