Alumni Testimonial #2 - How to Make Money Working from Home as an Interpreter
Apr 25, 2023
Ghazal Faris Testimonial Video
Being able to speak more than one language fluently opens a whole lot of opportunities. In these times of making money from home, language skills are a perfect skill set to utilize and expand. Many companies are urgently seeking bilingual or multilingual people to work as telephone/video interpreters.
Today’s technology allows for a lot of translating work to be done online from home, making it perfect work for anyone needing to set their schedule. You can choose to work part-time or full-time, or apply for a job on the opposite coast to get hours that better fit your schedule. For example, if you’re on the east coast in Los Angeles, you could find a remote job in New York with traditional 9-5 hours and be done working by 2 PM when the kids get home from school.
There are opportunities for interpretation services in nearly every language. Global companies trying to connect with local people - wherever they are in the world - need to communicate clearly and succinctly in the language of the people they’re working with. Our multicultural societies require language interpreters for schools, businesses, medical facilities, and courts of law.
Most interpreting jobs require English and at least one foreign language to be spoken fluently.
The most popular languages for paid translation work are
With some languages being spoken in many parts of the world, the ability to fluently communicate in different languages is a highly sought after skill. Because interpretation and translation of these multi-national languages are in such high demand, they can sometimes pay more than an average remote job.
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How much you could earn depends on a few things, including your
- Education - Some jobs require only a high school diploma or equivalent, others require a bachelor’s degree
- Interpreter Certifications
- Work experience
- Performance - Excellent communication skills are a must
- Geographic location
- Languages spoken
- Continued training and education
Additional work experience in your chosen field, training course, and certifications can make a significant difference in the jobs you qualify for and the money you earn. The more you can add to your resume, the better.
How Much Interpreters Earn
A qualified translator could earn around $35,000 for an entry level position. That figure climbs to approximately $54,000 for an experienced and sought after interpreter. Salary.com gives a more detailed breakdown of earning potential:
- Beginners make up the bottom 10%. Entry-level interpreters earn an average of $35,271
- The next 25% of earners have a few years of experience. They earn an average of $40,272
- Well into their careers, people with more experience earn the national average median salary, $45,764
- The top 25% earners make an average of $50,170
- The top 10% earners who work language interpreter jobs average $54,181
What You Need To Translate From Home
You’ll need a relevant certification to get a remote job as a translator. Mitio provides interpreter training in the form of certification courses and diploma courses. Further, more specialized medical interpreting courses are also available, concentrating on your chosen language.
Your home office setup should have:
- A personal computer with high speed internet connection
- Noise reducing headphones so you can hear clearly
- Dictionary & translation software in your chosen language pair
- High quality video call software, like Skype or Zoom
You don’t need dedicated office space, but you do need a quiet place to work where you won’t be interrupted, especially if you’re translating live.
Since you may be dealing with sensitive personal information, you may be required to pass a background check.
Where To Find Interpreter Work From Home Jobs
Having the required skills is only one part of the challenge of finding a good job. You need to know where to find work that allows you to stay home and, if necessary, work your own hours.
Places you can find Interpreter work online
Acclaro is a translating and localization services company aiming to help businesses expand and succeed across the global market. They’re constantly looking for freelance and contract translators, editors, and language leads.
American High-Tech Transcription and Reporting
An American agency which supplies transcription and translation services for government agencies and companies worldwide
Specializing in translation, transcription and interpretation, Appen also hires language experts for search evaluation.
A tech-protection company, Asurion are particularly keen to hire call centre agents bilingual in Spanish and French
Clickworker employs more than 2.2 million people based in 136 countries worldwide on a freelance basis and according to their own schedule.
Connections Academy offers tuition-free full-time online public school for grades K–12 in the USA. Many of their teacher positions are home-based.
Selling cruises and providing customer service, Cruise.com hires bilingual speakers for their freelancer call-center jobs, which can be done from home.
One of the largest college graduate recruiters in the USA. Bilingual speakers can earn more than speakers of only one language.
Being one of the most internationally recognized names, Google has many positions requiring bilingual abilities.
Mostly telephonic interpreting, Language Line Solutions offers translating services for every situation.
Everything language related, including American Sign Language, document translation, transcription, telephonic interpretation, on-site translation and video remote interpreting services.
Quicktate are specialists in call auditing and transcription solutions. They transcribe voicemail messages, memos, letters, legal files, medical files, recordings of phone calls, conference calls and other audio files. They pay a little more for medical transcription services.
Specializing in translation and localization services, language technology and content management, SDL offers to “transform the way you work” - “Work wherever you want. Whenever you want.”
Teaching languages online, they hire online class leaders and tutors. With a focus on the spoken language, they teach pronunciation and accent refinement. They have won awards for their language learning software eight years in a row.
Traditional job boards offer a wealth of jobs online. Search for jobs using different job titles to find the type of job that fits your needs. If you don’t find exactly what you’re looking for, set job alerts to send emails when an employer enters a job posting that meets your criteria.
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You can even expand your job search outside the United States. Freelance translators with excellent English skills are needed all over the world. With the world getting smaller every day, language services are in demand everywhere.
How To Make More Translating From Home
As with most home position careers, there are ways to progress and increase your earning potential. As an independent contractor, you’re free to add knowledge, skills, and certifications on your schedule, and qualify for better jobs and better pay as you grow in work experience and knowledge.
Qualifications are a significant indicator of potential salaries for interpreters, and salaries generally reflect the level of qualification and experience needed.
Expanding your qualifications automatically means you’re eligible for more jobs, which can equal a higher pay rate.
MiTio offers specialized courses such as court interpreting, mental health interpreting, and hospital translating.
Covering a range of medical situations and specialist medical terminology, these courses are designed to help you jumpstart your medical interpretation career. MITIO Diploma program covers all aspects of medical interpreting, boosting your existing bilingual skills and elevating them to career level prospects.
A 10 hour course which provides the framework, specialized knowledge, and practical skills you need to work as an interpreter in a court setting. With a comprehensive focus on court interpreting basics, this is a great course for anyone considering entering the legal interpreting market.
In this 10 hour course, you’ll find confidence in Mental Health Interpreting basics, achieve real-world experience in the field of Mental Health Interpreting and significantly boost your resume. If you’re already working in mental health and have bilingual fluency. In that case, this course will give you a qualification for doing what you possibly already do, with the effect of potential salary increases all while helping some of society’s most vulnerable people.
This is a 4-unit, 40 hour course covering medical translation modes and roles, which is essential in translating ethics and standards of practice. You’ll gain the foundational knowledge and skills needed to be a sought after translator in any hospital setting. You can study from home at your own pace, making it ideal as an add-on qualification, especially if you’re already working in a hospital environment.
You must be at least 18 years of age and possess a high school diploma or equivalent qualification to be accepted to this course.
Your future looks bright as a remote interpreter. Choose your course and start your future today!
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