How to become a translator, interpreter or other linguist
Official title: Translators, interpreters and other linguists
Also called: Interpreter, Lexicographer, Philologist, Sign language interpreter, Subtitler, Translator, Translator-reviser
Translators, interpreters and other linguists translate or interpret from one language into another and study the origin, development and structure of languages.
Main tasks
- Studying relationships between ancient parent languages and modern language groups, tracing the origin and evolution of words, grammar and language forms, and presenting findings
- Advising on or preparing language classification systems, grammars, dictionaries and similar materials
- Translating from one language into another and ensuring that the correct meaning of the original is retained, that legal, technical or scientific works are correctly rendered, and that the phraseology and terminology of the spirit and style of literary works are conveyed as far as possible
- Developing methods for the use of computers and other instruments to improve productivity and quality of translation
- Interpreting from a spoken or a signed language into another spoken or signed language, in particular at conferences, meetings and similar occasions, and ensuring that the correct meaning and, as far as possible, the spirit of the original are transmitted
- Revising and correcting translated material
Ways in
- University: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 21 universities in Hong Kong
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: HK$48,000 a month
- About 1,542,900 people in 2025, and about 1,639,100 projected by 2028. (+6.2%)
- Generative AI could change many tasks in this job, which usually reshapes the work more than it replaces it, by the ILO's global estimate.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a translator, interpreter or other linguist?
Ways in include: Arts & Humanities degrees.
Do you need a degree to become a translator, interpreter or other linguist?
Usually. 85% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Will AI change the work of a translator, interpreter or other linguist?
Generative AI could change many tasks in this job, which usually reshapes the work more than it replaces it, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Census and Statistics Department (2021 Population Census): 2021 Population Census, Interactive Data Dissemination Service: working population by occupation (38 groups) and sex, age, education, income; median income and field of education (9 groups) (2021 Population Census), retrieved 4 October 2026
- Census and Statistics Department (General Household Survey): Median monthly employment earnings by occupation (9 groups), excluding foreign domestic helpers (Table 210-06317A); employed persons by occupation, age and sex (210-06307A) and by industry (210-06308A) (2025 annual (series to 2026-07)), retrieved 4 October 2026
- Labour and Welfare Bureau; tables published by C&SD: Mid-term Update of Manpower Projection to 2028: supplementary statistical tables (5 occupation groups, 17 selected industries) (2025 to 2028 (published 2026-09)), retrieved 4 October 2026
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026