Interpreters and Translators
SOC 27-3091 • View wages by state
The median annual wage for Interpreters and Translators is $57,090, based on BLS OEWS 2023 data. The mean annual wage is $63,080, and an estimated 51,560 workers are employed in this occupation nationally. Between 2020 and 2023, pay rose +9.1% while consumer prices rose 17.7% — a real change of -7.3% (pay did not keep up with inflation). BLS projects employment will grow 1.7% between 2024 and 2034.
Wage Trend & Inflation Adjustment
How the national median wage for Interpreters and Translators has moved across BLS OEWS release years, and what each year's wage is worth in 2023 dollars after adjusting for CPI inflation. "Real" change strips out inflation — the truest measure of whether pay is actually rising.
| Year | Median (nominal) | In 2023 $ (real) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $57,090 | $57,090 | 51,560 |
| 2022 | $53,640 | $55,848 | 52,160 |
| 2021 | $49,110 | $55,224 | 52,170 |
| 2020 | $52,330 | $61,609 | 56,920 |
Nominal change
+9.1%
Inflation (CPI)
+17.7%
Real change
-7.3%
Job Outlook (2024–2034 BLS projection)
The BLS Employment Projections program estimates how each occupation's employment will change over the coming decade, and how many job openings to expect each year (from both growth and the need to replace workers who leave).
Projected Growth
+1.7%
About average
Employment 2024
75,300
Projected 2034
76,600
Annual Openings
6,900
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Highest-Paying Areas (2023)
Where Interpreters and Translators earn the most, and how each area's median compares to the national median of $57,090. A positive premium means the area pays above the national rate.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | $101,010 | +76.9% | 100 |
| Hawaii | $78,580 | +37.6% | 220 |
| District of Columbia | $77,250 | +35.3% | 210 |
| Maryland | $77,220 | +35.3% | 1,200 |
| Connecticut | $75,110 | +31.6% | 220 |
| Colorado | $74,710 | +30.9% | 970 |
| New York | $74,590 | +30.7% | 3,720 |
| Virginia | $74,030 | +29.7% | 2,100 |
| Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area | $72,990 | +27.9% | — |
| California | $64,000 | +12.1% | 7,210 |
Wage Distribution (National, 2023)
10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages from BLS OEWS — the full spread, not just an average.
10th Pct
$35,410
25th Pct
$44,810
Median
$57,090
75th Pct
$76,960
90th Pct
$97,100
H-1B Employer Filings
Employer-certified wages from DOL H-1B LCA filings — competitive market benchmark, not approved visas.
| Employer | State | Filings | Median Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mingwei Yan PLLC | MI | 1 | $54,080 |
| Law Offices of Maria Tu, P.C. | TX | 1 | $41,600 |
| ByteDance Inc. | CA | 1 | $80,000 |
| ContextGlobal, INC | DC | 1 | $72,842 |
| Law Offices of Jianwei Huang, Inc | CA | 1 | $43,680 |
| TD Group Consulting Inc | FL | 1 | $39,520 |
| Riot Games, Inc. | CA | 1 | $62,400 |
| Teneo Linguistics Company, LLC | TX | 1 | $46,800 |
| Smotritsky Law Group, PLLC | NJ | 1 | $47,840 |
| Chunping Shen | CA | 1 | $57,200 |
| American Education and Translation Services Corp | FL | 1 | $47,840 |
| OKG USA Technology Inc. | CA | 1 | $200,000 |
| Oral Roberts University | OK | 1 | $40,000 |
| Ivy League Unitas USA Inc. | NY | 1 | $64,480 |
| TransPerfect Translations International, Inc. | AZ | 1 | $35,360 |
Source: DOL Office of Foreign Labor Certification, H-1B LCA data.
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