Interpreters and Translators pay in the U.S.
$66,360avg. a year
$31.90 an hour · 52,060 employed
Interpreters and Translators in the U.S. earn an average of $66,360 a year and a median of $60,170. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($102,960) and lowest in Iowa ($49,350).
$60,170Median pay
$31.90Average hourly
+14%Avg. pay since 2020
52,060Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for interpreters and translators
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1280 jobs
District of Columbia
$102,960
$49.50 an hour
21,150 jobs
Maryland
$87,160
$41.91 an hour
33,240 jobs
New York
$86,550
$41.61 an hour
4200 jobs
Rhode Island
$85,370
$41.05 an hour
5870 jobs
New Jersey
$80,040
$38.48 an hour
62,280 jobs
Massachusetts
$79,140
$38.05 an hour
75,560 jobs
California
$78,800
$37.88 an hour
8280 jobs
Connecticut
$77,750
$37.38 an hour
980 jobs
Vermont
$77,460
$37.24 an hour
10800 jobs
Colorado
$75,380
$36.24 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Interpreters and Translators pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $55k$55k–$60k$60k–$72k$72k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $93,650 | $45.03 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $93,460 | $44.93 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $91,110 | $43.80 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $90,940 | $43.72 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $85,220 | $40.97 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $81,250 | $39.06 |
| Rochester, NY | $80,550 | $38.73 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $79,960 | $38.44 |
Related jobs
- Public Relations Specialists$84,120
- Editors$90,060
- Writers and Authors$86,090
- Technical Writers$96,970
- News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists$102,460
- Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys$78,720
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Interpreters and Translators pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $53,740 | $46,130 | 310 |
| Arizona | $55,700 | $50,150 | 2,070 |
| Arkansas | $55,270 | $52,490 | 220 |
| California | $78,800 | $70,770 | 5,560 |
| Colorado | $75,380 | $71,790 | 800 |
| Connecticut | $77,750 | $68,340 | 280 |
| District of Columbia | $102,960 | $109,970 | 280 |
| Florida | $58,900 | $48,930 | 4,200 |
| Georgia | $61,750 | $57,880 | 1,600 |
| Hawaii | $57,010 | $42,270 | 60 |
| Idaho | $71,730 | $66,130 | 300 |
| Illinois | $58,650 | $55,290 | 1,510 |
| Indiana | $56,690 | $48,140 | 1,170 |
| Iowa | $49,350 | $48,150 | 560 |
| Kansas | $55,220 | $47,950 | 470 |
| Kentucky | $58,930 | $53,590 | 480 |
| Louisiana | $49,820 | $48,420 | 120 |
| Maine | $71,250 | $63,470 | 90 |
| Maryland | $87,160 | $88,550 | 1,150 |
| Massachusetts | $79,140 | $72,750 | 2,280 |
| Michigan | $54,040 | $45,310 | 940 |
| Minnesota | $71,800 | $66,410 | 1,030 |
| Mississippi | $59,050 | $57,130 | 80 |
| Missouri | $62,710 | $57,010 | 440 |
| Montana | $49,580 | $47,850 | 60 |
| Nebraska | $58,940 | $53,050 | 570 |
| Nevada | $50,390 | $50,370 | 320 |
| New Hampshire | $55,630 | $56,370 | 240 |
| New Jersey | $80,040 | $58,970 | 870 |
| New Mexico | $66,340 | $63,550 | 360 |
| New York | $86,550 | $84,090 | 3,240 |
| North Carolina | $59,890 | $50,030 | 1,780 |
| North Dakota | $52,380 | $48,190 | 130 |
| Ohio | $63,530 | $61,230 | 2,030 |
| Oklahoma | $53,980 | $48,980 | 320 |
| Oregon | $68,870 | $66,300 | 660 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,190 | $57,040 | 1,420 |
| Rhode Island | $85,370 | $82,320 | 200 |
| South Carolina | $55,230 | $50,860 | 520 |
| South Dakota | $56,360 | $53,140 | 230 |
| Tennessee | $53,590 | $51,080 | 710 |
| Texas | $55,840 | $47,510 | 6,780 |
| Utah | $66,250 | $65,770 | 850 |
| Vermont | $77,460 | $62,450 | 80 |
| Virginia | $74,320 | $63,030 | 1,630 |
| Washington | $70,140 | $61,750 | 1,250 |
| Wisconsin | $64,240 | $63,390 | 1,410 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$51,170
2,530 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$91,110
2,520 jobsPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
$54,370
1,720 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$81,250
1,660 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$93,460
1,630 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$78,410
1,480 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$60,820
1,280 jobsTampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
$58,420
1,170 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do interpreters and translators make?
The average is $66,360 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $60,170 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $31.90, and the median is $28.93 an hour.
Which state pays interpreters and translators the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $102,960 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $93,650.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $37,070 a year, and the top 10% earn over $103,660.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 27-3091. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.