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Translator vs spanish interpreter

The differences between translators and spanish 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 spanish interpreter. Additionally, a translator has an average salary of $44,278, which is higher than the $43,067 average annual salary of a spanish interpreter.

The top three skills for a translator include target language, translation services and vice versa. The most important skills for a spanish interpreter are patients, medical terminology, and translation services.

Translator vs spanish interpreter overview

TranslatorSpanish Interpreter
Yearly salary$44,278$43,067
Hourly rate$21.29$20.71
Growth rate20%20%
Number of jobs1,2064,043
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

What does a translator do?

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.

What does a spanish interpreter do?

A Spanish interpreter specializes in orally translating Spanish to English language and vice-versa, primarily to bridge the communication gap from one person to another. Their responsibilities typically revolve around meeting with clients to determine their preferences, keeping conversations confidential, conversing according to the purpose of events, and translating documents or written materials when necessary. A Spanish interpreter may also work independently or for a company. Furthermore, it is essential to remain professional and build rapport with clients to establish a strong client base.

Translator vs spanish interpreter salary

Translators and spanish interpreters have different pay scales, as shown below.

TranslatorSpanish Interpreter
Average salary$44,278$43,067
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $70,000Between $28,000 And $65,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCAlameda, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkCalifornia
Best paying companyAppleGundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation Inc.
Best paying industryTechnologyProfessional

Differences between translator and spanish interpreter education

There are a few differences between a translator and a spanish interpreter in terms of educational background:

TranslatorSpanish Interpreter
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorEnglishBusiness
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

Translator vs spanish interpreter demographics

Here are the differences between translators' and spanish interpreters' demographics:

TranslatorSpanish Interpreter
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 38.4% Female, 61.6%Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6%
Race ratioBlack 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 47.9% Asian, 6.4% White, 36.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage15%15%

Differences between translator and spanish interpreter duties and responsibilities

Translator example responsibilities.

  • Manage proofreading, typesetting, and editing of English/Spanish projects.
  • Lead an international team of HUMINT collectors for the NATO mission in Bosnia where overt and covert collection protocols are observed.
  • Translate scripts for 2D and 3D animations from English into Urdu, Punjabi, and Hindi.
  • Translate patient materials and informational brochures issue by hospitals and medical facilities into another language.
  • Conduct research on Turkish tourism.
  • Translate tourism articles from English to Chinese.
  • Show more

Spanish interpreter example responsibilities.

  • Provide accurate Spanish interpretation to LEP in medical, legal and social settings.
  • Serve as a simultaneous interpreter between providers and patients keeping communication efficient by taking consideration of cultural differences between them.
  • Make the LEP feel comfortable enough to honestly and accurately convey information.
  • Create worksheets and design activities to teach an ESL student to read, write, and speak English.
  • Host for the Latino parent meetings at the school with information about the community, resources, and events.
  • Contract by Johannesburg government to interpret for non-English speaking defendants.
  • Show more

Translator vs spanish interpreter skills

Common translator skills
  • Target Language, 24%
  • Translation Services, 17%
  • Vice Versa, 9%
  • Medical Terminology, 5%
  • Web Pages, 5%
  • English-Language, 4%
Common spanish interpreter skills
  • Patients, 41%
  • Medical Terminology, 13%
  • Translation Services, 4%
  • Spanish Language, 3%
  • Language Services, 3%
  • Health Insurance, 2%

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