How To Become A Freelance Interpreter/Translator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a freelance interpreter/translator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Tanya Bystrova-McIntyre Ph.D.

Freelance interpreters or translators work on a self-employed basis converting written texts from one language to another or providing verbal translations in live situations, such as conferences, performances, or meetings. They are responsible for making sure the source material stays as close in meaning to the target material as possible while ensuring grammatical correctness and a natural flow to the language.

You might work with several languages, with the minimum being two, obviously. One is often the mother tongue of the translator, and you need to have excellent command over the other languages you use. Localization is likely to be a part of your tasks, which means transforming the text into a locally relevant version with references adjusted to the local culture.

Your clients might expect to work with someone who has a degree in languages, linguistics, or a related area. Getting certified as a translator is always a good idea, as it makes it significantly easier to build a solid body of work references. Once you have the successful working experience to show for, assignments will be flowing. You might find work through a translation agency, online platforms, or your personal network. The money you can make doing this job largely varies based on your experience and your clients, allowing you to earn $20.86 an hour on average.

What general advice would you give to a freelance interpreter/translator?

Tanya Bystrova-McIntyre Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Russian & Translation Studies, Kent State University

Assess your current language abilities and identify your strengths and interests. Do you enjoy working from home? Become a Russian freelance translator and a phone interpreter. Enjoy helping others? Join a humanitarian organization, help refugees, or volunteer in a Russian-speaking community (and we have so many in the U.S.). Enjoy politics? Choose a career with a political twist—Russia is a limitless source of political interest. Love teaching? There are also opportunities there. Looking for a career in business? Offer your services as a cultural consultant. Would like to strengthen your language abilities and your resume? Go to live abroad for a year, in the Baltics or Kazakhstan, for instance—you will not regret learning about people and cultures first-hand.

ScoreFreelance Interpreter/TranslatorUS Average

Salary

3.4

Avg. Salary $43,741

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.1

Growth rate 20%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.25%

Asian 15.27%

Black or African American 7.62%

Hispanic or Latino 29.86%

Unknown 4.60%

White 42.40%

Gender

female 67.48%

male 32.52%

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 freelance interpreter/translator

Explore freelance interpreter/translator education requirements

Most common freelance interpreter/translator degrees

Bachelor's

56.4 %

Master's

19.2 %

Associate

13.5 %

Start to develop specific freelance interpreter/translator skills

Skills	Percentages
Medical Appointments	8.99%
Healthcare Professionals	7.55%
Vice Versa	7.42%
Interpretation Services	6.88%
Mental Health	6.73%

Complete relevant freelance interpreter/translator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New freelance interpreter/translators 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 freelance interpreter/translator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real freelance interpreter/translator resumes.

Research freelance interpreter/translator duties and responsibilities

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Work as an interpreter for Bengali, Hindi and Urdu clients.
Type set foreign languages such as Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi and Nepali.
Train soldiers to perform in a combat environment including tactical navigation, military communications, and several types of weapons.

Prepare your freelance interpreter/translator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your freelance interpreter/translator resume.

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