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Site interpreter vs language translator

The differences between site interpreters and language translators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a site interpreter and a language translator. Additionally, a language translator has an average salary of $45,490, which is higher than the $44,292 average annual salary of a site interpreter.

The top three skills for a site interpreter include social services, historic sites and target language. The most important skills for a language translator are proofreading, foreign language, and target language.

Site interpreter vs language translator overview

Site InterpreterLanguage Translator
Yearly salary$44,292$45,490
Hourly rate$21.29$21.87
Growth rate20%20%
Number of jobs11,17521,450
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

Site interpreter vs language translator salary

Site interpreters and language translators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Site InterpreterLanguage Translator
Average salary$44,292$45,490
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $72,000Between $29,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City-Washington, DC
Highest paying state-Oregon
Best paying company-Bloomberg
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between site interpreter and language translator education

There are a few differences between a site interpreter and a language translator in terms of educational background:

Site InterpreterLanguage Translator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common majorHistoryEnglish
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

Site interpreter vs language translator demographics

Here are the differences between site interpreters' and language translators' demographics:

Site InterpreterLanguage Translator
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 38.0% Female, 62.0%Male, 39.4% Female, 60.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 13.2% White, 51.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 31.5% Asian, 18.0% White, 38.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage15%15%

Differences between site interpreter and language translator duties and responsibilities

Site interpreter example responsibilities.

  • Coach and teach students to achieve grades at or beyond expect IEP goals.
  • Help to build collaboration with internal and international patients with medical staff, social organizations and insurance companies.
  • Provide professional media relations, and VIP presentations to donor associations and government officials.

Language translator example responsibilities.

  • Lead an international team of HUMINT collectors for the NATO mission in Bosnia where overt and covert collection protocols are observed.
  • Provide written translations from Dari and Pashto, and some Urdu, into English.
  • Consult employees on proper multicultural etiquette while connecting with Thai, Thai Yai, and Burmese sex workers.
  • Conduct interviews for a study on the male sex work industry and translate the answers from Thai to English.
  • Train soldiers to perform in a combat environment including tactical navigation, military communications, and several types of weapons.
  • Conduct monitoring, translating, transcribing, interpreting, perform translation/transcription, quality control and perform validating services.

Site interpreter vs language translator skills

Common site interpreter skills
  • Social Services, 35%
  • Historic Sites, 21%
  • Target Language, 20%
  • LEP, 6%
  • Interpretation Services, 6%
  • ASL, 4%
Common language translator skills
  • Proofreading, 16%
  • Foreign Language, 15%
  • Target Language, 12%
  • Haitian Creole, 10%
  • Thai, 9%
  • Translation Services, 8%

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