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Interpreters and Translators

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

Also called: American Sign Language Interpreter (ASL Interpreter), Court Interpreter, Educational Interpreter, Interpreter, Linguist, Medical Interpreter

Median pay in Greater Boston
$75,120
$36.12/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
1,660
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+0.7%
280 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Bachelor's degree

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$52,700$61,000$75,120$97,950$132,330

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information.
  • Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible.
  • Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary.
  • Compile terminology and information to be used in translations, including technical terms such as those for legal or medical material.
  • Refer to reference materials, such as dictionaries, lexicons, encyclopedias, and computerized terminology banks, as needed to ensure translation accuracy.
  • Check translations of technical terms and terminology to ensure that they are accurate and remain consistent throughout translation revisions.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Higher exposure88 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 76
  • Language-model AIOE 89
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 100

Observed AI use today: Substantial (Anthropic Economic Index)

Interpreting and translating have higher AI exposure, and observed AI use is substantial. Tools can help with translating written text and looking up terms. Growth in Massachusetts is projected at only 0.7%. Live interpreting, getting context and tone right, and protecting confidential information still rely on trained people.

Likely to change

  • Translating written text and documents
  • Looking up and compiling terminology

Still relies on people

  • Interpreting live conversations with context and tone
  • Keeping sensitive information confidential

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

53 programs near Boston (plus 27 graduate)

Related occupations

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