Overview
1. Automation Risk
2. User Poll
3. Growth
4. Wages
5. Volume
Decription
Resources
Comments

Interpreters and Translators

AUTOMATION RISK
CALCULATED
67%
risk level
POLLING
57%
Based on 1,654 votes
LABOR DEMAND
GROWTH
20.2%
by year 2031
WAGES
$53,640
or $25.79 per hour
Volume
52,160
as of 2022
SUMMARY
JOB SCORE
4.7/10

Want this summary on your site? Embed code:

Vote
Comments (63)

Automation risk

67% (High Risk)

High Risk (61-80%): Jobs in this category face a significant threat from automation, as many of their tasks can be easily automated using current or near-future technologies.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Some quite important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Social Perceptiveness

  • Assisting and Caring for Others

  • Originality

User poll

57% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted they are unsure if this occupation will be automated. However, the automation risk level we have generated suggests a much higher chance of automation: 67% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Interpreters and Translators will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?






Sentiment

The following graph(s) are included wherever there is a substantial amount of votes to render meaningful data. These visual representations display user poll results over time, providing a significant indication of sentiment trends.

Sentiment over time (quarterly)

Sentiment over time (yearly)

Growth

Very fast growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Interpreters and Translators' job openings is expected to rise 20.2% by 2031

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2021 and 2031
Updated projections are due 09-2023.

Wages

Moderately paid relative to other professions

In 2022, the median annual wage for 'Interpreters and Translators' was $53,640, or $25 per hour

'Interpreters and Translators' were paid 15.8% higher than the national median wage, which stood at $46,310

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Volume

Moderate range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2022 there were 52,160 people employed as 'Interpreters and Translators' within the United States.

This represents around < 0.001% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 2 thousand people are employed as 'Interpreters and Translators'.

Job description

Interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another.

SOC Code: 27-3091.00

Resources

If you're thinking of starting a new career, or looking to change jobs, we've created a handy job search tool which might just help you land that perfect new role.

Search jobs in your local area

Comments

Leave a comment

Félix (Low) says
Interpreting is more than the transfer of languages -- it's about human communication. It's cool to have interpreters around, and interpreters' bodies matter in the room.
The story is different for translators.
Also, the salary is incredibly off even today. It's probably double to three times what the website says :)
Jul 31, 2022 at 09:00 PM
Diego (Moderate) says
It's quite likely that we'll be able to speak several languages through devices or apps. These are capable of making real-time translations with the same accuracy as a professional.
Jul 03, 2022 at 04:01 AM
Nadia (No chance) says
As an ASL interpreter, there really is no way AI would be able to automate what we do. If you know, you know.
Jun 22, 2022 at 03:20 PM
Jacob (Highly likely) says
Seeing the progress of neural networks and AI in general in the past years makes me believe that a program replacing this job may eventually occur. Many big companies would invest in it to lower the costs of translation and make it faster.
Jun 13, 2022 at 04:45 PM
Mason (Low) says
People in need of interpreting services prefer real people and the emotional understanding
Jun 03, 2022 at 05:51 PM
L (Low) says
Machine translation still isn't capable of doing a reliable translation when creativity or contextual interpretation is required, and a lot of times they can't even reliably translate the terminology in those contexts correctly.
Aug 24, 2021 at 08:51 PM
A. (Low) says
I think it will be in some translation fields
But won't with Important Videoconference, literature, Medical, and other...
All fields that have creativity
Aug 16, 2021 at 08:33 AM
Shamil (No chance) says
Translating is a complicated sphere requiring taking into account intentions, context, words with the same meaning and pronunciation etc.
Aug 14, 2021 at 07:08 AM
Astrophel says
No, because I've seen digital trans mess up idioms and +an ai cannot provide the emotional context as well
Aug 10, 2021 at 04:25 PM
Japouni (Low) says
A lot of what makes up human conversation is what intention is being conveyed - a large part of that has to be read between the lines which is not something AI is likely to be good at until it actually reaches human-like capabilities
Jun 26, 2021 at 02:25 PM
Preston (Low) says
Because there is a human variable that is needed when addressing language discrepancies
Jun 04, 2021 at 11:00 PM
Josh (No chance) says
Language learning is a highly intuitive process that requires the brain's language mechanism. Ai are highly unlikely to posess or develop such a mechanism, that lets humans effortlessly switch "Mental-ese" into any language they know
Apr 09, 2021 at 06:32 AM
Melina (No chance) says
I don't think robots will ever be capable of understanding the nuances of every culture, something highly required to do an accurate translation that seems natural in the TL.
Mar 25, 2021 at 11:26 PM
Sasha (Uncertain) says
Takes away the personability/connection between parties, and there'll be a long way to go still if we're going off google translate aha
Mar 23, 2021 at 11:22 PM
IkariShinji says
As of right now, I can't really say anything. It could go either way, honestly. I mean, we all know that, someday, humans will be able to manufacture sentient machines. It is a matter of time. How much time? I don't know. It could take 20 years, or something. Anyway, even after the launch of this AI, translators will still be relevant for a while. You know, it will take a while for the cost benefit of these machines to pay off. After that, our jobs will probably be extinct. Or even better, I can imagine it becoming a luxury occupation, or something (some people will prefer the man instead of the AI).
Mar 18, 2021 at 01:19 PM
Paul says
I doubt it. Sometimes things like sarcasm and innuendo don't directly translate from one language to another. Context is also very important. It takes some deep study and insight to be able to become a translator/interpreter. I know this after studying Mandarin for the past 6 years. How long until AI can understand these things in the way humans can and respond the way a human would? I'd say we still have a long time until they're capable. Adjust the percentage to 10-15% probability at most, and I wouldn't see any issues with this prediction.
Feb 26, 2021 at 09:19 PM
EBH (Highly likely) says
it's already happening. look at google translate, word reference, and all the other translation apps
Feb 26, 2021 at 02:05 PM
Jozsef Hidegkuti says
No means to be replaced by AI. Giving back the meaning of a written text requires human interpretation/thinking. A simple example: Fruit flies like a banana. Once sentence two possible interpretations
Dec 28, 2020 at 02:36 PM
We're doomed. (Highly likely) says
Look up DeepL. It's already happening.
Dec 16, 2020 at 06:36 AM
nina says
very unlikely. automated translation will never be more than a tool for human translators. critical thinking, nuance, emotion, etc, these are key in speech and ai won't be able to mimic at least not for a long time.
Oct 28, 2020 at 03:16 PM

Leave a reply about this occupation

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

People also viewed

Computer Programmers
Lawyers
Graphic Designers
Preschool, Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and Special Education Teachers
Accountants and Auditors