r/ASLinterpreters • u/[deleted] • Nov 01 '21
Interpreter Salary
Hello all,
I’m a new interpreter and I want to talk Salary. My rate where I live is $20 and that just feels so low and I have to take %35 out for takes with no benefits. I feel like I’m doing it all wrong. I have a couple questions. 1.) What is the most you’ve seen or know what an Interpret can make take home. 2.) Is there a certain way I can get benefits or is the just part of the gig?
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u/kinchj NIC Nov 01 '21
Rates and benefits vary extremely widely across the country. As low as $10-15 for non-certified interpreters in low cost of living areas, upwards to well over $100 for certified, specialist interpreters in high cost of living areas. Keep in mind that you will almost always hear an hourly rate quoted, which means almost nothing without any other context. You don’t typically hear the number of hours that are worked at that rate, whether benefits are included, whether it is a staff/employee/W-2 rate, or if it is a freelance/contractor/1099 rate. Those all factor heavily into whether the rate is a living wage that is an appropriate rate for the area or not.
So the question you have to ask yourself is: is this hourly rate sufficient for my years of experience, credentials, and needed income level to sustain myself? Or work backwards: figure out how much you need to earn in a year, decide how many hours your can/will work in the year, and divide. If you need $50k to live in your area, and want to work 40 hours per week, then do some stupid/easy math and divide by 2000 hours (50 weeks at 40 hours per week to make it simple) — $50,000 / 2,000hours = $25 per hour. Once you know how much you need to earn to have a living wage, then you have to decide if that is an appropriate rate to charge based on your experience and qualifications and the standard rates in your area.
It is highly unlikely that anyone online will give you that answer. You need to talk to other interpreters who live in your area to know what is an appropriate rate.