Medical interpreter vs certifier

The differences between medical interpreters and certifiers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a medical interpreter, becoming a certifier takes usually requires 1-3 months. Additionally, a certifier has an average salary of $46,932, which is higher than the $43,593 average annual salary of a medical interpreter.

The top three skills for a medical interpreter include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a certifier are pallets, loaders, and process improvement.

Medical interpreter vs certifier overview

	Medical Interpreter	Certifier
Yearly salary	$43,593	$46,932
Hourly rate	$20.96	$22.56
Growth rate	20%	9%
Number of jobs	47,796	7,088
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	3

Medical interpreter vs certifier salary

Medical interpreters and certifiers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Interpreter	Certifier
Average salary	$43,593	$46,932
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $68,000	Between $25,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital	Novant Health
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between medical interpreter and certifier education

There are a few differences between a medical interpreter and a certifier in terms of educational background:

	Medical Interpreter	Certifier
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Harvard University	-

Medical interpreter vs certifier demographics

Here are the differences between medical interpreters' and certifiers' demographics:

	Medical Interpreter	Certifier
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 32.4% Female, 67.6%	Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 35.3% Asian, 14.3% White, 39.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 7.1% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	15%	7%

Differences between medical interpreter and certifier duties and responsibilities

Medical interpreter example 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.

Certifier example responsibilities.

Manage facility organization and cleanliness, maximizing the utilization of the facility and the efficiency of athlete's training routines.
Report instances of abuse to DHS.
Experience in FISMA compliance reporting and relate activities.
Supervise freight forwarders to optimize DSD delivery of products.
Certify pallets of product to ensure orders are accurate prior to loading and shipment.
Coach warehouse loaders (pickers) on pallet build accuracy and coordinate loading team.5.

Medical interpreter vs certifier skills

Common medical interpreter skills

Patients, 35%
Customer Service, 11%
Patient Care, 8%
LEP, 7%
Informed Consent, 4%
Target Language, 4%

Common certifier skills

Pallets, 29%
Loaders, 24%
Process Improvement, 15%
Enhance Skill, 12%
Building Practices, 7%
Community Resources, 3%

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Medical Interpreter vs Certifier

Updated January 8, 2025

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