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Poll: Are you satisfied with your income as a freelance translator/interpreter?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
Inese Poga-Smith
Inese Poga-Smith  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 12:32
Latvian to English
+ ...
Not satisfied at all Apr 28, 2015

It's interesting to see so many people very satisfied with their income for translations.
It's fairly hard to charge the same rates which I was charging in 2006, 2007. Meanwhile, everything is at least 3 times more expensive in Canada, especially food, medicinal products (which I need on a daily basis), power and other utilities, not to mention the rent. I cannot pay even half of it, forget about saving some money from translations.
I've been translating for more than 30 years, and
... See more
It's interesting to see so many people very satisfied with their income for translations.
It's fairly hard to charge the same rates which I was charging in 2006, 2007. Meanwhile, everything is at least 3 times more expensive in Canada, especially food, medicinal products (which I need on a daily basis), power and other utilities, not to mention the rent. I cannot pay even half of it, forget about saving some money from translations.
I've been translating for more than 30 years, and I've also noticed how everything just became less favorable for translators over these years. The best rates were for sure when there was no internet, especially for interpreting. Introduction of CATs was great at first because nobody asked to give any discounts for repetitions and volumes. I'm not even taking any more jobs which are like: total count 15 K and 8 K repetitions. I don't do many things that I was ok doing when I just started out working globally. Basically, I decided, I've earned enough profits for large millionaire companies, damaged my eyes, etc. The only true gains are the knowledge and expertise. There hasn't been any financial gain for me between 2009 and now. Just taking the best paid complex jobs and refusing from all underpaid and minimum jobs, this includes proofreading which I don't do any more, that is thanks to MT.
Generally speaking, one has to work at least 2 times more intensive or longer hours than 10 years ago to earn proportionally the same amount. That might even not make up for it since prices are skyrocketing.
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Rostislav Bála
Rostislav Bála
Czech Republic
Local time: 17:32
German to Czech
I am, but... Apr 28, 2015

When I started to work as a freelancer, I was very satisfied, because my income was incredible. But now it is more better - the diference between Euro and Czech Crown is higher. This "but" in the title means that the big diference between West and East exists. The deadlines are shorter (often 24 hours) without the extra payment for this short deadline. The rates are different - when I work for an client in Berlin or Paris, I have got 2-3 times more than in the Prague or Budapest as well. Yes the... See more
When I started to work as a freelancer, I was very satisfied, because my income was incredible. But now it is more better - the diference between Euro and Czech Crown is higher. This "but" in the title means that the big diference between West and East exists. The deadlines are shorter (often 24 hours) without the extra payment for this short deadline. The rates are different - when I work for an client in Berlin or Paris, I have got 2-3 times more than in the Prague or Budapest as well. Yes the fees in our country are very good when we compare it with the other jobs, I can very good live in CZ, but I get max. half or third of the income in Germany. That is the problem, but in Czech I am very satisfied.

[Upraveno: 2015-04-28 16:49 GMT]

[Upraveno: 2015-04-28 16:50 GMT]
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Sigurjón Kristjánsson (X)
Sigurjón Kristjánsson (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:32
English to Icelandic
+ ...
Not satisfied with my income. Apr 28, 2015

I've been doing this for a number of years, and I find, that the more affluent customers, tend to be the biggest mizers.

And like my colleagues, I refuse the lowest paid jobs, although I occasionally help out others, or regular customers, who in turn help me too.

What I find most annoying, are the "agencies", who are trying to undercut the freelancers, by offering to do the job for pittance, jobs that we have already tendered for, and been turned down. Then they expect
... See more
I've been doing this for a number of years, and I find, that the more affluent customers, tend to be the biggest mizers.

And like my colleagues, I refuse the lowest paid jobs, although I occasionally help out others, or regular customers, who in turn help me too.

What I find most annoying, are the "agencies", who are trying to undercut the freelancers, by offering to do the job for pittance, jobs that we have already tendered for, and been turned down. Then they expect us to do the same job for 1/3 of the tendered price.

Another pet hate of mine, is how the rich countries, seem to expect languages to be cheaper to interpret/translate or localize, just because there are fewer people living in that country and who speak that particular language.

Why should 1hrs work be worth less for one language than 1hrs work for another. 1hrs work is 1hrs work.
If we look at supply and demand, then you have very few translators/interpreters for the languages that fewer people speak, and therefore, like with antiques, should be more expensive. Instead we try to be fair to our customers, and are mistreated for our fairness.

Then there is the matter of suppliers of the work, always asking for things at the last minute, is if making the documentation was some sort of after thought.

If you are intending to market a product in a country, you make sure everything is ready, well in advance, BEFORE you set off. Just like when booking an airline ticket; you book it in advance, to a) make sure you get a seat, and b) to get the best rate. You don't go to the airport on the off chance you are going to get a seat for £1 are you?

They all seem to think that we are all in possession of translation software with spell checkers, and that this ensures that we can do the job in 10 minutes. - What ignorance.

"SPELL CHECKERS ONLY CHEQUE THAT THE WORD EXITS AND KNOT IF ITS THE WORD YOU ARE LUCKING FORE OAR THAT THE GRAMMAR IS CORRECT" (Errors deliberately introduced).
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Veronika LIvshits
Veronika LIvshits  Identity Verified
Russian Federation
Local time: 19:32
English to Russian
Yes, somewhat Apr 28, 2015

3 years before my income would satisfy me completely, but after birth of my son our spending increased, besides we need to buy bigger flat, so now my income is less than it is desired.

 
claude-andrew
claude-andrew  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 17:32
Member (2009)
English to French
+ ...
Very happy Apr 28, 2015

I'm 73. I joined Proz on retirement from teaching 5 years ago hoping to boost my pension (in France) by a few hundred Euros a month. I bid for one advertised job, got it, and since then have never solicited a single time: it just comes rollin' along, and, magically, at just the right rate for me almost never to have to refuse a job. And my pension is boosted by an average of over a thousand a month working in my spare time (the rest being spent in the garden). My charges go from 4 to 7 centime... See more
I'm 73. I joined Proz on retirement from teaching 5 years ago hoping to boost my pension (in France) by a few hundred Euros a month. I bid for one advertised job, got it, and since then have never solicited a single time: it just comes rollin' along, and, magically, at just the right rate for me almost never to have to refuse a job. And my pension is boosted by an average of over a thousand a month working in my spare time (the rest being spent in the garden). My charges go from 4 to 7 centimes - twice, a client (agencies in both cases) have offered me more than I asked!! Maybe the reason is my specialised background in chemistry and electronic components; may be it's the fact that I respond immediately to any request from a client and always try to do a good job. I enjoy dealing with the five agencies who regularly send me work and try to cultivate a pleasant, professional relationship. Happy bunny.Collapse


 
David Fleming
David Fleming  Identity Verified
Local time: 11:32
Member (2023)
Japanese to English
Not anymore Apr 28, 2015

Sadly, my industry is in a race to the bottom, with companies padding their profit margins by paying their translators as little as possible. The thinking seems to be that it's a strictly mechanical process, so one is as good as another; hence, they should go with the lowest price like any other commodity item. You wouldn't believe some of the crap that their "bargains" have submitted... I've heard the "make up for it in volume" spiel way too often lately. I already work seven days a week to kee... See more
Sadly, my industry is in a race to the bottom, with companies padding their profit margins by paying their translators as little as possible. The thinking seems to be that it's a strictly mechanical process, so one is as good as another; hence, they should go with the lowest price like any other commodity item. You wouldn't believe some of the crap that their "bargains" have submitted... I've heard the "make up for it in volume" spiel way too often lately. I already work seven days a week to keep up with falling rates; do they expect me to magically create more time?
It's sad when experience has become a liability in your field.
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Cristiana Karon
Cristiana Karon
Italy
Member (2012)
Italian to English
+ ...
The greatest change I would like to see is more automated payments Apr 28, 2015

I would like to see the translation industry go in the direction of more automated payments ensuring translators receive payments without spending hours, days even, engaged in invoicing activities, because we are all too busy ensuring the delivery of high quality translations to tight deadlines to have a second career, namely accounting.


[Edited at 2015-04-29 15:35 GMT]


 
Fabio Meira
Fabio Meira  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 13:32
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Somewhat... Apr 29, 2015

...making adjustment and working harder to handle the growing cost of living..

[Edited at 2015-04-29 02:00 GMT]


 
Macarena Troscé
Macarena Troscé  Identity Verified
Argentina
Local time: 13:32
English to Spanish
Yes :) Apr 29, 2015

I am satisfied.

 
Roy Oestensen
Roy Oestensen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 17:32
Member (2010)
English to Norwegian (Bokmal)
+ ...
No, I'm not Apr 29, 2015

10 years ago I would have said I was happy with the income. Since then my rates have been at a standstill, and most job offers I get (including through ProZ) offer only half that rate again. Being a translation is a high competence skill, but even so I earn less than my wife, who is a kindergarten teacher, which is reckoned as a low pay profession in Norway.

A fellow translator of mine mentioned that his top earning year was back in 2001, and since then he has had to reduce his rate
... See more
10 years ago I would have said I was happy with the income. Since then my rates have been at a standstill, and most job offers I get (including through ProZ) offer only half that rate again. Being a translation is a high competence skill, but even so I earn less than my wife, who is a kindergarten teacher, which is reckoned as a low pay profession in Norway.

A fellow translator of mine mentioned that his top earning year was back in 2001, and since then he has had to reduce his rate gradually. This is not acceptable.

The main reason I am a freelancer today, is that I have had difficulties getting a position as a teacher, but that has been more difficult than I anticipated, so back to being a translator.

[Edited at 2015-04-29 05:04 GMT]
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Chris Ellison
Chris Ellison  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 17:32
Member (2013)
Spanish to English
+ ...
You're joking right, Neilmac? Apr 29, 2015

neilmac wrote:

Although after keeping my fees at turn-of-the-century rates for seven years now since the start of the economic crisis, I am now trying to raise them, especially for new clients. The cost of living is rising and I need to keep up.


Since I started translating full time, just pre-crisis, I haven't raised ANY of my prices and at the moment I don't think any of my regulars would be very happy if I wanted to. Lucky I started fairly high I guess. ;o)

New clients tend to want lower prices because of three main issues:
1. They can see the prices in the market (in my case this includes South America where the cost of living is considerably less than in Barcelona).
2. They tend to speak English better (my clients are relatively getting younger).
3. Machine translation means anyone can be a translator these days, and we all know how quickly Google can do 500 words for you.

However, I work way faster these days, so I do tend to make decisions based on volumes and frequency of work. Also, my main language pair has become Catalan to English and I am a specialist anyway. This means my pool of work is very much reduced, but I seem to be doing okay. I'm happy with the amount of money I earn, I'm just not happy about the lack of time I can spend with my family now I am a "success".(


 
Vladimir Pochinov
Vladimir Pochinov  Identity Verified
Russian Federation
Local time: 18:32
English to Russian
2015 - Time for the Big Decision on your rates and business strategy Apr 29, 2015

Chris E wrote:

neilmac wrote:

Although after keeping my fees at turn-of-the-century rates for seven years now since the start of the economic crisis, I am now trying to raise them, especially for new clients.


You're joking right, Neilmac?

Since I started translating full time, just pre-crisis, I haven't raised ANY of my prices and at the moment I don't think any of my regulars would be very happy if I wanted to. Lucky I started fairly high I guess. ;o)


I don't think neilmac is joking. I have raised my rates to new clients recently, because I am concentrating my marketing efforts on prospective direct clients (international law firms, investment banks, private equity and venture capital companies).

New clients tend to want lower prices because of three main issues:
1. They can see the prices in the market (in my case this includes South America where the cost of living is considerably less than in Barcelona).


As I mentioned on multiple occasions, Moscow-based agencies generally charge their clients at rates ranging between US$0.03/word at the lower-end and US$0.09/word at the higher end (regular non-rush jobs). You can try and calculate the rates offered to their translators and editors.

Yet, I have several direct clients in Moscow willing to pay more than twice as much as the higher figure above, because they have known me for years and they expect to get a valuable product at the end. And yes, they tried to outsource their translation needs to various agencies in Moscow but the deliverables often left much to be desired (on several occasions they had to reject the deliverable outright as absolutely unsuitable for the intended purpose, e.g. as a part of submission in a high-profile litigation).

However, I work way faster these days...


+1

... and I am a specialist anyway. This means my pool of work is very much reduced, but I seem to be doing okay.


I have less clients but higher gross revenues now as compared to mid-2000s.


I'm happy with the amount of money I earn, I'm just not happy about the lack of time I can spend with my family now I am a "success".(


+1 I am planning "to retire" from translation work per se within the next 2-3 years, therefore I invest heavily in terms of time, effort and money in setting up, developing and running my translation agency business.


 
Anastasia Kingsley Kinkusic
Anastasia Kingsley Kinkusic  Identity Verified
Member (2011)
Croatian to English
+ ...
So-so Apr 29, 2015

Last year I was earning about double ... so .. not really.. but I still prefer working as a freelance linguist compared to other types of work. Hopefully the trend will reverse itself as I have begun to get more active at self-promotion. A good and relevant question, thanks for inquiring.

 
SafeTex
SafeTex
France
Local time: 17:32
French to English
+ ...
Have to put in the hours Apr 29, 2015

Hello

Yes, I'm happy with my income but have to put in the hours. I've also been lucky in getting a couple of big clients that give me regular large projects.

But working for agencies does mean lower rates and lots of hours to make ends meet

Certainly don't want to give the impression that those struggling only have themselves to blame or are lazy

I know a number of good hard working translators who are having a hard time thru no fault of their
... See more
Hello

Yes, I'm happy with my income but have to put in the hours. I've also been lucky in getting a couple of big clients that give me regular large projects.

But working for agencies does mean lower rates and lots of hours to make ends meet

Certainly don't want to give the impression that those struggling only have themselves to blame or are lazy

I know a number of good hard working translators who are having a hard time thru no fault of their own.

Regards

SafeTex
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Ahmad Ridwan Munib
Ahmad Ridwan Munib  Identity Verified
Indonesia
Local time: 23:32
Member (2012)
English to Indonesian
+ ...
Somewhat Apr 29, 2015

The need is based on income. We have a big income will have a big program, and vice versa. They are adapting each other.

 
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Poll: Are you satisfied with your income as a freelance translator/interpreter?






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