How To Become A Deaf Interpreter: What It Is and Career Path

What is a deaf interpreter and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a deaf interpreter. For example, did you know that they make an average of $20.92 an hour? That's $43,511 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 20% and produce 14,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreDeaf InterpreterUS Average

Salary

3.4

Avg. Salary $43,511

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.1

Growth rate 20%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%

Asian 11.04%

Black or African American 5.71%

Hispanic or Latino 19.12%

Unknown 4.41%

White 59.48%

Gender

female 85.31%

male 14.69%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress level

6.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a deaf interpreter

Explore deaf interpreter education requirements

Most common deaf interpreter degrees

Associate

38.4 %

Bachelor's

35.6 %

Master's

10.2 %

Start to develop specific deaf interpreter skills

Skills	Percentages
Registry	34.57%
EIPA	15.21%
ASL	11.57%
Facilitate Communication	10.83%
Mental Health	10.42%

Complete relevant deaf interpreter training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New deaf interpreters learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a deaf interpreter based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real deaf interpreter resumes.

Research deaf interpreter duties and responsibilities

Help implement and modify behavior plans and IEP goals for the success of the students.
Work closely with teachers & other staff to meet or exceed student IEP goals & to resolve problems.
Provide effective communication by making important connection between patients, families and providers in clinical and hospital settings.
Follow establish departmental guidelines and protect confidentiality of member's information (HIPPA )

Prepare your deaf interpreter resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your deaf interpreter resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a deaf interpreter resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable deaf interpreter resume templates

Build a professional deaf interpreter resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your deaf interpreter resume.