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Best states for a translator
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Translator opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for translators, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for translators.As translators are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for translators. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a translator, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for translators.We found that the Midwest is best for translators, and the Northeast is the worst. Washington, DC is the best city in the country for translator jobs, where as District of Columbia is the best state in the country.
10 best states for translators in 2026
1. District of Columbia
Total translator jobs: 30 Average annual salary: $79,461 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 5.06
2. Oregon
Total translator jobs: 314 Average annual salary: $56,359 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 21.46
3. Virginia
Total translator jobs: 63 Average annual salary: $57,167 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 1.89
4. Maryland
Total translator jobs: 43 Average annual salary: $56,011 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.92
5. New York
Total translator jobs: 24 Average annual salary: $61,711 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 0.53
6. West Virginia
Total translator jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $52,447 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
7. New Jersey
Total translator jobs: 14 Average annual salary: $57,867 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 0.5
8. Mississippi
Total translator jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $48,524 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
9. Alaska
Total translator jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $51,557 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
10. Washington
Total translator jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $57,338 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 0.31
Translator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a translator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a translator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $79,461 | $47,000 | 693,972 | 30 |
| 2 | Oregon | $56,359 | $33,000 | 4,142,776 | 314 |
| 3 | Virginia | $57,167 | $34,000 | 8,470,020 | 63 |
| 4 | Maryland | $56,011 | $33,000 | 6,052,177 | 43 |
| 5 | New York | $61,711 | $37,000 | 19,849,399 | 24 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $52,447 | $31,000 | 1,815,857 | 5 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $57,867 | $34,000 | 9,005,644 | 14 |
| 8 | Mississippi | $48,524 | $29,000 | 2,984,100 | 9 |
| 9 | Alaska | $51,557 | $33,000 | 739,795 | 3 |
| 10 | Washington | $57,338 | $34,000 | 7,405,743 | 8 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $47,477 | $29,000 | 1,342,795 | 13 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $52,897 | $32,000 | 6,859,819 | 21 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $48,611 | $30,000 | 4,454,189 | 8 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $46,156 | $29,000 | 1,920,076 | 13 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $46,181 | $27,000 | 12,805,537 | 36 |
| 16 | California | $55,158 | $32,000 | 39,536,653 | 66 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $46,979 | $28,000 | 2,088,070 | 6 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $55,886 | $33,000 | 3,588,184 | 2 |
| 19 | Vermont | $50,673 | $31,000 | 623,657 | 0 |
| 20 | Idaho | $45,984 | $27,000 | 1,716,943 | 4 |
| 21 | Utah | $45,195 | $27,000 | 3,101,833 | 8 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $46,435 | $28,000 | 1,059,639 | 2 |
| 23 | Nevada | $48,051 | $28,000 | 2,998,039 | 1 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $43,666 | $27,000 | 5,576,606 | 24 |
| 25 | Texas | $44,627 | $26,000 | 28,304,596 | 58 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $44,401 | $27,000 | 579,315 | 1 |
| 27 | Colorado | $47,929 | $29,000 | 5,607,154 | 8 |
| 28 | Maine | $45,738 | $28,000 | 1,335,907 | 1 |
| 29 | Ohio | $42,901 | $26,000 | 11,658,609 | 15 |
| 30 | Georgia | $42,132 | $25,000 | 10,429,379 | 37 |
| 31 | Florida | $43,343 | $25,000 | 20,984,400 | 36 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $41,338 | $25,000 | 10,273,419 | 31 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $43,438 | $26,000 | 4,684,333 | 5 |
| 34 | Montana | $41,203 | $25,000 | 1,050,493 | 4 |
| 35 | Arizona | $43,407 | $26,000 | 7,016,270 | 9 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $43,161 | $27,000 | 755,393 | 1 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $39,334 | $25,000 | 869,666 | 3 |
| 38 | Michigan | $42,251 | $25,000 | 9,962,311 | 11 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $41,250 | $25,000 | 6,715,984 | 4 |
| 40 | Alabama | $38,337 | $23,000 | 4,874,747 | 9 |
| 41 | Delaware | $32,746 | $19,000 | 961,939 | 9 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $34,992 | $23,000 | 1,427,538 | 3 |
| 43 | Kansas | $39,156 | $24,000 | 2,913,123 | 3 |
| 44 | Illinois | $38,763 | $24,000 | 12,802,023 | 15 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $37,723 | $23,000 | 5,024,369 | 5 |
| 46 | Iowa | $38,169 | $24,000 | 3,145,711 | 3 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $38,492 | $23,000 | 5,795,483 | 3 |
| 48 | Indiana | $37,006 | $22,000 | 6,666,818 | 6 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $29,320 | $18,000 | 3,930,864 | 5 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $36,204 | $22,000 | 3,004,279 | 2 |
| 51 | Missouri | $33,825 | $21,000 | 6,113,532 | 5 |
Highest paying states for translators
| Rank | State | Avg. Translator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $79,461 |
| 2 | Oregon | $56,359 |
| 3 | Virginia | $57,167 |
| 4 | Maryland | $56,011 |
| 5 | New York | $61,711 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $52,447 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $57,867 |
| 8 | Mississippi | $48,524 |
| 9 | Alaska | $51,557 |
| 10 | Washington | $57,338 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $47,477 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $52,897 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $48,611 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $46,156 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $46,181 |
| 16 | California | $55,158 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $46,979 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $55,886 |
| 19 | Vermont | $50,673 |
| 20 | Idaho | $45,984 |
| 21 | Utah | $45,195 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $46,435 |
| 23 | Nevada | $48,051 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $43,666 |
| 25 | Texas | $44,627 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $44,401 |
| 27 | Colorado | $47,929 |
| 28 | Maine | $45,738 |
| 29 | Ohio | $42,901 |
| 30 | Georgia | $42,132 |
| 31 | Florida | $43,343 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $41,338 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $43,438 |
| 34 | Montana | $41,203 |
| 35 | Arizona | $43,407 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $43,161 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $39,334 |
| 38 | Michigan | $42,251 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $41,250 |
| 40 | Alabama | $38,337 |
| 41 | Delaware | $32,746 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $34,992 |
| 43 | Kansas | $39,156 |
| 44 | Illinois | $38,763 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $37,723 |
| 46 | Iowa | $38,169 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $38,492 |
| 48 | Indiana | $37,006 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $29,320 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $36,204 |
| 51 | Missouri | $33,825 |
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Updated January 8, 2025