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The differences between translators and court 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 translator and a court interpreter. Additionally, a court interpreter has an average salary of $44,300, which is higher than the $44,278 average annual salary of a translator.
The top three skills for a translator include target language, translation services and vice versa. The most important skills for a court interpreter are vice versa, court cases, and court hearings.
| Translator | Court Interpreter | |
| Yearly salary | $44,278 | $44,300 |
| Hourly rate | $21.29 | $21.30 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 20% |
| Number of jobs | 1,206 | 4,250 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A translator is an expert of one or multiple languages, responsible for transcribing communication between parties for easy comprehension. Translators often work with written documents, relaying the core context and original message from the source. They should also be able to translate jargon, slang, cultural expressions, and related technical terms in an understandable format, depending on the level of the target audience. A translator must be highly fluent with the language to render ideas accurately, as well as have excellent time-management skills to meet project deadlines.
A court interpreter is responsible for translating one language to another in real-time in a courtroom setting. Court interpreters work closely with clients and law officers to relay accurate and reliable information from the actual context. Apart from having excellent communication skills, a court interpreter should also possess extensive knowledge of the legal industry to understand and interpret terms accordingly. They also translate legal documents for court reference. In some cases, a court interpreter may also read the statements beforehand to have a good grasp of courtroom procedures.
Translators and court interpreters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Translator | Court Interpreter | |
| Average salary | $44,278 | $44,300 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $70,000 | Between $27,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Central Islip, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | City of Houston |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a translator and a court interpreter in terms of educational background:
| Translator | Court Interpreter | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | English | Business |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between translators' and court interpreters' demographics:
| Translator | Court Interpreter | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% | Male, 40.9% Female, 59.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 32.0% Asian, 18.4% White, 37.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 35.4% Asian, 14.1% White, 38.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 15% |