How to hire a Sign Language Interpreter

How to hire a sign language interpreter, step by step

Here's a step-by-step sign language 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 sign language interpreter job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new sign language interpreter
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a Sign Language Interpreter do?

Post A Sign Language Interpreter Job For Free, Promote It For A Fee

Post Free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your sign language interpreter job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a sign language interpreter for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine Employee vs Contractor Status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect sign language interpreter also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

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

   Type Of Sign Language Interpreter	Description	Hourly Rate
   Sign Language Interpreter	Interpreters and translators convert information from one language into another language. Interpreters work in spoken or sign language; translators work in written language.	$12-33
   Translator	A translator is an expert of one or multiple languages, responsible for transcribing communication between parties for easy comprehension. Translators often work with written documents, relaying the core context and original message from the source... Show More	$12-33
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Customer Service
   • ASL
   • Registry
   • Patients
   • Sign Language
   • English Language
   • Language
   • Deaf Culture
   • Facilitate Communication
   • IEP
   • RID Code
   • Sign-To-Voice
   • Mediation
   • Hearing Individuals

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Utilize basic ASL medical terminology to provide access and facilitate communication between adult patients and medical staff or doctor.
   • Provide interpretation services for patients in preparation for procedures, locations and other general information.
   • Perform consecutive interpretation services over the phone to provide quality interpretation between clients and LEP.
   • Tutor a deaf student in math and reading.
   • Translate and make subtitles in documentary and self produce films.
   • Work with students and staff/faculty to interpret sign-to-voice and voice-to sign.

   More Sign Language Interpreter duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the sign language interpreter job description is a good way to get more applicants. A sign language interpreter salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a sign language interpreter in Hawaii may be lower than in Virginia, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level sign language interpreter. Additionally, a sign language interpreter with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average sign language interpreter salary

   $43,655yearly

   $20.99 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level sign language interpreter salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2025

   Average sign language interpreter salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	District of Columbia	$78,592	$38
   2	Virginia	$63,306	$30
   3	California	$62,292	$30
   4	Washington	$60,479	$29
   5	Oregon	$59,213	$28
   6	New York	$57,223	$28
   7	Utah	$53,603	$26
   8	Maryland	$53,257	$26
   9	Colorado	$53,012	$25
   10	Nevada	$51,886	$25
   11	West Virginia	$50,502	$24
   12	Mississippi	$49,361	$24
   13	Florida	$47,829	$23
   14	Minnesota	$45,893	$22
   15	Pennsylvania	$45,709	$22
   16	Montana	$43,881	$21
   17	Missouri	$42,592	$20
   18	Arizona	$41,542	$20
   19	Texas	$40,565	$20
   20	Iowa	$40,058	$19

   Average sign language interpreter salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Kern Community College District	$131,621	$63.28	8
   2	Google	$110,734	$53.24
   3	University of Maryland Medical System	$109,596	$52.69	5
   4	St. Mary's Health Inc.	$98,380	$47.30	2
   5	Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp.	$89,525	$43.04	30
   6	CovenantHealth	$83,529	$40.16	3
   7	Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan	$76,249	$36.66	1
   8	UTMB HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS	$74,804	$35.96
   9	Southern California Alcohol and Drug Programs, Inc.	$73,133	$35.16
   10	Shirley Ryan AbilityLab	$71,317	$34.29	5
   11	New Jersey Courts	$70,999	$34.13	16
   12	Tacoma Community College	$69,909	$33.61
   13	COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND	$67,817	$32.60	15
   14	Chicago Public Schools	$67,571	$32.49	9
   15	Froedtert Hospital	$67,231	$32.32	13
   16	Sinai Chicago	$65,808	$31.64
   17	Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company	$65,471	$31.48	5
   18	Mount Aloysius College	$64,624	$31.07
   19	Topeka Public Schools	$63,530	$30.54	8
   20	Soliant	$63,521	$30.54	4

4. Writing a Sign Language Interpreter Job Description

   A job description for a sign language interpreter role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a sign language interpreter job description:

   Sign Language Interpreter job description example

   American Medical Staffing
   Sign Language Interpreter
   School
   
   American Medical Staffing (AMS) is currently seeking a Sign Language Interpreter - School for agency contract positions in Easton, MD
   
   Details:
   Sign Language Interpreter-School
   Location: Easton, MD
   Shift Time: Days 730a-4p - Full time hours
   Number of Positions: 1
   Compensation: Variable (depends on experience, specialty, facility, urgency, shift time, and location)
   
   Specific details regarding compensation, population, unit/caseload details, experience requirements and scheduling are available upon request, talk with a recruiter today.
   
   Benefits of working with AMS include:
   

   • Competitive and negotiable wages: local and travel packages available
   • Win/Win referral Bonus program - $500 for you and $500 for them
   • Day one benefits including medical, dental, vision, and supplemental benefits
   • 401k plans - eligible after 90 days of employment
   • Parking and compliance / credential / CEU / licensure / travel reimbursements available
   • Weekly compensation with direct deposit available
   • Flexible Paid Time Off Packages

   
   American Medical Staffing is a staffing agency headquartered in Baltimore, MD with a local office in Fredricksburg, VA as well. Our goal is to CREATE an extraordinary experience for our health care professionals. Our roots are nurse owned and operated so we know what clinicians want - lots of options, a smooth and informed placement process, competitive and accurate pay, great customer service and responsiveness to requests, and advocacy when there is an issue. When AMS was founded in 2001, we started our company with a mission to be a better agency than our competitors. We have always put a heavy emphasis into what is best for our employees, not necessarily just our clients or our company. You are not an expense as you may be to a hospital; you are an asset. We take employee advocacy seriously; you are not just a number to us. The end result is that you don`t work for us; we work for you. Since starting in Baltimore, MD, we continue to grow throughout the country. Check out our industry leading reviews on Google and Indeed to see how much our clinicians enjoy working with us!
   
   Apply online now or for immediate consideration!
   
   American Medical Staffing (AMS) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
   

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find sign language interpreters for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your sign language interpreter job on Zippia to find and recruit sign language interpreter candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit sign language 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 sign language interpreter

   Once you've decided on a perfect sign language interpreter candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new sign language interpreter. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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.)

   Sign Up To Download Full List

   Sign Up

How much does it cost to hire a sign language interpreter?