Media and Communication Workers

How to become an Interpreter or Translator

Official title: Interpreters and Translators

Also called: American Sign Language Interpreter (ASL Interpreter), Court Interpreter, Educational Interpreter, Interpreter, Linguist, Medical Interpreter, Sign Language Interpreter, Spanish Interpreter, Spanish Translator, Translator

Interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another.

Main tasks

Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information.
Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible.
Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary.
Compile terminology and information to be used in translations, including technical terms such as those for legal or medical material.
Refer to reference materials, such as dictionaries, lexicons, encyclopedias, and computerized terminology banks, as needed to ensure translation accuracy.
Check translations of technical terms and terminology to ensure that they are accurate and remain consistent throughout translation revisions.
Identify and resolve conflicts related to the meanings of words, concepts, practices, or behaviors.
Compile information on content and context of information to be translated and on intended audience.

How to become one

Interpreters and translators typically need at least a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. They also must be proficient in English and at least one other language, as well as in the interpretation or translation service they intend to provide.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Interpreters and Translators (Nof).
College: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US
Licence: A licence is required in 19 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $60,170 a year The middle half earn $46,530 to $80,830.
About 73,900 people work in this job now, and about 75,400 are projected by 2035. (+2%)
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Questions people ask

How do I become an Interpreter or Translator?

How much does an Interpreter or Translator earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $60,170 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $46,530 to $80,830.

Is an Interpreter or Translator a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 73,900 people now and 75,400 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Interpreter or Translator?

Not always. 56% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Arts & Humanities degrees; Interpreters and Translators (Nof).

Will AI change the work of an Interpreter or Translator?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.