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The differences between court interpreters and technical translators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a court interpreter and a technical translator. Additionally, a technical translator has an average salary of $55,019, which is higher than the $44,300 average annual salary of a court interpreter.
The top three skills for a court interpreter include vice versa, court cases and court hearings. The most important skills for a technical translator are technical translation, technical manuals, and proofreading.
| Court Interpreter | Technical Translator | |
| Yearly salary | $44,300 | $55,019 |
| Hourly rate | $21.30 | $26.45 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 20% |
| Number of jobs | 4,250 | 68,352 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A court interpreter is responsible for translating one language to another in real-time in a courtroom setting. Court interpreters work closely with clients and law officers to relay accurate and reliable information from the actual context. Apart from having excellent communication skills, a court interpreter should also possess extensive knowledge of the legal industry to understand and interpret terms accordingly. They also translate legal documents for court reference. In some cases, a court interpreter may also read the statements beforehand to have a good grasp of courtroom procedures.
Technical Translation is the act of translating materials in a specific technical or scientific subject domain. A Technical Translator understands the nitty-gritty of the subject matter and knows the specialized terms in that field in both the source and secondary languages. This individual works to produce translations and interpretations of either written or oral communications of one language to another for a specific purpose or industry. As a Technical Translator, your duties may include interpreting conferences and emails in an organization.
Court interpreters and technical translators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Court Interpreter | Technical Translator | |
| Average salary | $44,300 | $55,019 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $72,000 | Between $37,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Central Islip, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | Oregon |
| Best paying company | City of Houston | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a court interpreter and a technical translator in terms of educational background:
| Court Interpreter | Technical Translator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | English |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between court interpreters' and technical translators' demographics:
| Court Interpreter | Technical Translator | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.9% Female, 59.1% | Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 35.4% Asian, 14.1% White, 38.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 27.5% Asian, 17.9% White, 42.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 15% |