Translation services are categorized by specialization. Most translation agencies turn out product manuals, catalogues, newsletters, patents, brochures, data sheets, and trade posters in the desired language versions.

Common areas of specialization broadly include decipherments (translation of ancient texts into modern languages), administrative translation (translation of administrative texts), commercial translation (translation of business texts), computer translation (translation of computer programs and related documents), economic translation (translation of texts relating to economics), financial translation (translation of financial documents), legal translation (translation of legal documents like contracts), medical translation, technical translation (translation of technical materials such as research, patents, user manuals, and repair manuals), scholarly translation (translation of specialized texts written in an academic environment), and scientific translation (translation of scientific texts).

There are a few areas of translation that cannot be attempted by a layman, as an error could lead to grave consequences. Medical translations involve medical devices, research, and patents. Therefore, medical translators require training in translation and medicine. Likewise, legal translations necessitate training and experience in translation as well as knowledge of comparative law and industry-specific expertise.

Literary translation (translation of novels, essays, poems, etc.) has given us bodies of work from diverse cultures. Important works in Russian, Cuban, African, and regional European languages, in addition to Latin and ancient Greek classics, were made accessible to wider audiences, owing to the efforts of literary translators. American authors whose works have been translated into European languages include Mark Twain, Jack London, Ernest Hemingway, Pearl Buck, Margaret Mitchell (Gone with the Wind), and Upton Sinclair.

Decipherment is of particular significance to archaeologists. The term is used by archaeologists to refer to the translation of ancient languages and scripts into modern languages. For example, The Rosetta Stone shed light on Egyptian History and culture; the work of Jean Francois Champollion shed light on the written history of ancient Egypt. Other examples of decipherment include Harappan hieroglyphs, Indus script, Linear A, Linear B, Maya hieroglyphs, and Olmec writing.