How much do translators make?

copheoske wrote:

Needless to say, your written English needs to be more than just acceptable. IMO half the battle is won if the target text reads smoothly and has colour and vibrance.

Good luck!

jaliyah wrote:

[Oh, no... are you suggesting that my English isn't good enough? That's really discouraging...

jaliyah wrote:
So my social skills are lame, I've always been a loner, and if you haven't noticed, every job ad asks for "outgoing, enthusiastic, great people skills", etc.

jaliyah wrote:

How much does the average freelance translator make, or should I as "what is the range of pay"? I hear "six-figure income" is not at all unusual (either dollars or euro or pounds - makes no difference). Is this true?

Yes, but much more likely if you translate from more than one language and have more than one specialization. Your first specialization could easily be whatever you studied at uni. Then hobbies or anything you have actual professional experience of. You say you've studied severall languages to advanced beginner, IMHO to be a *translator* [not interpreter] the hearing impairment should not matter too much after that stage [I teach languages, too, so I'm not saying this lightly].

How many hours do translators typically work in a week?

I work a lot, or a little, depending on what else I need to do or whether or not I need "extra" money for some project or want to increase the annual turnover or catch up or whatever. But as others have said, 14 hour days are not unusual, nor are 7 day weeks. This for the six figures; of course one can also live happily with four figures, but it all depends on where you are located [depending on the season?]

Which languages pay the most (translating into English)?
Tell us which your languages are so far and we'll be better able to give an answer to that. Supply and demand have to do with that, but there are also cases of huge demand with supply that is however of poor quality, so then the rate can go up again.

Which specializations pay the most?
Crisis-proof industries.

And finally, which language/specialization combos pay the most (again, translating into English)?
See above.

Is it possible to work from anywhere over the internet? So, for instance, could you be a perpetual traveler, living wherever you like in the world, and continue to work steadily as a translator?
Yes, definitely, yes. I have done this for years. There is however always a setup time loss if you always go to different places. However, if, say, you're going to be staying with friends who already have everything set up, or in hotels with WiFi internet access, then that difficulty is removed.

What is the best, cheapest, most efficient way to master a language and get all the credentials necessary to be an excellent translator and be able to make a very good living at it?
Credentials have been discussed, the proof of our pudding is in the eating. With a university education you already have the basics, then excellent general knowledge and in-depth knowledge of your specializations - much of this comes with age and life experience, though. The fastest and possibly cheapest way to really learn a source language well is living in the pertinent country for some time, ideally with some language courses here and there to deal with things that cause problems [perhaps comparative use of tenses between two or more languages].

Many thanks in advance!

Sheila Wilson wrote: Could you perhaps have a future in graphics? I believe there are a lot of possibilities for freelancers working from home in that business.

Hermeneutica wrote:

Which languages pay the most (translating into English)?
Tell us which your languages are so far and we'll be better able to give an answer to that. Supply and demand have to do with that, but there are also cases of huge demand with supply that is however of poor quality, so then the rate can go up again.

Dee

Hermeneutica wrote:

Which specializations pay the most?
Crisis-proof industries.

Dee

Dawn Montague wrote:

- you truly know the language and culture
- you specialize in a high-paying field where work is available
- you are willing to go out and meet the clients (direct clients, not agencies), "work the room", etc. (This means getting out of your shell)
- you have enough knowledge and confidence to charge at the top of the market (Hint: it's about 5 or 6 times the rates you found in the online calculator - those are averages for translators who work for agencies. I speak as one who hasn't gotten there yet, but have talked to people who do it.)

For really good information on marketing yourself as a translator read "The Entrepreneurial Linguist" by Judy and Dagmar Jenner and "The Prosperous Translator: Advice from Fire Ant & Worker Bee", compiled and edited by Chris Durban

But, of course, first you have to learn a language, really well - which is an adventure in itself



[Edited at 2010-12-05 23:01 GMT]

jaliyah wrote:


Hi Sheila - thanks for your suggestion. Could you tell me a bit more about graphics? I don't even really know what it involves. How would I learn it, and how does it pay compare to translating?

jaliyah wrote:



Hi Dawn - thanks for your reply, hints and advice!

Two follow-ups:

What are the high-paying fields where work is available?

These people who make 5 or 6 times the rates found in the online calculator... how do they do it? What would I need to do to be able to make that kind of money?