Overview & Salary

Overview

Interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another.

On the job, you would:

  • Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information.
  • Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible.
  • Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary.

Education

  • bachelor's degree
  • master's degree

Salary

Annual 10th percentile $35,410
Annual median $57,090
Annual 90th percentile $97,100

Knowledge & Skills

Knowledge

Arts and Humanities

  • English language
  • foreign language

Business

  • customer service
  • administrative services

Education and Training

  • teaching and course design

Safety and Government

  • public safety and security

Skills

Basic Skills

  • talking to others
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Personality & Abilities

Personality

Conventional

People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.

  • Integrity
  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Independence
  • Cooperation
  • Self Control

Abilities

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • order or arrange things
  • notice when problems happen

Attention

  • pay attention to something without being distracted
  • do two or more things at the same time
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