What are the average translator wages and how much can you make
Surveys say that the average translator wages are around 4,000 dollars a month. But this figure is only for in-house translators who have to go to the office everyday. For freelancers it’s hard to say. For every high earner there are a lot who barely get by, especially in the beginning.
Translator wages – how much they make
As with everything these days, there are translators that earn a lot, and there are translators that don’t do that much. Here are some factors that influence their earnings.
Factors that influence translator wages
One of the factors that influence translator earnings is the rate. A beginner translator will quote the lowest rate for every source word. Which can be enough for some, especially those who live in countries where the standard of living is not that high. On the other hand, some people in developed countries think that being unemployed and getting welfare support is better than receiving that rate. Some even give a much lower quote if the project is huge or in bulk, such as a book translation with more than a 100,000 words can get even smaller rates. This is just so in order to get a job, any job. At least it counts as experience. And if the client likes their work they can bypass the bidding and offer future requests to the lucky translator directly.
A translator must also work hard to market himself and find work in order to raise his earnings. They have to increase their chances of being seen and then being chosen by scouting employers. They can’t just sit by and wait for work to fall on their lap. This would entail preparing a good resume, posting and scanning freelancer job sites, and taking translation tests. Working with a translation agency, a translator could have a steady income while doing extra work for his own customers.
How much can one linguist translate in a day?
Apart from the rate, a translator can probably do 2,000 words a day, at the most, assuming they can get relatively steady work. They could increase their translator by doing more if the material is not so hard and doesn’t require much research and if they’re willing to spend more time working (burnout risk aside).
Obviously, there are risks involved in trying to get too much done. Mistakes can happen. Clients won’t be happy with the translation, and the translator would have to go over his work again and again to correct errors.
The beauty of freelancing is that they can use the time they would’ve spent preparing and commuting to the office as time to do more work instead. They can also earn more if they don’t mind accepting jobs on weekends or holidays. They just have to remind themselves that sometimes they don’t have enough work during weekdays. Translator wages are a mixture of luck and hard work.
Monetary amount aside, you can’t measure the satisfaction a translator has in finding the perfect word or fashioning the perfect sentence, or seeing their work appreciated and be useful to someone. That is the true translator earnings.
Every person who is not a billionaire would jump on an opportunity to earn extra cash. Living in this world is very expensive and none of us earn enough to keep us going. This is why people are always looking for part time jobs or careers that pay more than what they are earning currently. But the thing about careers is the one people think would pay well ends up being a disappointment because big industries are already crowded and don’t have enough vacancies to accommodate all the candidates. However, there are a few big industries that still have plenty of opportunities for people. Translation is one example of those fields. People are not going to stop speaking different languages and that’s why there will always be a demand of translation.
Working as a Translator:
The world of translation is always welcoming for new professionals but quality is something that cannot be compromised on, so, anyone who plans to become a translator must get the necessary qualification first. Like every other creative field, you will only get better at your job with practice. Many professionals interpreted dozens of documents for practice before doing their first project.
There are two ways to work as a translator. People either work as freelancers or they join an agency and relieve themselves from the trouble of having to search for work. Agencies also value their preference of working full time or part time and assign them work accordingly. Good agencies, however, have a strict process of recruitment and they only the best of the best to join their team.
Some people prefer to work part-time so they can continue their job and earn some extra cash on the side. However, translation is a field where people can work full time too and earn enough in a month to keep them going until the next pay day. But if you want to join the profession because you think you will be showered with cash on your first day, you need to rethink your choices. It takes a while for interpreters to learn the customs of their profession and become able to demand for more.
How Much Does a Translator Make?
This is the question people search online when they decide to switch careers. But in truth, translation is not the kind of field you can choose only for money. You must have a little interest in languages and a wish to connect people across cultures. Otherwise, you will not be able to enjoy your work and end up performing poorly on each project.
As far as the question of making money, the answer is never a straightforward one in fields like translation. Sure, there are office jobs with fixed salaries but for those who prefer to work from home, the final amount will depend on a lot of different factors. Those who commit themselves full time to this work have a better chance of earning more than those who do one project every week. Do research before joining this field so you know full well which options to pick for yourself.
