How much do translation professionals often make when working?
The average figures I’ve seen vary, with starting salaries ranging somewhere between $25000 and $40000, and the mean somewhere around $30000.
I’ve seen figures suggesting that established translation professionals can average around $60000-650000 annually, and have also read that translation professionals who are well respected, work in the highest-demand specializations and languages, and have been in the field for a while can earn in the low 6 figures. Typically, as a freelancer, one charges per source word, which can vary widely. There’s constant downward pressure, due to the economy and offshore competition, and there are issues to consider, such as a rate for proofreading/ editing (one could charge by the word or by the hour), and whether one discounts fuzzy matches if one is using CAT software. But those are details and less helpful for the big picture.-By Adriana Tassini
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