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Foreign language interpreter salary
Average foreign language interpreter salary
$44,242
Understanding the Salary of Foreign Language Interpreters
Foreign Language Interpreters facilitate communication between individuals who speak different languages, a crucial role in sectors such as healthcare, legal, and business. As of October 2025, the average salary for a Foreign Language Interpreter is $44,242 per year, which translates to about $21 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, industry, and level of experience.
Top Paying States
- California: Known for its diverse population, offers some of the highest salaries for interpreters.
- New York: A hub for legal and business services, providing numerous job opportunities.
- Texas: With a growing demand for bilingual services, interpreters can earn competitive wages.
In addition to geographical factors, interpreters who specialize in medical or legal fields often command higher salaries due to the complexity of the language and the need for precise communication. By focusing on specialization and gaining experience, interpreters can significantly increase their earning potential. On Zippia, you can find various job listings tailored to your expertise and location, ensuring you make informed career moves.
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Where can a Foreign Language Interpreter earn more?
Foreign language interpreter salary estimates from across the web
Average foreign language interpreter salary by state
The average foreign language interpreter salary in New York, California, and Oregon are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average foreign language interpreter salary states are Florida, Tennessee, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for foreign language interpreters
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $62,745 | $30.17 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $53,670 | $25.80 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $58,222 | $27.99 |
| 4 | California | $64,840 | $31.17 |
| 5 | Virginia | $58,043 | $27.91 |
| 6 | Vermont | $54,120 | $26.02 |
| 7 | New York | $67,180 | $32.30 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $80,600 | $38.75 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $50,354 | $24.21 |
| 10 | Colorado | $55,871 | $26.86 |
| 11 | Maryland | $54,404 | $26.16 |
| 12 | Alaska | $59,259 | $28.49 |
| 13 | Washington | $52,284 | $25.14 |
| 14 | Utah | $56,734 | $27.28 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $49,632 | $23.86 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $49,928 | $24.00 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $56,747 | $27.28 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $48,711 | $23.42 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $48,890 | $23.50 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $48,712 | $23.42 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $49,665 | $23.88 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $47,047 | $22.62 |
| 23 | Delaware | $46,675 | $22.44 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $46,185 | $22.20 |
| 25 | Maine | $49,052 | $23.58 |
| 26 | Montana | $46,327 | $22.27 |
| 27 | Georgia | $48,289 | $23.22 |
| 28 | Texas | $45,459 | $21.86 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $46,563 | $22.39 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $43,919 | $21.11 |
| 31 | Kansas | $41,889 | $20.14 |
| 32 | Indiana | $43,683 | $21.00 |
| 33 | Arizona | $43,520 | $20.92 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $46,568 | $22.39 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $42,525 | $20.44 |
| 36 | Iowa | $41,825 | $20.11 |
| 37 | Michigan | $43,005 | $20.68 |
| 38 | Missouri | $44,458 | $21.37 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $40,816 | $19.62 |
| 40 | Illinois | $41,737 | $20.07 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $42,259 | $20.32 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $42,075 | $20.23 |
| 43 | Florida | $38,340 | $18.43 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $34,356 | $16.52 |
| 45 | Ohio | $40,108 | $19.28 |
| 46 | Idaho | $38,350 | $18.44 |
| 47 | Alabama | $39,325 | $18.91 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $37,886 | $18.21 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $38,136 | $18.33 |
| 50 | Nevada | $33,849 | $16.27 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $35,680 | $17.15 |
Highest paying cities for foreign language interpreters
The highest-paying cities for foreign language interpreters are Washington, DC, Mountain View, CA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $80,614 | $38.76 |
| 2 | Mountain View, CA | $70,583 | $33.93 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $67,239 | $32.33 |
| 4 | Burlington, MA | $57,956 | $27.86 |
| 5 | Charlottesville, VA | $57,249 | $27.52 |
| 6 | Trenton, NJ | $56,377 | $27.10 |
| 7 | Portland, ME | $49,886 | $23.98 |
| 8 | Atlanta, GA | $48,456 | $23.30 |
| 9 | Helena, MT | $47,333 | $22.76 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $47,167 | $22.68 |
| 11 | Saint Paul, MN | $46,569 | $22.39 |
| 12 | Austin, TX | $45,437 | $21.84 |
| 13 | Port Huron, MI | $44,082 | $21.19 |
| 14 | Indianapolis, IN | $43,627 | $20.97 |
| 15 | Winston-Salem, NC | $42,314 | $20.34 |
| 16 | Madison, WI | $41,944 | $20.17 |
| 17 | Des Moines, IA | $41,866 | $20.13 |
| 18 | Chicago, IL | $41,725 | $20.06 |
| 19 | Dayton, OH | $38,605 | $18.56 |
| 20 | Jacksonville, FL | $38,121 | $18.33 |
Foreign language interpreter salary details
A foreign language interpreter's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $72,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a foreign language interpreter's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| 75th Percentile | $57,000 | $4,750 | $27 |
| Average | $44,242 | $3,687 | $21 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
Highest paying foreign language interpreter jobs
The highest paying types of foreign language interpreters are technical translator, interpretive program coordinator, and language translator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical Translator | $55,019 | $4,585 | $26.45 | 68,352 |
| Translator | $44,278 | $3,690 | $21.29 | 1,206 |
| Freelance Translator | $44,736 | $3,728 | $21.51 | 1,162 |
| Cryptologic Linguist | $43,225 | $3,602 | $20.78 | 696 |
| Arabic Linguist | $44,433 | $3,703 | $21.36 | 742 |
| Interpreter And Translator | $43,870 | $3,656 | $21.09 | 3,787 |
Top companies hiring foreign language interpreters now:
Which companies pay foreign language interpreters the most?
Foreign language interpreter salaries at Jefferson County Sheriffs Dept and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average foreign language interpreter salary at companies like Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and X Technologies are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson County Sheriffs Dept | $77,814 | $37.41 |
| 2 | Shirley Ryan AbilityLab | $70,555 | $33.92 |
| 3 | Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center | $66,175 | $31.81 |
| 4 | X Technologies | $62,805 | $30.19 |
| 5 | Mount Sinai Health System | $61,858 | $29.74 |
| 6 | North Arlington School District Nj | $58,690 | $28.22 |
| 7 | Forsyth County | $58,022 | $27.90 |
| 8 | Beth Israel Lahey Health | $49,700 | $23.89 |
| 9 | Bwi Group | $49,700 | $23.89 |
| 10 | Lahey Health Behavioral Services | $47,191 | $22.69 |
| 11 | LTC Language Solutions | $46,422 | $22.32 |
| 12 | UPMC | $46,025 | $22.13 |
| 13 | Kelly Services | $44,371 | $21.33 |
| 14 | Johnston Companies | $43,209 | $20.77 |
| 15 | Lutheran Services in Iowa | $42,402 | $20.39 |
| 16 | Lutheran Services Florida | $42,345 | $20.36 |
| 17 | Catholic Charities Family and Community Services | $41,638 | $20.02 |
| 18 | Catholic Charities of Arizona | $41,604 | $20.00 |
| 19 | Northside Hospital | $40,765 | $19.60 |
| 20 | University of Texas System | $35,982 | $17.30 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Foreign Language Interpreter salary by industry
The average foreign language interpreter salary varies across industries:
- The average foreign language interpreter salary in the automotive industry is $56,616, the highest of any industry.
- The average foreign language interpreter salary in the finance industry is $48,735.
- Foreign language interpreters in the professional industry earn an average salary of $36,354, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for foreign language interpreters
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive | $56,616 | $27.22 |
| 2 | Education | $48,735 | $23.43 |
| 3 | Health Care | $46,555 | $22.38 |
| 4 | Professional | $36,354 | $17.48 |
High paying foreign language interpreter jobs
Foreign language interpreter salary trends
The average foreign language interpreter salary has risen by $6,907 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average foreign language interpreter earned $37,335 annually, but today, they earn $44,242 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for foreign language interpreters over the last decade.
Compare foreign language interpreter salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average foreign language interpreter salary over time
Compare foreign language interpreter salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Foreign language interpreter salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $44,200 | $21.27 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $43,800 | $21.07 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $42,200 | $20.29 | +5.5% |
| 2022 | $39,900 | $19.18 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $39,000 | $18.75 | +4.2% |
Recently added foreign language interpreter salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of Virginia | Foreign Language Interpreter-Spanish | Charlottesville, VA | 06/17/2025 | $41,490 |
| Wcpss | Language Interpreter (Spanish) | Cary, NC | 06/10/2025 | $73,045 |
| Arizona Department of Administration | Interpreter Foreign Lang | Phoenix, AZ | 05/23/2025 | $41,740 |
| Global Impact Group | Remote Over-The-Phone Interpreter Multiple Languages | Raleigh, NC | 05/08/2025 | $62,610 |
| Cayuse Shared Services | Foreign Language Interpreter | Arlington, VA | 05/04/2025 | $59,960 |
| Puyallup School District | Foreign Language Interpreter/Document Translator | Puyallup, WA | 04/30/2025 | $54,074 |
| Olathe Public Schools | Interpreter International Language-Spanish-Santa FE Trail Middle School | Olathe, KS | 04/28/2025 | $39,653 |
| Alamance County (Nc | Temporary Contract Medical Foreign Language Interpreter II | Alamance, NC | 04/27/2025 | $50,000 |
| Thus Far of Intensive Review | Interpreter, Language, SMH-Spanish | Rochester, NY | 04/27/2025 | $44,578 |
| University of Virginia | Foreign Language Interpreter | Charlottesville, VA | 04/26/2025 | $40,676 |
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