A side-by-side comparison of pricing factors for translation and interpretation is below.
Translation
Standard rates range from $0.19 – $0.55 per translated word, using your English wordcount total for estimates/quotes/billing.
These rates vary depending on:
- Final language needed: Rarer languages (other than Spanish or HMoob) cost more and have fewer translators available.
- Total wordcount requested; minimum charges for short documents, discounts may apply for large volume texts.
- Formatting adjustments: billed per word, flat fee, or hourly time to format.
- Rush turnaround rates [Extension warns against this authorizing RUSH]
- If the vendor uses computer-aided translation (CAT) or not controlling for repeating text e.g. Likert scales
Additional considerations:
- Character count increases in most translated languages (expansion factor of at least 20%) vs. English, so leave extra space for this when designing your graphic layouts
- Vendors may charge different rates and have different levels of quality. Delays and additional costs would occur if you forgot to include more text, or the text contains typos and other errors or un-editable text like images of text.
- Vendor may need clarification so be available or have a proxy.
- NOTE: If translating from a non-English language into English, different rates may apply based on non-English word count.
Interpretation
Interpreters charge between $120.00-$250.00 per hour, with a two-hour minimum. (State Approved vendors may appear to cost less but charge additional travel-time hourly rates and mileage, round trip)
These rates vary depending on:
- Language direction (e.g., English to Spanish vs. Spanish to English)
- Language pair (e.g. English to Spanish vs English to Russian)
- Interpreter certification level and technical expertise
- Type of interpretation (simultaneous, consecutive, shadow, sight)
- Format of event (conference, meeting, small group)
- Platform (virtual vs. in-person)
- Rush turnaround rates 2+ interpreters for anything over 1 hour of Simultaneous interpretation
Other costs to factor in:
- Travel time and mileage
- Use of interpretation equipment and technician
- Evening or weekend hours
- Lesser diffused languages (languages requested less frequently) cost more.
- Interpreters that cannot be split up.
- Over 4 hours may be billed as a half day flat fee instead of hourly.
- Events over 7 hours are charged as a full day.
- Concurrent sessions require additional pairs of interpreters.
- Cancellations fewer than five business days before an event are still charged the full rate quoted.
- Vendor may need clarification so be available or have a proxy.
