Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

27-3091 Interpreters and Translators

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


National estimates for Interpreters and Translators
Industry profile for Interpreters and Translators
Geographic profile for Interpreters and Translators

National estimates for Interpreters and Translators:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Interpreters and Translators:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
52,160 3.1 % $ 29.68 $ 61,730 1.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for Interpreters and Translators:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 16.13 $ 19.92 $ 25.79 $ 35.30 $ 44.78
Annual Wage (2) $ 33,540 $ 41,440 $ 53,640 $ 73,430 $ 93,140


Industry profile for Interpreters and Translators:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Interpreters and Translators are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Interpreters and Translators, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Interpreters and Translators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 18,910 2.30 $ 30.56 $ 63,570
Elementary and Secondary Schools 10,430 0.12 $ 27.16 $ 56,490
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 4,680 0.08 $ 29.45 $ 61,260
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 1,940 0.04 $ 30.61 $ 63,680
Offices of Physicians 1,610 0.06 $ 21.36 $ 44,430

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Interpreters and Translators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 18,910 2.30 $ 30.56 $ 63,570
Educational Support Services 550 0.25 $ 27.28 $ 56,740
Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services 440 0.22 $ 22.00 $ 45,750
Junior Colleges 1,340 0.21 $ 38.62 $ 80,320
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions 260 0.17 $ 16.40 $ 34,120

Top paying industries for Interpreters and Translators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 310 0.01 $ 51.22 $ 106,540
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 360 0.02 $ 45.28 $ 94,170
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 40 0.01 $ 43.94 $ 91,390
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 30 (7) $ 39.62 $ 82,410
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 1,280 0.04 $ 39.32 $ 81,780


Geographic profile for Interpreters and Translators:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Interpreters and Translators are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Interpreters and Translators, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of interpreters and translators by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Interpreters and Translators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 6,750 0.38 1.08 $ 32.17 $ 66,910
Texas 6,660 0.51 1.45 $ 26.56 $ 55,250
Florida 2,760 0.30 0.85 $ 25.98 $ 54,030
New York 2,500 0.27 0.78 $ 37.04 $ 77,030
Massachusetts 2,470 0.69 1.96 $ 30.73 $ 63,920


Map of location quotient of interpreters and translators by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Interpreters and Translators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts 2,470 0.69 1.96 $ 30.73 $ 63,920
Nebraska 640 0.66 1.88 $ 22.87 $ 47,570
Idaho 530 0.66 1.87 $ 27.88 $ 57,990
Minnesota 1,690 0.60 1.70 $ 29.84 $ 62,060
New Mexico 450 0.55 1.55 $ 30.33 $ 63,090


Map of annual mean wages of interpreters and translators by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Interpreters and Translators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 580 0.14 0.40 $ 41.05 $ 85,390
Maryland 1,290 0.49 1.38 $ 40.08 $ 83,360
District of Columbia 240 0.35 0.98 $ 39.06 $ 81,250
Virginia 1,750 0.45 1.28 $ 37.58 $ 78,170
New York 2,500 0.27 0.78 $ 37.04 $ 77,030



Map of employment of interpreters and translators by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Interpreters and Translators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,390 0.78 2.22 $ 23.92 $ 49,750
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,940 0.21 0.60 $ 40.99 $ 85,270
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,850 0.61 1.73 $ 44.20 $ 91,940
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,800 0.67 1.89 $ 32.66 $ 67,930
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,720 0.28 0.80 $ 32.11 $ 66,780
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,460 0.38 1.08 $ 30.59 $ 63,640
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,200 0.27 0.77 $ 28.12 $ 58,500
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 1,180 0.63 1.78 $ 31.54 $ 65,590
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,020 0.37 1.06 $ 36.56 $ 76,050
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 970 0.44 1.24 $ 21.45 $ 44,620


Map of location quotient of interpreters and translators by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Interpreters and Translators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Salinas, CA 740 4.07 11.54 $ 29.73 $ 61,830
Idaho Falls, ID 160 2.15 6.10 (8) (8)
Harrisonburg, VA 110 1.78 5.05 $ 28.07 $ 58,380
Rochester, MN 180 1.51 4.27 $ 24.54 $ 51,030
Madera, CA 50 0.98 2.77 $ 32.65 $ 67,920
Colorado Springs, CO 270 0.90 2.55 $ 35.91 $ 74,680
Lubbock, TX 130 0.90 2.54 $ 30.89 $ 64,260
Lexington-Fayette, KY 230 0.88 2.48 $ 28.48 $ 59,230
Tucson, AZ 330 0.88 2.48 $ 21.87 $ 45,500
Sioux Falls, SD 140 0.86 2.43 $ 26.02 $ 54,120


Map of annual mean wages of interpreters and translators by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Interpreters and Translators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,850 0.61 1.73 $ 44.20 $ 91,940
Fayetteville, NC 100 0.78 2.22 $ 43.96 $ 91,450
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 80 0.20 0.57 $ 42.79 $ 88,990
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,940 0.21 0.60 $ 40.99 $ 85,270
Raleigh, NC 150 0.23 0.64 $ 38.39 $ 79,850
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 350 0.31 0.89 $ 37.93 $ 78,900
Charlottesville, VA 40 0.34 0.98 $ 37.67 $ 78,360
Albuquerque, NM 220 0.58 1.65 $ 37.45 $ 77,900
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,020 0.37 1.06 $ 36.56 $ 76,050
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 30 0.12 0.33 $ 36.50 $ 75,910

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Interpreters and Translators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 110 0.45 1.29 $ 19.06 $ 39,640
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 90 0.52 1.47 $ 28.12 $ 58,480
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 70 0.19 0.55 $ 19.60 $ 40,770
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 70 0.33 0.93 $ 23.47 $ 48,820
Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 70 0.75 2.13 $ 21.98 $ 45,710

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Interpreters and Translators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 70 0.75 2.13 $ 21.98 $ 45,710
Southeast-Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area 60 0.65 1.83 $ 28.46 $ 59,190
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 90 0.52 1.47 $ 28.12 $ 58,480
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 50 0.50 1.43 $ 28.34 $ 58,940
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 110 0.45 1.29 $ 19.06 $ 39,640

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Interpreters and Translators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 40 0.26 0.75 $ 33.14 $ 68,930
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 30 0.11 0.31 $ 30.97 $ 64,420
Southeast-Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area 60 0.65 1.83 $ 28.46 $ 59,190
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 50 0.50 1.43 $ 28.34 $ 58,940
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 60 0.32 0.90 $ 28.17 $ 58,590


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023