Staff interpreter vs interpreter

The differences between staff interpreters and interpreters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a staff interpreter and an interpreter. Additionally, a staff interpreter has an average salary of $43,714, which is higher than the $42,008 average annual salary of an interpreter.

The top three skills for a staff interpreter include ASL, mental health and interpretation services. The most important skills for an interpreter are patients, customer service, and ASL.

Staff interpreter vs interpreter overview

	Staff Interpreter	Interpreter
Yearly salary	$43,714	$42,008
Hourly rate	$21.02	$20.20
Growth rate	20%	20%
Number of jobs	71,800	3,772
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Staff interpreter vs interpreter salary

Staff interpreters and interpreters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Staff Interpreter	Interpreter
Average salary	$43,714	$42,008
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $70,000	Between $29,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	-	Arlington, VA
Highest paying state	-	Virginia
Best paying company	-	Cottage Health
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between staff interpreter and interpreter education

There are a few differences between a staff interpreter and an interpreter in terms of educational background:

	Staff Interpreter	Interpreter
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	American Sign Language	Business
Most common college	Harvard University	Harvard University

Staff interpreter vs interpreter demographics

Here are the differences between staff interpreters' and interpreters' demographics:

	Staff Interpreter	Interpreter
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 24.5% Female, 75.5%	Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 23.7% Asian, 11.5% White, 52.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 32.8% Asian, 17.5% White, 38.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	15%	15%

Differences between staff interpreter and interpreter duties and responsibilities

Staff interpreter example responsibilities.

Help to build collaboration with internal and international patients with medical staff, social organizations and insurance companies.
Create education and promotional materials relate to Latino health and wellness.

Interpreter example responsibilities.

Lead an international team of HUMINT collectors for the NATO mission in Bosnia where overt and covert collection protocols are observed.
Perform administrative duties such as filling, scanning, printing and photocopying.
Keep update information on students, families and translate school documents into Hmong.
Serve as a media spokesperson for the ESL department on Spanish radio and television.
Interpret ASL to English, and English to ASL for high profile & complex legal matters.
Serve as French, creole and Spanish interpreter when necessary.- Responsible to take and document vital signs.

Staff interpreter vs interpreter skills

Common staff interpreter skills

ASL, 38%
Mental Health, 18%
Interpretation Services, 12%
Sign Language, 11%
LEP, 8%
Social Services, 6%

Common interpreter skills

Patients, 24%
Customer Service, 18%
ASL, 10%
Medical Terminology, 8%
LEP, 5%
Sign Language, 4%

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Staff Interpreter
Staff Interpreter vs Interpreter

Updated January 8, 2025

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