Career Opportunities

• Certified interpreters earn $265 per day (currently starting pay in the Los Angeles Superior Court.)



• Healthcare interpreters earn up to $30 an hour in Southern California and hired by hospitals, clinics, and agencies.



• "Language Specialists" working for the Federal Government earned an average of $64,234 in 2003
  Sources: Los Angeles Superior Courts, California Healthcare Interpreters Association, and Salary.com



• In civil and adminstrative proceedings and through private agencies, interpreters working as independent contractors negotiate their own fees.



• Employment of interpreters and translation (written) is projected to grow at a rate of 21 to 35 percent over the 2002 - 2012 period - "faster than the average for all occupations"
  Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.



• Trained interpreters are used by state agencies such as DMV and Workers Compensation. Insurance companies need interpreters for statements, interviews, depositioins, medical and psychological assessments.



• Many federal departments such as the FBI, CIA, Social Security Administration and the State Department hire interpreters.



• The entertainment industry uses interpreters as language coaches.



• Most other states are experiencing a growing need for trained interpreters.