Translators render the written material of one language into written material in another language. Their work differs from that of interpreters who provide oral translation.
Most translators work on a free-lance basis. Those employed full-time usually work for literary or technical publishers, banks, or large industrial firms with foreign subsidiaries and customers.
The largest single employer of translators is the U.S. government. Agencies such as the Joint Publications Research Service have in-house translation staffs, while other government agencies contract their translating requirements to commercial translating agencies, which in turn employ free-lancers.
A related job is interpreter.
Places of Employment and Working Conditions
Translators who work for private companies and banks are found in large metropolitan areas such as Chicago and San Francisco. The largest concentrations, however, are in the New York City and Washington, DC, areas where government and publishing industry requirements provide the most job opportunities.
Working conditions vary from an office setting to the free-lancer's own home. Occasionally, a rush assignment may mean long or irregular working hours, but in-house translators usually work a 37- to 40-hour week. Free-lance translators can set their own schedules. Many work only part-time-some through choice, but many because they cannot secure enough free-lance work to provide a steady income.
Qualifications, Education, and Training
Translators need a working knowledge of one or more foreign languages. A translator's own foreign background, time spent living abroad, or intensive study of a language at the college or university level provides sufficient preparation for many translating jobs.
A college degree is usually necessary for this type of work. Course work should include foreign languages and writing. Studying abroad can also be a very valuable experience for translators. Those who wish to work in literary translation should study the literature of foreign countries.
Potential and Advancement
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the demand for translators will grow by 29% between 2014 and 2024, providing excellent opportunities for those entering and advancing through the field.
Advancement in this field usually takes the form of better translating assignments because of experience and reputation. Some translators form their own commercial translating agencies and secure contract work for themselves and their in-house or free-lance staff.
Income
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for a translator in 2015 was $44,190.
Additional Sources of Information
- American Translators Association
- Institute of International Education
- Translators and Interpreters Educational Society
