Interpreters and Translators Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for interpreters and translatorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $66,360 ≈ $32/hr
National median salary $60,170
Total employment 52,060 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +1.7%
Slower than average
Annual openings 6,900 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 75,300 → 76,600 (+1,300)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$102,960
- Maryland$87,160
- New York$86,550
- Rhode Island$85,370
- New Jersey$80,040
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Iowa$49,350
- Montana$49,580
- Louisiana$49,820
- Nevada$50,390
- North Dakota$52,380
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $102,960 | $109,970 | $50 | +55.2% | 280 |
| 2 | Maryland | $87,160 | $88,550 | $42 | +31.3% | 1,150 |
| 3 | New York | $86,550 | $84,090 | $42 | +30.4% | 3,240 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $85,370 | $82,320 | $41 | +28.6% | 200 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $80,040 | $58,970 | $38 | +20.6% | 870 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $79,140 | $72,750 | $38 | +19.3% | 2,280 |
| 7 | California | $78,800 | $70,770 | $38 | +18.7% | 5,560 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $77,750 | $68,340 | $37 | +17.2% | 280 |
| 9 | Vermont | $77,460 | $62,450 | $37 | +16.7% | 80 |
| 10 | Colorado | $75,380 | $71,790 | $36 | +13.6% | 800 |
| 11 | Virginia | $74,320 | $63,030 | $36 | +12% | 1,630 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $71,800 | $66,410 | $35 | +8.2% | 1,030 |
| 13 | Idaho | $71,730 | $66,130 | $34 | +8.1% | 300 |
| 14 | Maine | $71,250 | $63,470 | $34 | +7.4% | 90 |
| 15 | Washington | $70,140 | $61,750 | $34 | +5.7% | 1,250 |
| 16 | Oregon | $68,870 | $66,300 | $33 | +3.8% | 660 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $66,340 | $63,550 | $32 | +0% | 360 |
| 18 | Utah | $66,250 | $65,770 | $32 | -0.2% | 850 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $64,240 | $63,390 | $31 | -3.2% | 1,410 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $64,190 | $57,040 | $31 | -3.3% | 1,420 |
| 21 | Ohio | $63,530 | $61,230 | $31 | -4.3% | 2,030 |
| 22 | Missouri | $62,710 | $57,010 | $30 | -5.5% | 440 |
| 23 | Georgia | $61,750 | $57,880 | $30 | -6.9% | 1,600 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $59,890 | $50,030 | $29 | -9.7% | 1,780 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $59,050 | $57,130 | $28 | -11% | 80 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $58,940 | $53,050 | $28 | -11.2% | 570 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $58,930 | $53,590 | $28 | -11.2% | 480 |
| 28 | Florida | $58,900 | $48,930 | $28 | -11.2% | 4,200 |
| 29 | Illinois | $58,650 | $55,290 | $28 | -11.6% | 1,510 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $57,010 | $42,270 | $27 | -14.1% | 60 |
| 31 | Indiana | $56,690 | $48,140 | $27 | -14.6% | 1,170 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $56,360 | $53,140 | $27 | -15.1% | 230 |
| 33 | Texas | $55,840 | $47,510 | $27 | -15.9% | 6,780 |
| 34 | Arizona | $55,700 | $50,150 | $27 | -16.1% | 2,070 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $55,630 | $56,370 | $27 | -16.2% | 240 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $55,270 | $52,490 | $27 | -16.7% | 220 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $55,230 | $50,860 | $27 | -16.8% | 520 |
| 38 | Kansas | $55,220 | $47,950 | $27 | -16.8% | 470 |
| 39 | Michigan | $54,040 | $45,310 | $26 | -18.6% | 940 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $53,980 | $48,980 | $26 | -18.7% | 320 |
| 41 | Alabama | $53,740 | $46,130 | $26 | -19% | 310 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $53,590 | $51,080 | $26 | -19.2% | 710 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $52,380 | $48,190 | $25 | -21.1% | 130 |
| 44 | Nevada | $50,390 | $50,370 | $24 | -24.1% | 320 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $49,820 | $48,420 | $24 | -24.9% | 120 |
| 46 | Montana | $49,580 | $47,850 | $24 | -25.3% | 60 |
| 47 | Iowa | $49,350 | $48,150 | $24 | -25.6% | 560 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 193 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $101,530 | $93,650 | 300 |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $94,510 | $93,460 | 1,630 |
| 3 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $93,960 | $84,070 | 60 |
| 4 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87,590 | $91,110 | 2,520 |
| 5 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $84,960 | $82,600 | 30 |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $83,680 | $90,940 | 760 |
| 7 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $83,200 | $85,220 | 370 |
| 8 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $82,440 | $92,880 | 70 |
| 9 | Salem, OR | $80,960 | $78,880 | 100 |
| 10 | Akron, OH | $80,640 | $70,150 | 100 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing interpreters and translatorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Educational Support Services, Privately Owned | $164,070 | $158,650 | 160 |
| 2 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $144,120 | $128,370 | 210 |
| 3 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $144,120 | $131,250 | 200 |
| 4 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $107,180 | $108,070 | 370 |
| 5 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $106,950 | $107,960 | 370 |
| 6 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Local Government Owned | $95,560 | $90,730 | — |
| 7 | Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $90,160 | $97,110 | 100 |
| 8 | Engineering Services | $90,160 | $97,360 | 100 |
| 9 | Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries | $84,820 | $84,420 | — |
| 10 | Motion Picture and Video Industries | $84,820 | $84,420 | — |
| 11 | Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, & Other Media Networks & Content Providers | $80,620 | $78,980 | 40 |
| 12 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $80,390 | $86,170 | 450 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do interpreters and translators make in the U.S.?
The median interpreters and translators salary in the United States is $60,170 per year (mean $66,360), and about 80% earn between $37,070 and $103,660.
How much do interpreters and translators make per hour?
Roughly $32 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $66,360 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays interpreters and translators the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for interpreters and translators at $102,960 per year (median $109,970).
What is the job outlook for interpreters and translators?
Employment is projected to change +1.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 6,900 openings per year.
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Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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