Top 20 world spoken languages Chinese, Spanish, English, Arabic, Hindi, Portuguese, Bengali, Russian, French, Italian, Japanese, Standard German, Javanese, Telugu, Marathi, Vietnamese, Korean, Tamil, Western Punjabi and Urdu. Earnings depend on language, subject matter, skill, experience, education, certification, and type of employer, and salaries of interpreters and translators can vary widely. Interpreters and translators who know languages for which there is a greater demand, or which relatively few people can translate, often have higher earnings as do those with specialized expertise. Individuals classified as language specialists for the Federal Government earned an average of $76,287 annually in 2007. High-level conference interpreters working full time can earn more than $100,000 annually. For those who are not salaried, earnings may fluctuate, depending on the availability of work. Freelance interpreters usually earn an hourly rate, whereas translators who freelance typically earn a rate per word or per hour. Employment of interpreters and translators is projected to increase 24 percent over the 2006-16 decade. This growth will be driven partly by strong demand in health care settings and work related to homeland security.

Additionally, higher demand for interpreters and translators results directly from the broadening of international ties and the increase in the number of foreign language speakers in the United States. Both of these trends are expected to continue, contributing to relatively rapid growth in the number of jobs for interpreters and translators.

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