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
+1.2%
2024→2025
$103,660
Top 10% earn
+1.7%
Growth '24–'34
52,060
Estimated US jobs

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 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is District of Columbia ($109,970).

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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 2034.

$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.

Observed pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025

May 2019 → May 2025
  • The published national median for Interpreters and Translators moved from $51,830 in May 2019 to $60,170 in May 2025 (+16.1%).
  • Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
  • Interpreters and Translators sits -8.4 pp behind that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Interpreters and Translators (SOC 27-3091) has a national median of $60,170 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $37,070 to $103,660, and the published mean is $66,360. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 52,060 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 48 state or territory areas and 185 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $59,440 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $60,170 in May 2025, a rise of $730 (+1.2%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.

BLS Employment Projections forecast a +1.7% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as about as fast as average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 6,900 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.

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 highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $101,530. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.

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 and above: 25 US occupations (3%). Above this entry. This job $0 $180,000+ 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.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$20,000 0 US occupations 0%
$20,000–$40,000 98 US occupations 12%
$40,000–$60,000 298 US occupations 36%
$60,000–$80,000 (this entry) 209 US occupations 25%
$80,000–$100,000 82 US occupations 10%
$100,000–$120,000 58 US occupations 7%
$120,000–$140,000 32 US occupations 4%
$140,000–$160,000 14 US occupations 2%
$160,000–$180,000 9 US occupations 1%
$180,000 and above 25 US occupations 3%

$60,170 · 48th percentile of 825 US occupations

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. Scatter plot of 24 data points. $20000$40000$60000$80000$100000$120000 -10%-5%0%5%10% Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) Median annual wage Public Relations Spe… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.8% · Median annual wage: $74750Coaches and Scouts - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 6.4% · Median annual wage: $47320Graphic Designers - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 2.1% · Median annual wage: $62960Merchandise Displaye… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.2% · Median annual wage: $39390Producers and Direct… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.9% · Median annual wage: $90360Editors - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 0.6% · Median annual wage: $77920Interior Designers - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.2% · Median annual wage: $67190Audio and Video Tech… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.3% · Median annual wage: $58100Art Directors - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.2% · Median annual wage: $114850Interpreters and Tra… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 1.7% · Median annual wage: $60170Photographers - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 1.8% · Median annual wage: $44660Writers and Authors - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.6% · Median annual wage: $76910Technical Writers - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 0.9% · Median annual wage: $90390Floral Designers - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -5.9% · Median annual wage: $37360News Analysts, Repor… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -3.9% · Median annual wage: $62200Commercial and Indus… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.2% · Median annual wage: $83910Film and Video Editors - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4% · Median annual wage: $75420Camera Operators, Te… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 1.2% · Median annual wage: $74990Fashion Designers - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 2% · Median annual wage: $80960Broadcast Announcers… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -5.5% · Median annual wage: $47340Broadcast Technicians - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -2.8% · Median annual wage: $59570Special Effects Arti… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 1.6% · Median annual wage: $102030Media and Communicat… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 2.7% · Median annual wage: $73620Umpires, Referees, a… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 5.7% · Median annual wage: $40710
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.
Read the chart as text
  • Public Relations Spe…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.8%, Median annual wage $74750
  • Coaches and Scouts: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.4%, Median annual wage $47320
  • Graphic Designers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.1%, Median annual wage $62960
  • Merchandise Displaye…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.2%, Median annual wage $39390
  • Producers and Direct…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.9%, Median annual wage $90360
  • Editors: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.6%, Median annual wage $77920
  • Interior Designers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.2%, Median annual wage $67190
  • Audio and Video Tech…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.3%, Median annual wage $58100
  • Art Directors: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.2%, Median annual wage $114850
  • Interpreters and Tra…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.7%, Median annual wage $60170
  • Photographers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.8%, Median annual wage $44660
  • Writers and Authors: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.6%, Median annual wage $76910
  • Technical Writers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.9%, Median annual wage $90390
  • Floral Designers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -5.9%, Median annual wage $37360
  • News Analysts, Repor…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -3.9%, Median annual wage $62200
  • Commercial and Indus…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.2%, Median annual wage $83910
  • Film and Video Editors: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4%, Median annual wage $75420
  • Camera Operators, Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.2%, Median annual wage $74990
  • Fashion Designers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2%, Median annual wage $80960
  • Broadcast Announcers…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -5.5%, Median annual wage $47340
  • Broadcast Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2.8%, Median annual wage $59570
  • Special Effects Arti…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.6%, Median annual wage $102030
  • Media and Communicat…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.7%, Median annual wage $73620
  • Umpires, Referees, a…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.7%, Median annual wage $40710

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

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Projected Growth

+1.7%

About as fast as average

Annual Openings

6,900

per year (projected)

Employment Change

+1,300

75,300 (2024) → 76,600 (2034)

Typical Education

Bachelor's degree

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034

Workplace Safety

All safety ratings →
Group

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations context

Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade

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

10th$37,070
25th$46,530
Median$60,170
75th$80,830
90th$103,660

Hourly Rate Distribution

10th$17.82
25th$22.37
Median$28.93
75th$38.86
90th$49.84

Interpreters and Translators pay history, 2015–2025

Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.

$40,000$45,000$50,000$55,000$60,000$65,000 20152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 National median - 2015: $44,190National median - 2016: $46,120National median - 2017: $47,190National median - 2018: $49,930National median - 2019: $51,830National median - 2020: $52,330National median - 2021: $49,110National median - 2022: $53,640National median - 2023: $57,090National median - 2024: $59,440National median - 2025: $60,170$60,170
National median annual wage for Interpreters and Translators, May 2015 to May 2025 OEWS releases
Read the chart as text
Period National median
2015 $44,190
2016 $46,120
2017 $47,190
2018 $49,930
2019 $51,830
2020 $52,330
2021 $49,110
2022 $53,640
2023 $57,090
2024 $59,440
2025 $60,170

2015 median

$44,190

2025 median

$60,170

2019–2025 change (same SOC)

+$8,340 (+16.1%)

Avg/year (same SOC)

+2.5%

Published national median annual wage and estimated employment for Interpreters and Translators by OEWS release year
Release Median Change Estimated jobs
May 2015 $44,190 First banked release 49,650
May 2016 $46,120 +4.4% 51,350
May 2017 $47,190 +2.3% 53,150
May 2018 $49,930 +5.8% 57,140
May 2019 $51,830 Classification break 58,870
May 2020 $52,330 +1.0% 56,920
May 2021 $49,110 -6.2% 52,170
May 2022 $53,640 +9.2% 52,160
May 2023 $57,090 +6.4% 51,560
May 2024 $59,440 +4.1% 53,360
May 2025 $60,170 +1.2% 52,060

Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $44,190 in May 2015 to $60,170 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +2.5% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 58,870 in May 2019 to 52,060 in May 2025.

Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.

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

Same SOC major group

Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 27 (Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.

Showing 5 of 40 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.

Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale

Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($60,170 here) and reported employment (52,060 jobs here).

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do 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.
Where does Interpreters and Translators pay rank nationally?
At a published national median of $60,170, Interpreters and Translators pay is higher than 48% of the 825 detailed occupations with a published BLS annual median in the May 2025 OEWS release. This compares occupation-level medians, not individual workers, job offers, or this occupation's own worker pay-percentile range.
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 Interpreters and Translators need?
BLS assigns Interpreters and Translators to Bachelor's degree for typical education needed for entry.
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Interpreters and Translators?
BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for Interpreters and Translators in this release. WageDex shows the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations SOC-group rate only as broad context and does not rank it as this occupation's measured rate.
Is Interpreters and Translators a good career?
Employment for Interpreters and Translators is projected to grow 1.7% from 2024 to 2034, which is about as fast as 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 Hawaii pays the least at $42,270/year. BLS data covers 48 states and territories.
Which metro areas pay the most for Interpreters and Translators?
The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $101,530/year. BLS reports a median for 161 metropolitan areas for this occupation. The ranking does not establish why values differ.

What to do with this data

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

  • The 75th-percentile wage is about $80,830/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. 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.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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.