Staff interpreter vs medical interpreter

The differences between staff interpreters and medical 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 a medical interpreter. Additionally, a staff interpreter has an average salary of $43,714, which is higher than the $43,593 average annual salary of a medical interpreter.

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

Staff interpreter vs medical interpreter overview

	Staff Interpreter	Medical Interpreter
Yearly salary	$43,714	$43,593
Hourly rate	$21.02	$20.96
Growth rate	20%	20%
Number of jobs	71,800	47,796
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Staff interpreter vs medical interpreter salary

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

	Staff Interpreter	Medical Interpreter
Average salary	$43,714	$43,593
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $70,000	Between $27,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between staff interpreter and medical interpreter education

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

	Staff Interpreter	Medical Interpreter
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	American Sign Language	Business
Most common college	Harvard University	Harvard University

Staff interpreter vs medical interpreter demographics

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

	Staff Interpreter	Medical Interpreter
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 24.5% Female, 75.5%	Male, 32.4% Female, 67.6%
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, 4.7% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 35.3% Asian, 14.3% White, 39.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	15%	15%

Differences between staff interpreter and medical 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.

Medical interpreter example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Inform providers and patients of relevant cultural issues to assist providers in delivering culturally competent patient care.
Assist another medical interpreter in interpreting for patients who have trouble understanding English spoken by health professionals and receptionists.
Create education and promotional materials relate to Latino health and wellness.

Staff interpreter vs medical interpreter skills

Common staff interpreter skills

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

Common medical interpreter skills

Patients, 35%
Customer Service, 11%
Patient Care, 8%
LEP, 7%
Informed Consent, 4%
Target Language, 4%

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Staff Interpreter vs Medical Interpreter

Updated January 8, 2025

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