Interpreters and translators

Detailed Occupation

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2020 Workforce

84.9k

Average Age

42.5

Estimated Job Growth

20%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$40,882

Average Male Salary

$49,864

Average Female Salary

$37,225

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 $40,882 in 2016. The top 3 most similar occupations to Interpreters and translators by wage are Licensed practical & licensed vocational nurses, Recreational therapists, and Weighers, measurers, checkers, & samplers, recordkeeping.

Interpreters and translators are part of the Arts, design, entertainment, sports, & media occupations, along with Artists & related workers, Commercial and industrial designers, Fashion designers, Floral designers, Graphic designers, and 25 more.

The top 3 locations that employ the most Interpreters and translators are Minneapolis (North) & St. Anthony Cities PUMA, MN, Seaside, Monterey, Marina & Pacific Grove Cities PUMA, CA, and Murray Hill, Gramercy & Stuyvesant Town PUMA, NY. The top 3 locations with a relatively high concentration of Interpreters and translators are Minneapolis (North) & St. Anthony Cities PUMA, MN, Seaside, Monterey, Marina & Pacific Grove Cities PUMA, CA, and El Paso City (Northwest) PUMA, TX.

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Interpreters and translators and on wages and locations 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 Electric power generation, transmission & distribution. Interpreters and translators are paid most in Bayside, Douglaston & Little Neck PUMA, NY but are relatively concentrated in Minneapolis (North) & St. Anthony Cities PUMA, MN.

Yearly Wage

$40,882

AVERAGE SALARY

± $3,143

In 2020, Interpreters and translators earned an average of $40,882, $15,072 less than than the average national salary of $55,954.

Licensed practical & licensed vocational nurses make somewhat more than Interpreters and translators while Recreational therapists make somewhat less. This chart shows the various occupations closest to Interpreters and translators as measured by average annual salary in the US.

Wage Distribution

0.428

WAGE GINI

In 2019, Interpreters and translators had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.428, which is lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Interpreters and translators (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

Wage by Location

HIGHEST PAYING PUMAS

This map shows the Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States shaded by average annual wage for Interpreters and translators.

Spatial Concentration

PUMAs with a Relatively High Concentration of Interpreters and translators

This map displays which Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States have a relatively high population of Interpreters and translators.

Most Common

The most common industries employing Interpreters and translators, by number of employees, are Other professional, scientific & technical services , Elementary & secondary schools, General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals, Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges, Justice, public order, & safety activities , National security & international affairs, Outpatient care centers, Administration of human resource programs, Business support services, Legal services, and Museums, art galleries, historical sites, & similar institutions.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries for Interpreters and translators, by average wage, are Electric power generation, transmission & distribution, Labor unions, and Management of companies & enterprises.

Industries by Share

84.9k

2020 Workforce

± 7,152

1.18%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 11.8%

The number of people employed as Interpreters and translators has been growing at a rate of 1.18%, from 83,914 people in 2019 to 84,902 people in 2020.

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 32.5%, followed by Elementary & secondary schools with 16.3% and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals with 7.96%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Interpreters and translators in the US. The average age of male Interpreters and translators in the workforce is 41.5 and of female Interpreters and translators is 42.9, and the most common race/ethnicity for Interpreters and translators is White (Non-Hispanic).

Composition by Sex

24.6k

MALE WORKFORCE

± 3,847

60.3k

FEMALE WORKFORCE

± 6,030

71.1% of Interpreters and translators are Female, making them the more common sex in the occupation. This chart shows the sex breakdown of Interpreters and translators.

Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity of Interpreters and translators

White (Non-Hispanic)
White (Hispanic)
Asian (Non-Hispanic)

43.3% of Interpreters and translators are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. Representing 22.9% of Interpreters and translators, White (Hispanic) is the second most common race or ethnicity in this occupation. This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Interpreters and translators.

Age by Sex

41.5

AVERAGE MALE AGE

± 2.4

42.9

AVERAGE FEMALE AGE

± 1.39

The median age of Interpreters and translators is 42.5, and Male employees are generally 1.32 years younger than than their Female counterparts.

Education

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 Business but a relatively high number of Interpreters and translators hold a major in 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.

MOST COMMON MAJORS

MOST SPECIALIZED MAJORS

Projections

Projections on job growth for Interpreters and Translators from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Interpreters and Translators are expected to see a growth of 20% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

20%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

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 more than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.