Best states for a deaf interpreter

Q: What is the best state for deaf interpreters?

The best state to be a deaf interpreter is District of Columbia based on deaf interpreter salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for deaf interpreters?

The highest paying state for deaf interpreters is Nevada based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for deaf interpreters?

The worst state for deaf interpreters is Nevada, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for deaf interpreters? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for deaf interpreter jobs.In fact, our research shows that District of Columbia is the best state for deaf interpreters in America. The best city in America for deaf interpreters with the highest pay is Richmond, CA.

To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for deaf interpreters.We found that the Midwest is best for deaf interpreters, and the Northeast is the worst. Richmond, CA is the best city in the country for deaf interpreter jobs, where as District of Columbia is the best state in the country.

10 best states for deaf interpreters in 2026

1. District of Columbia
Total deaf interpreter jobs: 33
Average annual salary: $78,108
Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000
Location Quotient:
3.38
Deaf interpreter jobs in District of Columbia
2. Oregon
Total deaf interpreter jobs: 325
Average annual salary: $62,341
Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000
Location Quotient:
13.48
Deaf interpreter jobs in Oregon
3. New York
Total deaf interpreter jobs: 73
Average annual salary: $65,616
Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000
Location Quotient:
0.98
Deaf interpreter jobs in New York
4. Virginia
Total deaf interpreter jobs: 73
Average annual salary: $61,370
Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000
Location Quotient:
1.33
Deaf interpreter jobs in Virginia
5. California
Total deaf interpreter jobs: 168
Average annual salary: $63,796
Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000
Location Quotient:
0.99
Deaf interpreter jobs in California
6. Massachusetts
Total deaf interpreter jobs: 87
Average annual salary: $57,241
Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000
Location Quotient:
1.63
Deaf interpreter jobs in Massachusetts
7. Utah
Total deaf interpreter jobs: 11
Average annual salary: $55,985
Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000
Location Quotient:
0.59
Deaf interpreter jobs in Utah
8. West Virginia
Total deaf interpreter jobs: 6
Average annual salary: $52,328
Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000
Location Quotient:
0.68
Deaf interpreter jobs in West Virginia
9. Nebraska
Total deaf interpreter jobs: 15
Average annual salary: $49,305
Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $77,000
Location Quotient:
1.16
Deaf interpreter jobs in Nebraska
10. Vermont
Total deaf interpreter jobs: 3
Average annual salary: $53,494
Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000
Location Quotient:
0.67
Deaf interpreter jobs in Vermont

Deaf interpreter jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a deaf interpreter

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a deaf interpreter

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	District of Columbia	$78,108	$46,000	693,972	33
2	Oregon	$62,341	$37,000	4,142,776	325
3	New York	$65,616	$38,000	19,849,399	73
4	Virginia	$61,370	$36,000	8,470,020	73
5	California	$63,796	$37,000	39,536,653	168
6	Massachusetts	$57,241	$34,000	6,859,819	87
7	Utah	$55,985	$34,000	3,101,833	11
8	West Virginia	$52,328	$31,000	1,815,857	6
9	Nebraska	$49,305	$31,000	1,920,076	15
10	Vermont	$53,494	$32,000	623,657	3
11	Maryland	$52,693	$31,000	6,052,177	43
12	New Jersey	$55,376	$32,000	9,005,644	27
13	Texas	$48,666	$29,000	28,304,596	102
14	Alaska	$59,141	$39,000	739,795	1
15	Rhode Island	$47,969	$28,000	1,059,639	12
16	Colorado	$55,152	$34,000	5,607,154	16
17	New Hampshire	$49,593	$29,000	1,342,795	8
18	Washington	$51,972	$31,000	7,405,743	29
19	Mississippi	$48,977	$29,000	2,984,100	8
20	Georgia	$47,512	$29,000	10,429,379	50
21	Montana	$45,716	$28,000	1,050,493	12
22	Connecticut	$48,866	$29,000	3,588,184	15
23	Minnesota	$46,892	$30,000	5,576,606	32
24	Pennsylvania	$45,416	$26,000	12,805,537	56
25	Delaware	$45,361	$26,000	961,939	11
26	Maine	$48,676	$29,000	1,335,907	3
27	Kentucky	$47,839	$29,000	4,454,189	9
28	North Dakota	$46,109	$29,000	755,393	3
29	Wyoming	$48,115	$30,000	579,315	1
30	South Dakota	$42,341	$27,000	869,666	6
31	South Carolina	$46,255	$28,000	5,024,369	14
32	Illinois	$41,241	$25,000	12,802,023	70
33	North Carolina	$41,337	$25,000	10,273,419	41
34	Michigan	$42,137	$25,000	9,962,311	25
35	Louisiana	$43,144	$25,000	4,684,333	10
36	Florida	$42,759	$25,000	20,984,400	59
37	Arizona	$38,799	$23,000	7,016,270	59
38	Wisconsin	$41,679	$26,000	5,795,483	18
39	New Mexico	$40,105	$24,000	2,088,070	10
40	Kansas	$41,382	$26,000	2,913,123	9
41	Missouri	$43,876	$27,000	6,113,532	13
42	Iowa	$41,424	$26,000	3,145,711	9
43	Idaho	$37,951	$22,000	1,716,943	8
44	Ohio	$39,140	$23,000	11,658,609	25
45	Alabama	$38,820	$23,000	4,874,747	11
46	Indiana	$37,907	$23,000	6,666,818	17
47	Hawaii	$34,505	$23,000	1,427,538	3
48	Tennessee	$37,555	$23,000	6,715,984	8
49	Arkansas	$37,316	$23,000	3,004,279	4
50	Oklahoma	$35,011	$21,000	3,930,864	9
51	Nevada	$33,294	$19,000	2,998,039	2

Highest paying states for deaf interpreters

Rank	State	Avg. Deaf Interpreter Salary
1	District of Columbia	$78,108
2	Oregon	$62,341
3	New York	$65,616
4	Virginia	$61,370
5	California	$63,796
6	Massachusetts	$57,241
7	Utah	$55,985
8	West Virginia	$52,328
9	Nebraska	$49,305
10	Vermont	$53,494
11	Maryland	$52,693
12	New Jersey	$55,376
13	Texas	$48,666
14	Alaska	$59,141
15	Rhode Island	$47,969
16	Colorado	$55,152
17	New Hampshire	$49,593
18	Washington	$51,972
19	Mississippi	$48,977
20	Georgia	$47,512
21	Montana	$45,716
22	Connecticut	$48,866
23	Minnesota	$46,892
24	Pennsylvania	$45,416
25	Delaware	$45,361
26	Maine	$48,676
27	Kentucky	$47,839
28	North Dakota	$46,109
29	Wyoming	$48,115
30	South Dakota	$42,341
31	South Carolina	$46,255
32	Illinois	$41,241
33	North Carolina	$41,337
34	Michigan	$42,137
35	Louisiana	$43,144
36	Florida	$42,759
37	Arizona	$38,799
38	Wisconsin	$41,679
39	New Mexico	$40,105
40	Kansas	$41,382
41	Missouri	$43,876
42	Iowa	$41,424
43	Idaho	$37,951
44	Ohio	$39,140
45	Alabama	$38,820
46	Indiana	$37,907
47	Hawaii	$34,505
48	Tennessee	$37,555
49	Arkansas	$37,316
50	Oklahoma	$35,011
51	Nevada	$33,294

Deaf interpreter best states FAQs

What is the best state for deaf interpreters?

What is the highest paying state for deaf interpreters?

What is the worst state for deaf interpreters?

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Deaf Interpreter
Best states for Deaf Interpreters

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total deaf interpreter jobs:	33
Average annual salary:	$78,108
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$46,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$131,000
Location Quotient:	3.38

Best states for a deaf interpreter

10 best states for deaf interpreters in 2026

1. District of Columbia

2. Oregon

3. New York

4. Virginia

5. California

6. Massachusetts

7. Utah

8. West Virginia

9. Nebraska

10. Vermont