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Interpreter salary
Average interpreter salary
$42,008
Understanding Interpreter Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for an interpreter in the United States is approximately $42,008 per year, equating to around $20 per hour. Salary levels can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry in which one works.
Salary Variations by State
Interpreter salaries can differ widely across the United States. States like California and New York often offer higher compensation due to the demand for multilingual services. For example, interpreters in California may earn an average salary of over $50,000, reflecting the state's diverse population and economic activity.
Experience Matters
Entry-level interpreters can expect to start at a lower salary, around $30,000, while those with several years of experience can see their earnings increase significantly. Specialized fields such as medical or legal interpretation typically offer higher pay due to the complexity and expertise required.
Industries Hiring Interpreters
Interpreters are employed in various sectors, including healthcare, legal, and corporate environments. The highest-paying industries for interpreters often include government agencies and international organizations, where skilled communication is essential.
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Where can an Interpreter earn more?
Interpreter salary estimates from across the web
Average interpreter salary by state
The highest-paying states for interpreters are Virginia, New York, and California. The lowest average interpreter salary states are Ohio, Missouri, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for interpreters
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $56,837 | $27.33 |
| 2 | New York | $52,557 | $25.27 |
| 3 | Georgia | $46,413 | $22.31 |
| 4 | Texas | $43,899 | $21.11 |
| 5 | California | $47,899 | $23.03 |
| 6 | Maryland | $45,815 | $22.03 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $45,328 | $21.79 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $43,909 | $21.11 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $42,651 | $20.51 |
| 10 | Mississippi | $42,083 | $20.23 |
| 11 | Vermont | $43,059 | $20.70 |
| 12 | Washington | $43,068 | $20.71 |
| 13 | Arizona | $39,840 | $19.15 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $40,154 | $19.30 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $39,838 | $19.15 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $38,679 | $18.60 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $40,999 | $19.71 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $37,598 | $18.08 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $38,194 | $18.36 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $39,042 | $18.77 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $40,516 | $19.48 |
| 22 | Colorado | $40,245 | $19.35 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $38,100 | $18.32 |
| 24 | Alaska | $42,392 | $20.38 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $41,989 | $20.19 |
| 26 | Nevada | $39,469 | $18.98 |
| 27 | Maine | $39,099 | $18.80 |
| 28 | Utah | $37,803 | $18.17 |
| 29 | Oregon | $36,317 | $17.46 |
| 30 | Idaho | $36,143 | $17.38 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $37,743 | $18.15 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $36,300 | $17.45 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $33,556 | $16.13 |
| 34 | Florida | $37,095 | $17.83 |
| 35 | Montana | $33,329 | $16.02 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $36,923 | $17.75 |
| 37 | Indiana | $34,967 | $16.81 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $33,384 | $16.05 |
| 39 | Alabama | $32,370 | $15.56 |
| 40 | Iowa | $32,848 | $15.79 |
| 41 | Michigan | $32,334 | $15.55 |
| 42 | Delaware | $26,786 | $12.88 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $32,582 | $15.66 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $30,644 | $14.73 |
| 45 | Illinois | $32,916 | $15.82 |
| 46 | Kansas | $32,640 | $15.69 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $32,392 | $15.57 |
| 48 | Ohio | $31,366 | $15.08 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $30,976 | $14.89 |
| 50 | Missouri | $31,353 | $15.07 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $29,056 | $13.97 |
Highest paying cities for interpreters
The highest-paying cities for interpreters are Arlington, VA, New York, NY, and Santa Maria, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arlington, VA | $58,967 | $28.35 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $52,638 | $25.31 |
| 3 | Santa Maria, CA | $48,495 | $23.31 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $46,076 | $22.15 |
| 5 | Austin, TX | $44,147 | $21.22 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $42,635 | $20.50 |
| 7 | Colorado Springs, CO | $40,801 | $19.62 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | $40,440 | $19.44 |
| 9 | Phoenix, AZ | $39,848 | $19.16 |
| 10 | Manchester, NH | $39,011 | $18.76 |
| 11 | Omaha, NE | $38,750 | $18.63 |
| 12 | Saint Paul, MN | $38,184 | $18.36 |
| 13 | Murray, UT | $37,638 | $18.10 |
| 14 | Delray Beach, FL | $37,579 | $18.07 |
| 15 | Washington, DC | $36,409 | $17.50 |
| 16 | Portland, OR | $35,715 | $17.17 |
| 17 | Indianapolis, IN | $34,745 | $16.70 |
| 18 | Chicago, IL | $33,109 | $15.92 |
| 19 | Des Moines, IA | $32,575 | $15.66 |
| 20 | Ann Arbor, MI | $32,175 | $15.47 |
Interpreter salary details
An interpreter's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $60,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an interpreter's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
| 75th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
| Average | $42,008 | $3,501 | $20 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
Highest paying interpreter jobs
The highest paying types of interpreters are technical translator, interpretive program coordinator, and language translator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cryptologic Linguist | $43,225 | $3,602 | $20.78 | 696 |
| Arabic Linguist | $44,433 | $3,703 | $21.36 | 742 |
| Technical Translator | $55,019 | $4,585 | $26.45 | 68,352 |
| Language Translator | $45,490 | $3,791 | $21.87 | 21,450 |
| Freelance Translator | $44,736 | $3,728 | $21.51 | 1,162 |
| Translator | $44,278 | $3,690 | $21.29 | 1,206 |
Which companies pay interpreters the most?
Interpreter salaries at Cottage Health and St. Mary's Health Inc. are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average interpreter salary at companies like Erlanger Health System and Appalachian Regional Healthcare are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cottage Health | $79,183 | $38.07 |
| 2 | St. Mary's Health Inc. | $73,400 | $35.29 |
| 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 |
| 9 | Children's Minnesota | $61,889 | $29.75 |
| 10 | Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation Inc. | $61,351 | $29.50 |
| 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 |
| 20 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $58,243 | $28.00 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Interpreter salary by industry
The average interpreter salary varies across industries:
- The average interpreter salary in the government industry is $55,265, the highest of any industry.
- The average interpreter salary in the finance industry is $51,148.
- Interpreters in the finance industry earn an average salary of $46,804, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for interpreters
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $55,265 | $26.57 |
| 2 | Professional | $51,148 | $24.59 |
| 3 | Education | $48,372 | $23.26 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $48,087 | $23.12 |
| 5 | Finance | $46,804 | $22.50 |
High paying interpreter jobs
Interpreter salary trends
The average interpreter salary has risen by $6,558 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average interpreter earned $35,450 annually, but today, they earn $42,008 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for interpreters over the last decade.
Compare interpreter salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average interpreter salary over time
Compare interpreter salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Interpreter salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $42,000 | $20.20 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $41,600 | $20.00 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $40,100 | $19.27 | +5.5% |
| 2022 | $37,900 | $18.21 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $37,000 | $17.80 | +4.2% |
Recently added interpreter salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | Interpreter (Mandarin)-Hybrid | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $55,400 |
| Croton-Harmon Schools | Interpreter | Croton-on-Hudson, NY | 06/28/2025 | $35,479 |
| Blue Ridge Health | Interpreter | Hendersonville, NC | 06/27/2025 | $40,070 |
| Independent School District 518 | Interpreter (FOR Various Languages Spoken Locally, Such As Tigrinya, Anuak, MAM, Karen and B | Worthington, MN | 06/27/2025 | $44,871 |
| District 287 | ASL Interpreter) | Plymouth, MN | 06/27/2025 | $57,038 |
| Mesa Public Schools | Interpreter I-Summit Academy | Mesa, AZ | 06/26/2025 | $43,326 |
| Helen Keller Services | ASL Interpreter | Raleigh, NC | 06/25/2025 | $43,000 |
| UNC Health Care Systems | Interpreter | Chapel Hill, NC | 06/25/2025 | $40,884 |
| Mesa USD 4 | Interpreter I-Summit Academy | Mesa, AZ | 06/25/2025 | $43,326 |
| University of Rochester | Interpreter ASL, SMH | Rochester, NY | 06/24/2025 | $77,929 |
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