How to hire a medical interpreter

How to hire a medical interpreter, step by step

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

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

What does a medical interpreter do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a medical interpreter, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or 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 a medical 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 a medical interpreter that fits the bill.

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

   Type of Medical Interpreter	Description	Hourly rate
   Medical Interpreter	Interpreters and translators convert information from one language into another language. Interpreters work in spoken or sign language; translators work in written language.	$12-32
   Freelance Translator	A freelance translator is an independent contractor specializing in translating audio or written materials into a particular language. They primarily communicate with clients to identify their needs and preferences, including project specifications such as deadlines and format... Show more	$12-34
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Customer Service
   • Patient Care
   • LEP
   • Informed Consent
   • Target Language
   • Hospital Policies
   • Language Services
   • Data Entry
   • HIPAA
   • Facilitate Communication
   • Medical Procedures
   • Mandarin
   • Translation Services

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
   • Inform providers and patients of relevant cultural issues to assist providers in delivering culturally competent patient care.
   • Assist another medical interpreter in interpreting for patients who have trouble understanding English spoken by health professionals and receptionists.
   • Create education and promotional materials relate to Latino health and wellness.

   More medical interpreter duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your medical interpreter job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A medical interpreter salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a medical interpreter in Ohio may be lower than in California, and an entry-level medical interpreter usually earns less than a senior-level medical interpreter. Additionally, a medical interpreter with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average medical interpreter salary

   $43,593yearly

   $20.96 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level medical interpreter salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average medical interpreter salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$74,403	$36
   2	California	$65,439	$31
   3	Oregon	$55,324	$27
   4	New York	$54,964	$26
   5	Maryland	$52,747	$25
   6	Massachusetts	$50,547	$24
   7	Washington	$47,337	$23
   8	Utah	$46,330	$22
   9	Texas	$44,772	$22
   10	New Hampshire	$44,767	$22
   11	Colorado	$44,296	$21
   12	Minnesota	$42,577	$20
   13	Florida	$40,958	$20
   14	Georgia	$40,538	$19
   15	Arizona	$39,124	$19
   16	Wisconsin	$38,173	$18
   17	South Dakota	$37,056	$18
   18	Kansas	$36,457	$18
   19	Indiana	$35,065	$17
   20	North Carolina	$31,992	$15

   Average medical interpreter salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital	$108,972	$52.39
   2	St. Mary's Health Inc.	$96,152	$46.23	1
   3	Berkshire Medical Center	$88,146	$42.38
   4	Charles River Community Health	$79,226	$38.09
   5	Stanford Health Care	$78,924	$37.94	15
   6	Mercy Children's Hospital	$77,479	$37.25
   7	Tenet Healthcare	$76,781	$36.91	10
   8	CovenantHealth	$73,295	$35.24
   9	UTMB HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS	$72,916	$35.06	7
   10	Swedish Hospital	$70,315	$33.81
   11	UVA Culpeper Hospital	$67,326	$32.37
   12	Cambridge Health Alliance	$66,654	$32.05
   13	Children's Hospital Colorado	$66,153	$31.80	1
   14	Cooley Dickinson Hospital	$65,903	$31.68
   15	Parkland Hospital	$65,567	$31.52
   16	Arkansas Children's Hospital	$64,687	$31.10	10
   17	Wayne Community College	$63,523	$30.54
   18	Care New England Health System	$63,436	$30.50	1
   19	Rady Children's Hospital And Health Center	$63,063	$30.32	8
   20	Baystate Health	$61,935	$29.78

4. Writing a medical interpreter job description

   A good medical 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 a medical interpreter job description:

   Medical interpreter job description example

   As the Medical Interpreter, you will be asked to r elay medical information between speakers (includes patients, staff and visitors) of two different languages in compliance with all office and hospital policies and procedures. Understands and abides by all published Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics for Medical Interpreters. Understands variety of regional accents and linguistic styles and registers.
   
   + Explains hospital resources, office protocols , and limitations to staff and patients; serves as a cultural and linguistic resource to both patients and providers in an effort to contribute to successful outcomes.
   
   + Arranges interpretation for other languages, including American Sign Language, through free-lance interpreters or independent agencies.
   
   + Provides written translations, as required, during patient encounters such as filling out forms, medical instructions, and medication schedules.
   
   + Supports the office operations by answering the phone, taking requests, calling patients to confirm or set up appointments, documenting encounters on the interpreter tracking system, and providing monthly encounter' statistics. Provides general troubleshooting, filing and photocopying.
   
   + Understands language as an expression of culture and recognizes the underlying assumptions of each party about medicine, the encounter, the illness; uses this understanding empowering patient and provider to better understand each other.
   
   + Encourages and fosters direct communication between provider and patient; maintains professional distance and integrity.
   Required:
   
   + High School Diploma or equivalent and proof of medical interpreter training (minimum 40 hours)
   
   + National Board Certification for Medical Interpreters
   
   + 1 year of experience in a health care setting as a medical interpreter, with strong medical vocabulary (including vocabulary of medical specialties).
   
   + Fluent in English and one or more foreign languages, both oral and written.
   
   + Ability to accurately work in consecutive mode and sight translate as needed into and from working language(s).
   
   + Customer service skills with a positive approach
   
   + Ability to work with diversity of cultural and/or socio-economic backgrounds
   
   + Knowledge of cultural background of patients to be served

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find medical interpreters for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any medical interpreters they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level medical interpreters with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your medical interpreter job on Zippia to find and attract quality medical interpreter candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as problogger, media bistro, journalismjobs.com, content writing jobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit medical interpreters, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 medical interpreter

   Once you've found the medical interpreter candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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 a medical interpreter?