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Job outlook for technical translators in the United States
Are technical translator jobs in demand?
Technical translator job and salary trends over time
Technical translator jobs over time
Technical translator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 444 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 484 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 501 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 486 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 452 | 0.00% |
Average technical translator salary over time
Technical translator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $55,019 | $26.45 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $54,493 | $26.20 | +3.8% |
| 2023 | $52,495 | $25.24 | +5.8% |
| 2022 | $49,614 | $23.85 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $48,489 | $23.31 | +4.4% |
Technical translator jobs by state
Most common states for technical translators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 120 | 16% |
| 2 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 814 | 15% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 141 | 15% |
| 4 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 765 | 14% |
| 5 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 262 | 14% |
| 6 | Alaska | 739,795 | 97 | 13% |
| 7 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,199 | 12% |
| 8 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 104 | 12% |
| 9 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,448 | 11% |
| 10 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,125 | 11% |
| 11 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 378 | 11% |
| 12 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 320 | 11% |
| 13 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 223 | 11% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,283 | 10% |
| 15 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 646 | 10% |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 558 | 10% |
| 17 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 292 | 10% |
| 18 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 562 | 9% |
| 19 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 294 | 9% |
| 20 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 121 | 9% |
Most common cities for technical translators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beverly Hills | 1 | 3% | $66,465 |
| 2 | Santa Monica | 1 | 1% | $66,386 |
Technical Translator job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of technical translator experts
University of California - Davis
Washington and Lee University
Rowan University
Cedar Crest College
Victoria Juharyan
University of California - Davis
Slavic, Baltic And Albanian Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
What general advice would you give to a Technical Translator?
Victoria Juharyan: Another field that needs professionals with a good command of Russian is the medical field. Translators are in high demand for serving patients who do not speak English. Russian-speakers can also help Ukrainian refugees in the US.
What Technical Translator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Victoria Juharyan: The UN has some fantastic internships and volunteer opportunities for students of Russian in their Global Communications and many other departments. I strongly recommend recent graduates beginning their career in the field to apply to those and to also explore and participate in their Young Professionals Programme and the competitive examinations (CELPs), which create rosters to fill language positions at multiple locations.
What will help Technical Translators increase their earning potential?
Victoria Juharyan: A degree in Russian Studies opens many doors — be it in arts, music, literature, and languages or international relations, business, politics, and diplomacy. 20% of the Earth’s population speaks Russian. It’s one of the critical languages of the United Nations as well as a highly demanded language for jobs at the CIA and the FBI.
Mark Rush
Prof. of Politics and LawWashington and Lee University
Political Science And Government
What general advice would you give to a Technical Translator?
Mark Rush: Good, clear writing is critical. But, it requires practice and regular reading to maintain a sense of clarity to be able to express your ideas succinctly. I'd recommend acquiring and maintaining skill in at least one other language. This is a means of empowerment as well as ensuring real cultural understanding-not just cultural understanding translated into English.
What Technical Translator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mark Rush: Be patient and flexible. Sometimes things may not go exactly the way you'd like them to. A career is a long game. You are just starting out. Take the time to think about what you want to do. You will probably alter your career path numerous times. Each time you do that, it's as if you were starting out fresh.
What will help Technical Translators increase their earning potential?
Mark Rush: Good, clear writing is critical. But, it requires practice and regular reading to maintain a sense of clarity to be able to express your ideas succinctly.
I'd recommend acquiring and maintaining skill in at least one other language. This is a means of empowerment as well as ensuring real cultural understanding-not just cultural understanding translated into English.
Marilyn Manley Ph.D.
Full Professor of Spanish, Department ChairRowan University
Department of World Languages
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Technical Translator job market given the pandemic?
Marilyn Manley Ph.D.: One silver lining that has resulted from the Coronavirus pandemic is an increased familiarity for most job sectors with the technological tools needed to hold virtual meetings. These remote collaborations have bridged vast geographical distances and brought together speakers of various languages and cultural backgrounds on a more frequent basis than might otherwise have occurred by this point in time. Thus, while most of us have experienced increased physical isolation due to the pandemic, our virtual worlds have expanded considerably.
With the possibility for increased communication across physical boundaries, students with a background in the study of world languages and cultures will find that their skills are in even higher demand than before. Those equipped with world language proficiency and intercultural competence will find that they are well-prepared for a wide variety of career opportunities available to them as well as further study. Some examples include within the fields of interpretation and translation, health care (for example, in speech-language pathology and the study and treatment of dyslexia and aphasia), business and advertising (for example, in marketing to non-English speakers), education (for example, in language teaching, teaching English to speakers of other languages, training teachers, and designing assessments), communications, publishing, acting or training actors (as while learning the pronunciation and intonation of different languages and dialects), computer science (including applications to speech recognition, text-to-speech synthesis, artificial intelligence and robotics), journalism, law (such as studying the language of legal texts, linguistic aspects of evidence and issues of voice identification), public relations, work for the government (including for the Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI), the National Security Agency (NSA), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Department of Defense, etc.) and many others in the public and private sectors that require critical thinking, analytical reasoning, argumentation, and communicative ability.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Technical Translators?
Marilyn Manley Ph.D.: Students of languages and cultures are already competitive job candidates; however, those who customize their academic careers with a double major, minor, or certificate will be even better prepared to enter the job market. Other strategies are to travel abroad or complete one or more internships to gain additional experience.
For example, those language students interested in a career as a speech-language pathologist may pursue a double major or minor in Biology or Biological Sciences. Speech-language pathologists diagnose and treat communication and swallowing disorders in patients. According to the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), while most speech-language pathologists work in schools, others often work in the offices of physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and audiologists, as well as in hospitals (state, local and private), nursing care facilities, and home health care services. According to the BLS, the standard level of education for speech-language pathologists is a master's degree.
What's a good job out of college for Technical Translators?
Marilyn Manley Ph.D.: According to the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), high growth rates are projected for the field of Interpretation/Translation. Interpreters and translators convert information form one language to another. While interpreters convert information from one spoken language to another, translators convert written materials from one language into another. Interpreters and translators may be self-employed or work for such industries as professional, scientific, and technical services, educational services (state, local, and private), health care and social assistance, and government.
Those interested in interpreting/translating within a specific environment, for example within health care, may become more competitive by pursuing additional, related study, for example by adding a Biology major or minor in Biological Sciences. Similarly, for example, those interested in a career as a government interpreter may follow the strategy of pursuing additional study in the form a major or minor in Political Science in order to broaden their employment options.
According to the BLS, the entry-level education needed to work as an interpreter or translator is a Bachelor's degree; however, many prospective interpreters and translators may also seek professional certification. While there is no universal certification required of interpreters and translators in the United States, a number of organizations provide certification, including the American Translators Association, the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (for court interpreting), the International Association of Conference Interpreters, the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters, and the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Technical Translator job market given the pandemic?
Dr. LuAnn McCracken Fletcher: In general, I think the pandemic, and the flight to online platforms as a result, have increased our appreciation for good communication skills--oral communication skills, but also the ability to bring adaptability, creativity, and critical thinking to one's job, since we're all dealing with technology in new ways and having to adjust to technology challenges on a daily basis. While we will hopefully return to in-person work, post-pandemic, I think it highly likely that some aspects of our online life, such as meetings and collaborations, will continue to take place online, with the result that those who possess not only the technical skills or knowledge base required by their profession, but also the "soft skills" listed above, will be more successful in the post-pandemic workplace and more likely to get promoted. Fortunately, humanities graduates get a lot of practice with these so-called "soft skills," including the ability to listen carefully and to tell powerful stories.
As far as trends in the job market most likely to affect English majors and humanities graduates in general, we will continue to see expansion of digital and social media platforms, including interactive content. Whether in the publishing industry, in educational and governmental institutions, in public-facing offices within businesses and non-profits, or in museums and other community-based organizations, there will be an increased focus on creating or retooling positions to accommodate an increased awareness of the value of digital connectivity.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Technical Translators?
Dr. LuAnn McCracken Fletcher: For English, writing, and communication majors, and for all humanities majors in general, combining one's major with other majors or certificates has always been both possible and encouraged. Not because a humanities major is insufficient as a career major in and of itself, but because combining that major with specific coursework in marketing, management, or public relations, with coursework in one of the sciences, social sciences, or health sciences, or with coursework in the arts, demonstrates to a prospective employer that you are an individual who is comfortable with interdisciplinary approaches to thinking. And if you wish to write for a specific discipline, say science writing, technical writing, food writing, or nature writing, you'll strengthen your attractiveness to an employer if you have coursework or an internship in that field. As far as specific courses to take? If you lack the ability to use basic spreadsheet software or basic presentation software, take an introductory computer science course or a visual design course to get that knowledge (sometimes these courses are offered in business or communication departments). If you haven't taken a public speaking course, do so. If you are seeking a career that will specifically use the content of your humanities major (as opposed to a career that will employ the soft skills you have developed as a humanities major), seek a course or certificate in the engaged or public humanities.
I can't stress enough the value of completing one or more internships in career areas of interest. As a humanities major, one has a wide range of choices, because one's communication, creative, and critical thinking skills can make one appealing to many employers. I want to acknowledge the difficulty of taking an unpaid internship if you are economically challenged or have a family you must support. If this is true for you, seek paid work experiences that will at least help you to demonstrate your interests and which will provide opportunities for you to practice skills pertinent to an intended career. It's important to tell your story well for prospective employers, and highlighting, via your resume, the value of your internship and work experiences for the job you seek will be key.
What's a good job out of college for Technical Translators?
Dr. LuAnn McCracken Fletcher: Any job out of college--one's first job--is worthwhile. Do not look only for your ideal job, or you may be disappointed. Rather, cast a broad net and think creatively about employment. The challenge of being a humanities major is that you do not have a specific career set out for you--but that's also the benefit of being a humanities major. Especially if you have complimented your major with other courses and experiences, you are qualified for careers in business, science, education, technology, government, philanthropy, to offer just a few examples. For English and writing majors, good first jobs may include writing and editing digital content, or providing social media support, for companies and organizations. New humanities graduates are also appealing to nonprofits, to colleges and universities, to libraries and museums, and to other public and governmental agencies.
Most importantly, seek a position that will serve as a springboard to your NEXT job. Your first job is not your destiny, but it should be something that gives you experience that you can point to as qualifying you for your next job, when you apply for it. One method to determine what a good first job might be: look at ads for the kind of job you really want and note what qualifications are listed for that job. Which ones do you have, and which do you need to develop? Seek a first job that will give you an opportunity to develop those attributes that are crucial to your ideal job. It also doesn't hurt to take a first job that will provide you with a network of contacts who might help you to discover your next job.