How to hire an interpreter

How to hire an interpreter, step by step

Here's a step-by-step interpreter hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an interpreter job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new interpreter
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an interpreter do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your interpreter job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an interpreter for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an interpreter to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an interpreter that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of interpreter salaries for various roles:

   Type of Interpreter	Description	Hourly rate
   Interpreter	Interpreters and translators convert information from one language into another language. Interpreters work in spoken or sign language; translators work in written language.	$13-28
   Cryptologic Linguist	Cryptologic linguists are lingual professionals who are responsible for using signals equipment to identify and analyze foreign communications. These linguists must assist intelligence community analysts in translating open source and sensitive materials as well as producing comprehensive reports about the daily activities of their enemies... Show more	$12-32
   Arabic Linguist	Arabic linguists are experts who interpret and translate research or business documents that are written in the Arab language or its dialects. These linguists are required to advise peers and superiors about the Arabic language and culture while providing inputs of written reports developed from target materials utilizing the specific Arabic language... Show more	$13-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Customer Service
   • ASL
   • Medical Terminology
   • LEP
   • Sign Language
   • Interpretation Services
   • Translation Services
   • Medical Interpretation
   • Target Language
   • Facilitate Communication
   • Vice Versa
   • Call Monitoring
   • Informed Consent

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead an international team of HUMINT collectors for the NATO mission in Bosnia where overt and covert collection protocols are observed.
   • Perform administrative duties such as filling, scanning, printing and photocopying.
   • Keep update information on students, families and translate school documents into Hmong.
   • Serve as a media spokesperson for the ESL department on Spanish radio and television.
   • Interpret ASL to English, and English to ASL for high profile & complex legal matters.
   • Serve as French, creole and Spanish interpreter when necessary.- Responsible to take and document vital signs.

   More interpreter duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your interpreter job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An interpreter salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, interpreters' average salary in delaware is 53% less than in virginia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level interpreters earn 52% less than senior-level interpreters.
   • Certifications. An interpreter with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an interpreter's salary.

   Average interpreter salary

   $42,008yearly

   $20.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level interpreter salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average interpreter salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Virginia	$58,967	$28
   2	New York	$52,638	$25
   3	California	$48,495	$23
   4	Maryland	$46,076	$22
   5	Texas	$44,147	$21
   6	Massachusetts	$42,635	$21
   7	Colorado	$40,801	$20
   8	Pennsylvania	$40,440	$19
   9	Arizona	$39,848	$19
   10	New Hampshire	$39,011	$19
   11	Nebraska	$38,750	$19
   12	Minnesota	$38,184	$18
   13	Utah	$37,638	$18
   14	Florida	$37,579	$18
   15	District of Columbia	$36,409	$18
   16	Oregon	$35,715	$17
   17	Indiana	$34,745	$17
   18	Illinois	$33,109	$16
   19	Iowa	$32,575	$16
   20	Michigan	$32,175	$15

   Average interpreter salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Cottage Health	$79,183	$38.07
   2	St. Mary's Health Inc.	$73,400	$35.29	1
   3	Erlanger Health System	$67,950	$32.67
   4	Appalachian Regional Healthcare	$67,339	$32.37
   5	Johnson County Community College	$65,370	$31.43
   6	Rochester City School District	$63,135	$30.35
   7	Visalia Unified School District	$62,899	$30.24
   8	Amazon	$62,105	$29.86	5
   9	Children's Minnesota	$61,889	$29.75
   10	Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation Inc.	$61,351	$29.50	1
   11	El Paso County	$60,799	$29.23
   12	Student Conservation Association	$60,640	$29.15
   13	Cincinnati State	$60,541	$29.11
   14	Yanfeng	$59,748	$28.73
   15	Oxnard Union High School District	$59,598	$28.65
   16	Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College	$58,797	$28.27
   17	Massachusetts General Hospital	$58,739	$28.24
   18	West Tennessee Healthcare	$58,477	$28.11
   19	Froedtert Hospital	$58,469	$28.11	1
   20	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$58,243	$28.00	3

4. Writing an interpreter job description

   A good interpreter job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an interpreter job description:

   Interpreter job description example

   Children s Specialized Hospital is the nation s leading provider of inpatient and outpatient care for children from birth to 21 years of age facing special health challenges from chronic illnesses and complex physical disabilities like brain and spinal cord injuries, to developmental and behavioral issues like autism and mental health. At 13 different New Jersey locations, our pediatric specialists partner with families to make our many innovative therapies and medical treatments more personalized and effective...so children can achieve more of their goals.
   
   Aid communication and comprehension by converting the spoken word from English to the target language
   Essential Job Functions Speak, read, and write fluently in at least two languages, including English and one or more other languages.
   Relays the style and tone of the original language
   Renders spoken messages accurately, quickly and clearly
   Maintains sensitivity to parents personal circumstances as well as maintains confidentiality and adheres to the code of conduct
   Provides consecutive interpretation at initial evaluations, assessments, direct service sessions, and IFSP development, as required.
   Interprets all information articulated between the child/family and the practioner during the session note and confirms future sessions
   Maintains professional boundaries between parties and adheres to interpretation referencing the early intervention services provided and other information related to those services
   Maintains sensitivity to parent's personal circumstances as well as maintains confidentiality and adheres to NJEIS Code of Conduct
   Attends trainings as required
   Travels in personal vehicle to and from the natural environment of each family assigned
   Maintains valid NJ driver's license and required insurance
   Accurately records the time and frequency of services provided and records that information along with required signatures for billing
   Submits bill for services as required by departmental policies and procedures
   Submits required paperwork time accurately adhering to departmental volume/productivity requirements
   Maintains ongoing communication with office via email, text and telephone
   Responds quickly to any request for information Formal Education and Job-Related Experience * High school diploma, GED, or other qualifications as deemed acceptable by the NJ DOH personnel standards for early intervention personnel
   Physical Demands * Travelling to natural environment settings including but not limited to home and day care sessions
   Majority of duties require driving, walking, sitting on the floor, bending, stretching, reaching, visual acuity and ability to safely lift up to 10 lbs.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find interpreters for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   To find interpreter candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as problogger, media bistro, journalismjobs.com, content writing jobs.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit interpreters, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new interpreter

   Once you have selected a candidate for the interpreter position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new interpreter. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an interpreter?