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Best states for a foreign language interpreter
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you want to become a foreign language interpreter at Kelly Services, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for foreign language interpreters that you can check out, before you begin your journey. In order to help you decide which state is the best for foreign language interpreters, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for foreign language interpreter jobs.
The median salary for foreign language interpreters in Oregon is $62,745. Compare that to the median salary in Oklahoma of $35,680, which ranked worst for foreign language interpreters, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that Oregon is the best state for foreign language interpreter jobs, whereas Oklahoma is the worst.
10 best states for foreign language interpreters in 2025
1. Oregon
Total foreign language interpreter jobs: 488 Average annual salary: $62,745 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 2.47
2. West Virginia
Total foreign language interpreter jobs: 212 Average annual salary: $53,670 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 2.91
3. Massachusetts
Total foreign language interpreter jobs: 630 Average annual salary: $58,222 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
4. California
Total foreign language interpreter jobs: 1,546 Average annual salary: $64,840 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
5. Virginia
Total foreign language interpreter jobs: 558 Average annual salary: $58,043 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
6. Vermont
Total foreign language interpreter jobs: 114 Average annual salary: $54,120 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 3.11
7. New York
Total foreign language interpreter jobs: 541 Average annual salary: $67,180 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
8. District of Columbia
Total foreign language interpreter jobs: 64 Average annual salary: $80,600 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
9. New Hampshire
Total foreign language interpreter jobs: 242 Average annual salary: $50,354 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 2.9
10. Colorado
Total foreign language interpreter jobs: 250 Average annual salary: $55,871 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
Foreign language interpreter jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a foreign language interpreter
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a foreign language interpreter
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $62,745 | $37,000 | 4,142,776 | 488 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $53,670 | $32,000 | 1,815,857 | 212 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $58,222 | $34,000 | 6,859,819 | 630 |
| 4 | California | $64,840 | $38,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,546 |
| 5 | Virginia | $58,043 | $34,000 | 8,470,020 | 558 |
| 6 | Vermont | $54,120 | $32,000 | 623,657 | 114 |
| 7 | New York | $67,180 | $39,000 | 19,849,399 | 541 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $80,600 | $47,000 | 693,972 | 64 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $50,354 | $30,000 | 1,342,795 | 242 |
| 10 | Colorado | $55,871 | $34,000 | 5,607,154 | 250 |
| 11 | Maryland | $54,404 | $31,000 | 6,052,177 | 352 |
| 12 | Alaska | $59,259 | $39,000 | 739,795 | 19 |
| 13 | Washington | $52,284 | $31,000 | 7,405,743 | 374 |
| 14 | Utah | $56,734 | $34,000 | 3,101,833 | 43 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $49,632 | $31,000 | 1,920,076 | 111 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $49,928 | $29,000 | 3,588,184 | 222 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $56,747 | $33,000 | 9,005,644 | 245 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $48,711 | $30,000 | 4,454,189 | 163 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $48,890 | $29,000 | 1,059,639 | 61 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $48,712 | $30,000 | 579,315 | 25 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $49,665 | $30,000 | 2,984,100 | 71 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $47,047 | $28,000 | 5,024,369 | 243 |
| 23 | Delaware | $46,675 | $27,000 | 961,939 | 92 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $46,185 | $29,000 | 755,393 | 40 |
| 25 | Maine | $49,052 | $29,000 | 1,335,907 | 40 |
| 26 | Montana | $46,327 | $28,000 | 1,050,493 | 56 |
| 27 | Georgia | $48,289 | $29,000 | 10,429,379 | 360 |
| 28 | Texas | $45,459 | $27,000 | 28,304,596 | 957 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $46,563 | $27,000 | 12,805,537 | 354 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $43,919 | $26,000 | 4,684,333 | 148 |
| 31 | Kansas | $41,889 | $26,000 | 2,913,123 | 179 |
| 32 | Indiana | $43,683 | $27,000 | 6,666,818 | 253 |
| 33 | Arizona | $43,520 | $26,000 | 7,016,270 | 304 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $46,568 | $29,000 | 5,576,606 | 193 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $42,525 | $27,000 | 869,666 | 45 |
| 36 | Iowa | $41,825 | $26,000 | 3,145,711 | 183 |
| 37 | Michigan | $43,005 | $26,000 | 9,962,311 | 323 |
| 38 | Missouri | $44,458 | $27,000 | 6,113,532 | 209 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $40,816 | $24,000 | 2,088,070 | 126 |
| 40 | Illinois | $41,737 | $26,000 | 12,802,023 | 640 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $42,259 | $25,000 | 10,273,419 | 450 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $42,075 | $26,000 | 5,795,483 | 216 |
| 43 | Florida | $38,340 | $22,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,030 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $34,356 | $22,000 | 1,427,538 | 56 |
| 45 | Ohio | $40,108 | $24,000 | 11,658,609 | 284 |
| 46 | Idaho | $38,350 | $23,000 | 1,716,943 | 67 |
| 47 | Alabama | $39,325 | $23,000 | 4,874,747 | 125 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $37,886 | $23,000 | 3,004,279 | 68 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $38,136 | $23,000 | 6,715,984 | 117 |
| 50 | Nevada | $33,849 | $19,000 | 2,998,039 | 74 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $35,680 | $21,000 | 3,930,864 | 85 |
Highest paying states for foreign language interpreters
| Rank | State | Avg. Foreign Language Interpreter Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $62,745 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $53,670 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $58,222 |
| 4 | California | $64,840 |
| 5 | Virginia | $58,043 |
| 6 | Vermont | $54,120 |
| 7 | New York | $67,180 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $80,600 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $50,354 |
| 10 | Colorado | $55,871 |
| 11 | Maryland | $54,404 |
| 12 | Alaska | $59,259 |
| 13 | Washington | $52,284 |
| 14 | Utah | $56,734 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $49,632 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $49,928 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $56,747 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $48,711 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $48,890 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $48,712 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $49,665 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $47,047 |
| 23 | Delaware | $46,675 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $46,185 |
| 25 | Maine | $49,052 |
| 26 | Montana | $46,327 |
| 27 | Georgia | $48,289 |
| 28 | Texas | $45,459 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $46,563 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $43,919 |
| 31 | Kansas | $41,889 |
| 32 | Indiana | $43,683 |
| 33 | Arizona | $43,520 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $46,568 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $42,525 |
| 36 | Iowa | $41,825 |
| 37 | Michigan | $43,005 |
| 38 | Missouri | $44,458 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $40,816 |
| 40 | Illinois | $41,737 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $42,259 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $42,075 |
| 43 | Florida | $38,340 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $34,356 |
| 45 | Ohio | $40,108 |
| 46 | Idaho | $38,350 |
| 47 | Alabama | $39,325 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $37,886 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $38,136 |
| 50 | Nevada | $33,849 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $35,680 |
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Updated January 8, 2025