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Best states for a language translator
Quoted expert
Daniel Martin Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for language translators? 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 language translator jobs.In fact, our research shows that Virginia is the best state for language translators in America. The best city in America for language translators with the highest pay is Washington, DC.
The median salary for language translators in Virginia is $61,312. Compare that to the median salary in Oklahoma of $36,804, which ranked worst for language translators, and you can see how your location is important for your career.Virginia is the best state, and Grants Pass is the city with the highest pay for language translators.
10 best states for language translators in 2025
1. Virginia
Total language translator jobs: 528 Average annual salary: $61,312 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
2. West Virginia
Total language translator jobs: 206 Average annual salary: $53,493 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 3.16
3. Oregon
Total language translator jobs: 171 Average annual salary: $66,607 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
4. Vermont
Total language translator jobs: 109 Average annual salary: $52,410 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 3.33
5. District of Columbia
Total language translator jobs: 56 Average annual salary: $76,706 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
6. Massachusetts
Total language translator jobs: 542 Average annual salary: $54,486 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
7. New York
Total language translator jobs: 480 Average annual salary: $63,205 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
8. Colorado
Total language translator jobs: 240 Average annual salary: $59,491 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
9. Washington
Total language translator jobs: 355 Average annual salary: $55,407 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
10. Nebraska
Total language translator jobs: 103 Average annual salary: $52,806 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
Language translator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a language translator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a language translator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $61,312 | $38,000 | 8,470,020 | 528 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $53,493 | $34,000 | 1,815,857 | 206 |
| 3 | Oregon | $66,607 | $41,000 | 4,142,776 | 171 |
| 4 | Vermont | $52,410 | $33,000 | 623,657 | 109 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $76,706 | $48,000 | 693,972 | 56 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $54,486 | $34,000 | 6,859,819 | 542 |
| 7 | New York | $63,205 | $39,000 | 19,849,399 | 480 |
| 8 | Colorado | $59,491 | $38,000 | 5,607,154 | 240 |
| 9 | Washington | $55,407 | $34,000 | 7,405,743 | 355 |
| 10 | Nebraska | $52,806 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 103 |
| 11 | California | $57,519 | $35,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,428 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $52,336 | $34,000 | 579,315 | 24 |
| 13 | Utah | $60,050 | $38,000 | 3,101,833 | 39 |
| 14 | Alaska | $62,512 | $47,000 | 739,795 | 17 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $50,247 | $32,000 | 4,454,189 | 153 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $47,554 | $29,000 | 1,342,795 | 234 |
| 17 | Texas | $49,710 | $31,000 | 28,304,596 | 860 |
| 18 | Maryland | $51,561 | $32,000 | 6,052,177 | 329 |
| 19 | Montana | $48,824 | $31,000 | 1,050,493 | 51 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $48,876 | $33,000 | 755,393 | 37 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $50,143 | $32,000 | 2,984,100 | 70 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $47,249 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 229 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $46,889 | $29,000 | 3,588,184 | 207 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $53,411 | $33,000 | 9,005,644 | 218 |
| 25 | Georgia | $48,885 | $31,000 | 10,429,379 | 324 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $50,183 | $33,000 | 5,576,606 | 167 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $45,663 | $30,000 | 869,666 | 41 |
| 28 | Kansas | $44,015 | $28,000 | 2,913,123 | 167 |
| 29 | Iowa | $44,257 | $29,000 | 3,145,711 | 154 |
| 30 | Maine | $47,069 | $29,000 | 1,335,907 | 39 |
| 31 | Missouri | $46,432 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 201 |
| 32 | Delaware | $43,977 | $27,000 | 961,939 | 83 |
| 33 | Rhode Island | $45,500 | $28,000 | 1,059,639 | 49 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $43,928 | $27,000 | 4,684,333 | 138 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $44,343 | $29,000 | 5,795,483 | 201 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $41,934 | $26,000 | 2,088,070 | 117 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $42,209 | $27,000 | 10,273,419 | 421 |
| 38 | Illinois | $43,612 | $28,000 | 12,802,023 | 572 |
| 39 | Michigan | $43,001 | $28,000 | 9,962,311 | 295 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $39,518 | $29,000 | 1,427,538 | 48 |
| 41 | Pennsylvania | $44,132 | $27,000 | 12,805,537 | 301 |
| 42 | Florida | $38,523 | $24,000 | 20,984,400 | 965 |
| 43 | Arizona | $40,421 | $25,000 | 7,016,270 | 248 |
| 44 | Idaho | $40,880 | $25,000 | 1,716,943 | 55 |
| 45 | Ohio | $40,109 | $25,000 | 11,658,609 | 272 |
| 46 | Indiana | $39,880 | $26,000 | 6,666,818 | 211 |
| 47 | Alabama | $39,814 | $25,000 | 4,874,747 | 122 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $39,181 | $25,000 | 6,715,984 | 111 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $39,018 | $25,000 | 3,004,279 | 66 |
| 50 | Nevada | $35,070 | $21,000 | 2,998,039 | 68 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $36,804 | $23,000 | 3,930,864 | 77 |
Highest paying states for language translators
| Rank | State | Avg. Language Translator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $61,312 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $53,493 |
| 3 | Oregon | $66,607 |
| 4 | Vermont | $52,410 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $76,706 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $54,486 |
| 7 | New York | $63,205 |
| 8 | Colorado | $59,491 |
| 9 | Washington | $55,407 |
| 10 | Nebraska | $52,806 |
| 11 | California | $57,519 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $52,336 |
| 13 | Utah | $60,050 |
| 14 | Alaska | $62,512 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $50,247 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $47,554 |
| 17 | Texas | $49,710 |
| 18 | Maryland | $51,561 |
| 19 | Montana | $48,824 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $48,876 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $50,143 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $47,249 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $46,889 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $53,411 |
| 25 | Georgia | $48,885 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $50,183 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $45,663 |
| 28 | Kansas | $44,015 |
| 29 | Iowa | $44,257 |
| 30 | Maine | $47,069 |
| 31 | Missouri | $46,432 |
| 32 | Delaware | $43,977 |
| 33 | Rhode Island | $45,500 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $43,928 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $44,343 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $41,934 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $42,209 |
| 38 | Illinois | $43,612 |
| 39 | Michigan | $43,001 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $39,518 |
| 41 | Pennsylvania | $44,132 |
| 42 | Florida | $38,523 |
| 43 | Arizona | $40,421 |
| 44 | Idaho | $40,880 |
| 45 | Ohio | $40,109 |
| 46 | Indiana | $39,880 |
| 47 | Alabama | $39,814 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $39,181 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $39,018 |
| 50 | Nevada | $35,070 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $36,804 |
Expert opinions on the best states for language translators
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for language translators to find work opportunities?
Daniel Martin Ph.D.
Professor of English, Rockhurst University
New York remains the center of the publishing industry, if graduates from writing programs want to go into publishing as editors or agents, though even publishing is dispersed. Of course, only a fraction of writing program graduates will go into publishing. It is more likely that they will work in a variety of industries that need writers and editors. Law firms hire people to handle correspondence, architecture firms hire people to write and edit proposals and promotional material, advertising firms need creative copywriters, and virtually all companies and nonprofits need content written for their websites and print materials. The move to online work opens up everyone's geographic options, especially so for writing graduates whose skills are needed in many industries and geographic locations.
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Updated January 8, 2025