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Per diem interpreter education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a per diem interpreter. Per diem interpreters usually study nursing, occupational therapy, or business. 45% of per diem interpreters hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 905 real per diem interpreter resumes to see exactly what per diem interpreter education sections show.

The most common colleges for per diem interpreters are the Northeastern University and the Northeastern University.

There are also many online per diem interpreter courses to help get the education required to be a per diem interpreter.

There are certain per diem interpreter certifications that you should consider. These per diem interpreter certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA).

What education do you need to become a per diem interpreter?

What degree do you need to be a per diem interpreter?

The most common degree for per diem interpreters is bachelor's degree, with 45% of per diem interpreters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 15%.
  • Bachelor's, 45%
  • Associate, 25%
  • Master's, 15%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become a per diem interpreter?

You should major in nursing to become a per diem interpreter. 29% of per diem interpreters major in nursing. Other common majors for a per diem interpreter include occupational therapy and business.

Most common colleges for per diem interpreters

Per diem interpreters often get their degrees at Northeastern University, Boston University, and Montclair State University. Here are the most common colleges for per diem interpreters in the US based on their resumes.
Per diem interpreter common collegePercentages
Northeastern University10.75%
Boston University8.60%
Montclair State University6.45%
University of Massachusetts Boston6.45%
Florida International University5.38%

Best majors for per diem interpreters

RankMajorPercentages
1Nursing29.4%
2Occupational Therapy10.1%
3Business9.7%
4Physical Therapy8.3%
5Psychology7.4%

Best colleges for per diem interpreters

The best colleges for per diem interpreters are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.

A per diem interpreter with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for per diem interpreters. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become per diem interpreters.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

20 best online courses for per diem interpreters

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2. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...

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4. Crisis Intervention Seminar

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5. Health for All Through Primary Health Care

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6. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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10. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative

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Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...

11. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

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12. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course

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13. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation

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16. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes

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Top 10 most affordable universities for per diem interpreters

The most affordable schools for per diem interpreters are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for per diem interpreters are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for per diem interpreters.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

5. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for per diem interpreters

The hardest universities for per diem interpreters to get into are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for per diem interpreters are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for per diem interpreters based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,488

10. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for per diem interpreters

The easiest schools for per diem interpreters to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a per diem interpreter without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for per diem interpreters.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

5. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

6. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

7. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. Notre Dame of Maryland University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,069

Average per diem interpreter salary by education level

According to our data, per diem interpreters with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $48,949 annually. Per diem interpreters with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $45,012.
Per diem interpreter education levelPer diem interpreter salary
Master's Degree$48,949
High School Diploma or Less$40,469
Bachelor's Degree$45,012
Some College/ Associate Degree$44,772

Per diem interpreter education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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