How long does the training take?

Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do interpreters and translators make?

The US median is $60,170 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree for this work?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train for this work?

1,096 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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Interpreters and translators: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Arts, design, media & film · SOC 27-3091

$60,170US median pay, 2025

+2%Projected growth, 2025–35

6,000Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Bachelor's degree
Work in: interpreters and translators

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Spanish Language and Literature	CIP 16.0905	769
French Language and Literature	CIP 16.0901	339
Foreign Languages and Literatures, General	CIP 16.0101	196
German Language and Literature	CIP 16.0501	178
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General	CIP 16.1200	177
Linguistics	CIP 16.0102	159
Sign Language Interpretation and Translation	CIP 16.1603	121
Japanese Language and Literature	CIP 16.0302	116
Chinese Language and Literature	CIP 16.0301	99
American Sign Language (ASL)	CIP 16.1601	97
Russian Language and Literature	CIP 16.0402	76
Language Interpretation and Translation	CIP 16.0103	75
Italian Language and Literature	CIP 16.0902	72
Arabic Language and Literature	CIP 16.1101	42
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other	CIP 16.9999	42
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness	CIP 13.1003	33
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General	CIP 16.0900	33
Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General	CIP 16.0908	27
Latin Language and Literature	CIP 16.1203	27
Deaf Studies	CIP 05.0211	25
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General	CIP 16.0300	23
Applied Linguistics	CIP 16.0105	20
Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General	CIP 16.0400	20
Korean Language and Literature	CIP 16.0303	18
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General	CIP 16.0500	16

…and 62 more related programs.

See the 1,096 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do interpreters and translators make?: The US median is $60,170 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train for this work?: 1,096 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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