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Job outlook for russian language interpreter and translators in the United States
Are russian language interpreter and translator jobs in demand?
Russian language interpreter and translator job and salary trends over time
Russian language interpreter and translator jobs over time
Russian language interpreter and translator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 77 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 84 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 87 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 85 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 79 | 0.00% |
Average russian language interpreter and translator salary over time
Russian language interpreter and translator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $44,361 | $21.33 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $43,937 | $21.12 | +3.8% |
| 2023 | $42,327 | $20.35 | +5.8% |
| 2022 | $40,004 | $19.23 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $39,097 | $18.80 | +4.4% |
Russian language interpreter and translator jobs by state
Most common states for russian language interpreter and translators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 261 | 19% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 113 | 18% |
| 3 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 499 | 12% |
| 4 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 215 | 12% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 658 | 10% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 90 | 9% |
| 7 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 61 | 9% |
| 8 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 590 | 7% |
| 9 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 140 | 7% |
| 10 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 385 | 6% |
| 11 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 219 | 6% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 187 | 6% |
| 13 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 186 | 6% |
| 14 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 116 | 6% |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 62 | 6% |
| 16 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 59 | 6% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 43 | 6% |
| 18 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 391 | 5% |
| 19 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 258 | 5% |
| 20 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 46 | 5% |
Most common cities for russian language interpreter and translators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Homestead | 1 | 1% | $38,110 |
Russian Language Interpreter And Translator job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of russian language interpreter and translator experts
University of California - Davis
Kent State University
Ohio State University
Washington and Lee University
Rowan University
Victoria Juharyan
University of California - Davis
Slavic, Baltic And Albanian Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
What general advice would you give to a Russian Language Interpreter And Translator?
Victoria Juharyan: Another field that needs professionals with a good command of Russian is the medical field. Translators are in high demand for serving patients who do not speak English. Russian-speakers can also help Ukrainian refugees in the US.
What Russian Language Interpreter And Translator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Victoria Juharyan: The UN has some fantastic internships and volunteer opportunities for students of Russian in their Global Communications and many other departments. I strongly recommend recent graduates beginning their career in the field to apply to those and to also explore and participate in their Young Professionals Programme and the competitive examinations (CELPs), which create rosters to fill language positions at multiple locations.
What will help Russian Language Interpreter And Translators increase their earning potential?
Victoria Juharyan: A degree in Russian Studies opens many doors — be it in arts, music, literature, and languages or international relations, business, politics, and diplomacy. 20% of the Earth’s population speaks Russian. It’s one of the critical languages of the United Nations as well as a highly demanded language for jobs at the CIA and the FBI.
What general advice would you give to a Russian Language Interpreter And Translator?
Tanya Bystrova-McIntyre Ph.D.: Assess your current language abilities and identify your strengths and interests. Do you enjoy working from home? Become a Russian freelance translator and a phone interpreter. Enjoy helping others? Join a humanitarian organization, help refugees, or volunteer in a Russian-speaking community (and we have so many in the U.S.). Enjoy politics? Choose a career with a political twist—Russia is a limitless source of political interest. Love teaching? There are also opportunities there. Looking for a career in business? Offer your services as a cultural consultant. Would like to strengthen your language abilities and your resume? Go to live abroad for a year, in the Baltics or Kazakhstan, for instance—you will not regret learning about people and cultures first-hand.
What Russian Language Interpreter And Translator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tanya Bystrova-McIntyre Ph.D.: Definitely AI. It has been developing with the speed of lightning. Keep up with the developments and learn as much as possible on how language professionals can integrate AI in their work. Treat AI as an assistant in your chosen career and not as an enemy. Look for aspects that only a human language professional can do.
What will help Russian Language Interpreter And Translators increase their earning potential?
Tanya Bystrova-McIntyre Ph.D.: Find a mentor to help you narrow down jobs and help you negotiate a better starting salary. Join professional organizations. Maintain professional online presence. Consider getting certified. For instance, if you plan to be a translator, look into getting an ATA certification (American Translators Association). Remember that it takes about 10 years of deliberate practice and getting professional feedback on your work to become an expert in a field, so, if it is possible, try to treat every job as a step forward. And quit if it is not.
What general advice would you give to a Russian Language Interpreter And Translator?
Angela Brintlinger: When starting a career, I would not aim to maximize salary potential. Certain fields have salary scales, and you can see what you will be earning as you move up the ladder. In general of course non-profits pay less well than government or private sector jobs, but they also may bring work that is more rewarding, and that is an important consideration. It may be that an M.A. degree will enhance earning potential, but I would not recommend going into debt to get a graduate degree unless it is a professional degree with clear job outcomes or a degree that will enhance your current skills. The advantage of studying a foreign language is that there are federally funded fellowships to help you reach greater fluency; I recommend looking at institutions that have access to so-called FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) fellowship funding to help pursue an MA, MPA, or other graduate degree.
What Russian Language Interpreter And Translator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Angela Brintlinger: When starting a career, I would not aim to maximize salary potential. Certain fields have salary scales, and you can see what you will be earning as you move up the ladder. In general of course non-profits pay less well than government or private sector jobs, but they also may bring work that is more rewarding, and that is an important consideration. It may be that an M.A. degree will enhance earning potential, but I would not recommend going into debt to get a graduate degree unless it is a professional degree with clear job outcomes or a degree that will enhance your current skills. The advantage of studying foreign language is that there are federally funded fellowships to help you reach greater fluency; I recommend looking at institutions that have access to so-called FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) fellowship funding to help pursue an MA, MPA, or other graduate degree.
What will help Russian Language Interpreter And Translators increase their earning potential?
Angela Brintlinger: In terms of Russia, the current significant population shifts across the globe mean that there are Russophone people everywhere and in every field. I see ads for Russian-speaking real estate jobs, for example! Russian majors will find work in non-profits, including people-facing roles in social service agencies, legal assistance outfits, micro-credit bureaus. The key skills remain communication—oral and written, online and face-to-face—and analysis of digital, numerical, visual and other texts
Mark Rush
Prof. of Politics and LawWashington and Lee University
Political Science And Government
What general advice would you give to a Russian Language Interpreter And Translator?
Mark Rush: Good, clear writing is critical. But, it requires practice and regular reading to maintain a sense of clarity to be able to express your ideas succinctly. I'd recommend acquiring and maintaining skill in at least one other language. This is a means of empowerment as well as ensuring real cultural understanding-not just cultural understanding translated into English.
What Russian Language Interpreter And Translator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mark Rush: Be patient and flexible. Sometimes things may not go exactly the way you'd like them to. A career is a long game. You are just starting out. Take the time to think about what you want to do. You will probably alter your career path numerous times. Each time you do that, it's as if you were starting out fresh.
What will help Russian Language Interpreter And Translators increase their earning potential?
Mark Rush: Good, clear writing is critical. But, it requires practice and regular reading to maintain a sense of clarity to be able to express your ideas succinctly.
I'd recommend acquiring and maintaining skill in at least one other language. This is a means of empowerment as well as ensuring real cultural understanding-not just cultural understanding translated into English.
Marilyn Manley Ph.D.
Full Professor of Spanish, Department ChairRowan University
Department of World Languages
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Russian Language Interpreter And Translators?
Marilyn Manley Ph.D.: Students of languages and cultures are already competitive job candidates; however, those who customize their academic careers with a double major, minor, or certificate will be even better prepared to enter the job market. Other strategies are to travel abroad or complete one or more internships to gain additional experience.
For example, those language students interested in a career as a speech-language pathologist may pursue a double major or minor in Biology or Biological Sciences. Speech-language pathologists diagnose and treat communication and swallowing disorders in patients. According to the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), while most speech-language pathologists work in schools, others often work in the offices of physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and audiologists, as well as in hospitals (state, local and private), nursing care facilities, and home health care services. According to the BLS, the standard level of education for speech-language pathologists is a master's degree.