Sign Language and Oral Interpreters

Freelance interpreters can charge by the hour or the day, providing services to a variety of organizations and institutions. Their fees will be determined primarily by their skills and experience. Other factors include the type of certification held, educational background, and previous employer. A beginning interpreter will charge about $12 to $25 per hour, and an experienced interpreter can charge from $50 to $60 per hour.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, interpreters and translators of all types had median hourly earnings of $24.92 (or $51,830 annually) in May 2019. The lowest paid 10 percent made less than $28,170 annually, and the highest paid 10 percent made more than $94,370 annually.

Interpreters living in large cities like Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago will have many opportunities to interpret and will be able to charge more. Living in a city with a deaf college or residential school, or a college where there is a lot of deaf research and cultural study will also increase business opportunities. Some rural areas may offer good, varied work for an interpreter.