27 Series · SOC 27-3091

Interpreters and Translators Salary

National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).

$60,170
Median / year
$103,660
Top 10% earn
+1.7%
Growth '23–'33
52,060
US workers

Interpreters and Translators earn a median of $60,170 per year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $60,170, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $37,070 (10th percentile) to $103,660 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 52,060 US workers. District of Columbia pays the most ($109,970), since pay varies by state and metro area.

27 Series · Source: BLS OEWS Compare with another job →
Share: Post LinkedIn

The pay verdict

Interpreters and Translators earn a median of $60,170, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 48% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media, it ranks #25 of 36 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 1.7% by 2033.

$60,170
Median annual wage
Top 52%
of 825 US occupations with published wages
#25 of 36
in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
2.8×
90th-to-10th pay spread

Highest-paying state: District of Columbia at $109,970. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.

Interpreters and Translators (SOC 27-3091) pays a national median of $60,170 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $37,070 at the 10th percentile to $103,660 at the 90th, with a mean of $66,360 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 52,060 Americans work in this occupation across 48 reporting states and 185 metro areas.

BLS Employment Projections forecast a +1.7% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as slower than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 6,900 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Bachelor's degree. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.6 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.5 per 100.

Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. District of Columbia pays the highest state median at $109,970, which is +83% above the national figure. The top metro is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $101,530 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.

BLS OEWS May 2025 52,060 jobs Median $60,170/yr

Median Salary

$60,170

per year

Median Hourly

$28.93/hr

per hour

Mean Salary

$66,360

average

Employment

52,060

jobs nationwide

How does this pay compare nationally?

Where Interpreters and Translators pay sits nationally

Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median

$60,170 Bottom 48% higher than 48% of 825 US occupations

$0–$20,000: 0 US occupations (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 98 US occupations (12%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 298 US occupations (36%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 209 US occupations (25%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 82 US occupations (10%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 58 US occupations (7%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 32 US occupations (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 14 US occupations (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 9 US occupations (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 25 US occupations (3%). Above this entry. This job $0 $200,000 every BLS occupation, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Does this job pay well and grow?

Each dot is a 27-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Interpreters and Translators; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).

Among 24 27-series occupations with growth data, Interpreters and Translators sits on the slower-growing side at +1.7% growth and $60,170 median pay.

Among 24 27-series occupations with growth data, Interpreters and Translators sits on the slower-growing side at +1.7% growth and $60,170 median pay. Scatter plot of 24 data points. $20000$40000$60000$80000$100000$120000 -10%-5%0%5%10% Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) Median annual wage
Among 24 27-series occupations with growth data, Interpreters and Translators sits on the slower-growing side at +1.7% growth and $60,170 median pay.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Projected Growth

+1.7%

Slower than average

Annual Openings

6,900

per year (projected)

Typical Education

Bachelor's degree

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034

Workplace Safety

All safety ratings →
A

Very Safe

Safety Grade (BLS 2023)

Fatality Rate

0.6/100K

Injury Rate

0.5/100

Danger Index

2.3/100

Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023

Career Intelligence

Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Interpreters and Translators roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.

Top Skills

Speaking 4.1
Active Listening 4.0
Reading Comprehension 3.9
Writing 3.8
Critical Thinking 3.6
Monitoring 3.6
Active Learning 3.1
Social Perceptiveness 3.1
Service Orientation 3.1
Judgment and Decision Making 3.1

Knowledge Areas

English Language 4.7
Foreign Language 4.1
Customer and Personal Service 3.9
Education and Training 3.4
Administrative 3.2
Public Safety and Security 3.1
Law and Government 3.0
Computers and Electronics 2.9
Communications and Media 2.5
Psychology 2.5

Key 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.
  • Adapt translations to students' cognitive and grade levels, collaborating with educational team members as necessary.
  • 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.
  • Check original texts or confer with authors to ensure that translations retain the content, meaning, and feeling of the original material.
  • Compile information on content and context of information to be translated and on intended audience.

Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.

Salary Range

Annual Salary Distribution

$37,070$46,530$60,170$80,830$103,660
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

Hourly Rate Distribution

$17.82$22.37$28.93$38.86$49.84
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

10th Percentile

$37,070

25th Percentile

$46,530

Median

$60,170

75th Percentile

$80,830

90th Percentile

$103,660

Salary by State

View all 48 states →
# State Median Salary vs National
1 District of Columbia $109,970 +83% above national
2 Maryland $88,550 +47% above national
3 New York $84,090 +40% above national
4 Rhode Island $82,320 +37% above national
5 Massachusetts $72,750 +21% above national
6 Colorado $71,790 +19% above national
7 California $70,770 +18% above national
8 Connecticut $68,340 +14% above national
9 Minnesota $66,410 +10% above national
10 Oregon $66,300 +10% above national
11 Idaho $66,130 +10% above national
12 Utah $65,770 +9% above national
13 New Mexico $63,550 +6% above national
14 Maine $63,470 +5% above national
15 Wisconsin $63,390 +5% above national
16 Virginia $63,030 +5% above national
17 Vermont $62,450 +4% above national
18 Washington $61,750 +3% above national
19 Ohio $61,230 +2% above national
20 New Jersey $58,970 2% below national
21 Georgia $57,880 4% below national
22 Mississippi $57,130 5% below national
23 Pennsylvania $57,040 5% below national
24 Missouri $57,010 5% below national
25 New Hampshire $56,370 6% below national
26 Illinois $55,290 8% below national
27 Kentucky $53,590 11% below national
28 South Dakota $53,140 12% below national
29 Nebraska $53,050 12% below national
30 Arkansas $52,490 13% below national
31 Tennessee $51,080 15% below national
32 South Carolina $50,860 15% below national
33 Nevada $50,370 16% below national
34 Arizona $50,150 17% below national
35 North Carolina $50,030 17% below national
36 Oklahoma $48,980 19% below national
37 Florida $48,930 19% below national
38 Louisiana $48,420 20% below national
39 North Dakota $48,190 20% below national
40 Iowa $48,150 20% below national
41 Indiana $48,140 20% below national
42 Kansas $47,950 20% below national
43 Montana $47,850 20% below national
44 Texas $47,510 21% below national
45 Alabama $46,130 23% below national
46 Michigan $45,310 25% below national
47 Puerto Rico $42,990 29% below national
48 Hawaii $42,270 30% below national

Salary by Metro Area

View all 185 metro areas →
# Metro Area Median Salary vs National
1 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $101,530 +69% above national
2 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $94,510 +57% above national
3 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $93,960 +56% above national
4 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $87,590 +46% above national
5 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $84,960 +41% above national
6 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $83,680 +39% above national
7 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $83,200 +38% above national
8 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $82,440 +37% above national
9 Salem, OR $80,960 +35% above national
10 Akron, OH $80,640 +34% above national
11 Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area $80,600 +34% above national
12 Boise City, ID $80,250 +33% above national
13 Lancaster, PA $78,890 +31% above national
14 Richmond, VA $78,030 +30% above national
15 Rochester, NY $77,770 +29% above national
16 Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area $77,120 +28% above national
17 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $75,920 +26% above national
18 Albuquerque, NM $75,230 +25% above national
19 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $75,120 +25% above national
20 Boulder, CO $75,060 +25% above national
21 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $74,850 +24% above national
22 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $74,310 +24% above national
23 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $73,690 +22% above national
24 Worcester, MA $72,750 +21% above national
25 Madison, WI $72,720 +21% above national
26 Ogden, UT $70,510 +17% above national
27 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $69,470 +15% above national
28 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $69,460 +15% above national
29 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $69,430 +15% above national
30 St. Cloud, MN $69,190 +15% above national
31 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $68,980 +15% above national
32 Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area $68,150 +13% above national
33 Fresno, CA $68,050 +13% above national
34 Colorado Springs, CO $67,560 +12% above national
35 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR $67,200 +12% above national
36 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI $66,980 +11% above national
37 Eugene-Springfield, OR $66,940 +11% above national
38 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $66,720 +11% above national
39 Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area $66,560 +11% above national
40 Lexington-Fayette, KY $66,320 +10% above national
41 Visalia, CA $66,000 +10% above national
42 Charlottesville, VA $65,910 +10% above national
43 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $65,800 +9% above national
44 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT $65,770 +9% above national
45 Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area $65,550 +9% above national
46 Cleveland, OH $65,410 +9% above national
47 Rochester, MN $64,820 +8% above national
48 Knoxville, TN $64,770 +8% above national
49 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI $64,700 +8% above national
50 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $64,550 +7% above national
51 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $64,360 +7% above national
52 York-Hanover, PA $64,330 +7% above national
53 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO $64,260 +7% above national
54 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $64,260 +7% above national
55 New Haven, CT $64,260 +7% above national
56 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH $64,010 +6% above national
57 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $63,900 +6% above national
58 Medford, OR $63,810 +6% above national
59 Green Bay, WI $63,520 +6% above national
60 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN $63,340 +5% above national
61 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR $63,230 +5% above national
62 Burlington-South Burlington, VT $63,180 +5% above national
63 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX $62,900 +5% above national
64 Pittsburgh, PA $62,730 +4% above national
65 Salinas, CA $62,720 +4% above national
66 Bend, OR $62,630 +4% above national
67 Reading, PA $62,590 +4% above national
68 Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area $62,400 +4% above national
69 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $61,920 +3% above national
70 St. George, UT $61,830 +3% above national
71 Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area $61,720 +3% above national
72 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $61,610 +2% above national
73 Appleton, WI $61,210 +2% above national
74 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $61,120 +2% above national
75 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $61,100 +2% above national
76 Spartanburg, SC $61,040 +1% above national
77 Tulsa, OK $61,000 +1% above national
78 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $60,960 +1% above national
79 Jacksonville, FL $60,930 +1% above national
80 Kansas City, MO-KS $60,850 +1% above national
81 Lincoln, NE $60,820 +1% above national
82 Corpus Christi, TX $60,600 +1% above national
83 Modesto, CA $60,530 +1% above national
84 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $60,420 same as national
85 Savannah, GA $60,260 same as national
86 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ $60,020 same as national
87 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $59,660 1% below national
88 Toledo, OH $59,490 1% below national
89 Southeast-Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area $58,940 2% below national
90 Youngstown-Warren, OH $58,530 3% below national
91 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $57,940 4% below national
92 Tucson, AZ $57,920 4% below national
93 Tallahassee, FL $57,520 4% below national
94 St. Louis, MO-IL $57,480 4% below national
95 South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area $57,460 5% below national
96 Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area $57,100 5% below national
97 Anchorage, AK $56,960 5% below national
98 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $56,920 5% below national
99 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT $56,390 6% below national
100 Manchester-Nashua, NH $56,370 6% below national
101 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $55,480 8% below national
102 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $55,400 8% below national
103 Columbus, OH $55,380 8% below national
104 Peoria, IL $54,690 9% below national
105 Roanoke, VA $54,630 9% below national
106 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $54,390 10% below national
107 Omaha, NE-IA $53,960 10% below national
108 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $53,790 11% below national
109 East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area $53,700 11% below national
110 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $53,590 11% below national
111 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL $53,460 11% below national
112 Greenville, NC $53,140 12% below national
113 Sioux Falls, SD-MN $53,140 12% below national
114 Chattanooga, TN-GA $52,970 12% below national
115 Merced, CA $52,710 12% below national
116 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $52,640 13% below national
117 Columbia, SC $52,200 13% below national
118 Cedar Rapids, IA $52,000 14% below national
119 Kennewick-Richland, WA $52,000 14% below national
120 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $51,990 14% below national
121 Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area $51,920 14% below national
122 Springfield, MA $51,910 14% below national
123 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX $51,820 14% below national
124 Reno, NV $51,730 14% below national
125 Raleigh-Cary, NC $51,270 15% below national
126 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $51,030 15% below national
127 Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area $50,760 16% below national
128 Lubbock, TX $50,480 16% below national
129 Stockton-Lodi, CA $50,480 16% below national
130 Springfield, IL $50,390 16% below national
131 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV $50,370 16% below national
132 Champaign-Urbana, IL $50,270 16% below national
133 Topeka, KS $50,250 16% below national
134 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $50,070 17% below national
135 West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area $49,860 17% below national
136 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN $49,840 17% below national
137 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $49,470 18% below national
138 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD $49,420 18% below national
139 Winston-Salem, NC $49,350 18% below national
140 New Orleans-Metairie, LA $49,270 18% below national
141 Oklahoma City, OK $48,930 19% below national
142 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC $48,820 19% below national
143 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR $48,490 19% below national
144 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $48,360 20% below national
145 Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area $48,320 20% below national
146 Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area $48,200 20% below national
147 Fargo, ND-MN $48,190 20% below national
148 Rockford, IL $48,140 20% below national
149 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $47,940 20% below national
150 Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area $47,880 20% below national
151 Elkhart-Goshen, IN $47,820 21% below national
152 Grand Forks, ND-MN $47,800 21% below national
153 South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area $47,760 21% below national
154 Evansville, IN $47,690 21% below national
155 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN $47,530 21% below national
156 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL $47,400 21% below national
157 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC $47,370 21% below national
158 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL $47,140 22% below national
159 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL $47,070 22% below national
160 Montgomery, AL $45,670 24% below national
161 Tyler, TX $44,670 26% below national
162 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $44,490 26% below national
163 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $44,180 27% below national
164 Fort Wayne, IN $44,000 27% below national
165 Jackson, MS $43,950 27% below national
166 El Paso, TX $43,870 27% below national
167 Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area $43,690 27% below national
168 Greensboro-High Point, NC $43,470 28% below national
169 Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area $43,290 28% below national
170 Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area $43,090 28% below national
171 Gainesville, GA $42,660 29% below national
172 Wichita, KS $42,500 29% below national
173 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA $41,840 30% below national
174 Asheville, NC $41,580 31% below national
175 Birmingham, AL $41,470 31% below national
176 Urban Honolulu, HI $40,690 32% below national
177 Harrisonburg, VA $40,580 33% below national
178 Huntsville, AL $40,490 33% below national
179 Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area $39,350 35% below national
180 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC $39,210 35% below national
181 Burlington, NC $38,720 36% below national
182 Kansas nonmetropolitan area $38,220 36% below national
183 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $38,130 37% below national
184 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $35,990 40% below national
185 Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area $34,780 42% below national

Similar Occupations in the Same Category

Other roles in SOC major group 27 (arts design entertainment sports and media) with comparable pay and career paths.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Interpreters and Translators make?
The median annual salary for Interpreters and Translators is $60,170 ($28.93/hour). The salary range spans from $37,070 at the 10th percentile to $103,660 at the 90th percentile.
What state pays Interpreters and Translators the most?
District of Columbia pays the highest median salary for Interpreters and Translators at $109,970/year, which is +83% above the national median.
What education do you need to become a Interpreters and Translators?
The typical entry-level education for Interpreters and Translators is Bachelor's degree.
How dangerous is being a Interpreters and Translators?
Interpreters and Translators has a safety grade of A (Very Safe) based on BLS data. The fatality rate is 0.6 per 100,000 workers and the injury rate is 0.5 per 100 workers.
Is Interpreters and Translators a good career?
Employment for Interpreters and Translators is projected to grow 1.7% from 2024 to 2034, which is slower than average. About 6,900 openings are projected each year.
How does Interpreters and Translators pay vary by state?
Interpreters and Translators salaries vary significantly by state. The highest-paying state is District of Columbia at $109,970/year, while Texas pays the least at $47,510/year. BLS data covers 48 states and territories.
Which metro areas pay the most for Interpreters and Translators?
The highest-paying metro area for Interpreters and Translators is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $101,530/year. BLS reports wage data for 185 metro areas for this occupation, with pay varying based on local demand and cost of living.

What to do with this data

How to use Interpreters and Translators pay figures in a real decision

  • For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $80,830/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
  • Location moves pay significantly: District of Columbia leads at $109,970/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
  • Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs

These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.

Data as of May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 annual release. Employment projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034. Data reflects cross-industry estimates for all ownership types.

These are survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. See how to use them.

Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.