Translators transfer texts from one language into another, ensuring that the original meaning, tone and effect on the reader are consistently presented. Their work must also maintain that all concepts are appropriate and understood within the culture of the translated text. In doing so, a translator is tasked with maintaining the integrity of the original source; while making sure it resonates with the readers of the translated piece.
Before starting a translation, translators often engage in consultations with clients to understand specific needs, research terms and concepts, and plan how best to approach the project. During the process, they may use tools such as computer-assisted translation software (CAT). After completing the initial draft, they proofread and edit for consistency, especially when working on projects with the same client.
The exact work of a translator and the process they use will depend on various factors such as their role, their specialisation and experience.
In this article, we’ll explore the details of translation jobs in the UK, the different types and specialisms of translators, how much they make depending on this, and where you can find work as one.
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How to become a translator
Now that we’ve covered the vital role of translators, let’s explore how you can become one.
There are several different ways to become a translator, and the route you take may depend on your specific goals. Becoming a translator only requires fluency in at least 2 languages, without needing any formal qualifications.
However, it is useful to get a degree or an alternative formal qualification in languages or translation, at undergraduate or postgraduate level. This helps to boost your employability, and some employers may even require certain qualifications, such as a master’s degree, or a diploma of translation (DipTrans), which is considered equivalent.
Advanced qualifications allow greater specialisation and can lead to higher earning potential. We’ll talk more on what these mean in the following sections.
You can learn more about becoming a translator by visiting this page on the National Careers Service website.
What are the different types of translators?
When looking into jobs in translation, one of the first things you need to know is what types of job are available. By job “type”, we will be referring to how and where you work.
There are 2 main types of work for translators: in-house or freelance.
An in-house translator is exactly as it sounds. As an in-house translator you will be working directly for a company.
This can either be working for an international company that needs you to translate materials for them. Alternatively, you might work in a permanent position at a translation company, serving a diverse range of clients.
On the other hand, a freelance translator is self-employed. There is a lot of variety in the freelancing world even within the translation field.
You could be freelancing with one translation agency or even at a few different ones. If not, you may even be working directly with your clients, without going through an agency, such as, on a contract basis, or simply through self-promotion.
You can learn more about these types of translation jobs and their pros and cons by checking out this article by the localisation company, Terra Translations.
In-house vs. freelance translators
As we’ve just seen, the 2 main types of translators are in-house and freelance. In this section, we’ll be looking at how these types compare to each other, based on their benefits, drawbacks and earning potentials.
First, we’ll be looking at the benefits and drawbacks of translating in-house. Look at the following table to see some of the pros and cons of being an in-house translator in the UK:
| Pros | Cons |
| Provides a stable income. | Limits flexibility with fixed schedules, workload and potentially dress codes. |
| Allows you to socialise with colleagues. | Limits the control you have over your work and means that you must follow the company’s guidelines. |
| Gives you benefits such as paid holidays, sick days and pension schemes. | Potentially limits how much you could earn, due to the fixed salary. |
| Gives you access to resources, particularly specialist translation tools and technologies. |
As of November 2024, the average salary for an in-house translator is £26,374 per year in the UK. This figure is taken from Glassdoor. You can find out more details by checking out this page on their website.
Now, in the following table, we’ll look at the pros and cons of being a freelance translator:
| Pros | Cons |
| Gives you maximum flexibility. You can choose when, how and how much you work. | Reduces stability as there is no guarantee of work and therefore no guarantee of income. |
| Increases your earning potential as you can choose how much work you take on and how much you charge. | Excludes you from employment benefits such as, paid holidays. |
| Gives you more freedom to specialise. | Forces you to buy your own resources, such as translation tools, which reduce profits. |
As of November 2024, the average salary for a freelance translator is £32,784 per year in the UK. This figure is taken from Glassdoor, you can see more on this average by checking out this page on their website.
What are the different specialisations in translation?
Now that we’ve looked at the different ways you can work as a translator and how this can affect pay, let’s look at the different areas you can work in. These apply to both in-house and freelance translators, although some may lend themselves better to one or the other.
Translators can specialise in fields such as, audiovisual, legal, medical, technical, or financial translation, as well as localisation and transcreation.
Look at the following list to get a better understanding of what translators in these main specialisations do:
- Literary – Translate literary works such as books, short stories, plays, and poems.
- Audiovisual – Translate audiovisual media, including creating subtitles for films, TV shows, and video games.
- Legal – Translate legal documents, such as court reports and contracts.
- Medical – Translate medical documents, including clinical research reports and patient information materials.
- Technical – Translate technical texts, such as equipment manuals, software guides, and documents in specialised fields like engineering or IT.
- Financial – Translate financial documents, including banking materials and financial reports.
- Scientific – Translate scientific documents, such as lab reports and academic journals.
- Marketing – Translate marketing materials, including blog posts and social media content.
- Travel and Tourism – Translate tourism-related texts, such as websites and brochures.
- Media and Journalism – Translate articles, reports, and interviews for media publications.
- Arts and Culture -Translate texts for art museums, galleries, and articles on art.
- Localisation – Adapt translations to fit a specific culture or audience in a particular location.
- Transcreation– Adapt translations to engage a specific audience, especially in marketing, advertising, and branding contexts.
You can learn more about the different specialisations in translation by checking out both this article by Cristol Translation Services and this article by Po Editor.
How does experience and specialisation affect translator earnings?
In the UK, the average translator salary is £28,000. According to Talent.com, this average is based on the median calculated from over 3,000 data points and is accurate as of November 2024. For more details on this average salary, please visit this page of the Talent.com website.
This average is the median, meaning that it is the average of what people would make in the middle stages of their career. At entry level, salaries start at an average of £24,000, although they may be more or less, depending on a variety of factors.
On the other hand, with more experience, translators may make as much as £39,000. Once again, this may be more or less, depending on their circumstances.
As we’ve already seen in this article, there are so many different roles and areas in which a translator can operate. Due to this, it’s incredibly difficult to pinpoint exactly how much a translator will make in a specialism, or throughout their career.
Moreover, when it comes to freelancing, earnings will depend on how much the translator charges. In the UK as, of November 2024, it’s typical to charge anywhere between 4p and 15p per word. However, factors such as experience, specialisation and even language pairing, can affect how much the translator can charge for their services.
You can learn more about this by checking out this article on the Translation & Interpreting website.
Where can you find translator jobs?
Previously, we looked at how translation jobs can either be in-house or freelance. When looking for a job, it’s important to bear in mind which type of translator you want to be.
If you’re looking for in-house translator jobs, some of the more prominent organisations that hire translators include GCHQ, MI5, MI6 and even the UN, if you’re willing to relocate. Alternatively, you can find jobs on the job boards of translation organisation or agency websites. You can learn more about this by checking out this article by Prospects.
For example, the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) have a jobs board, which you can find here, on their website.
If you’re planning to become a freelance translator, you may want to work with an agency to help you promote your services on their database. For example, you could use the Find-a-Linguist platform from the Charted Institute of Linguists (CIOL), which you can find on their website, here. You can also look at this page of the CIOL website for more tips and resources on becoming a translator.
Instead, you may want to use freelancing platforms, such as Fiverr or Upwork, or you may just want to operate from your own site. Alternatively, you could use agencies, resources such as the ones provided by ITI, or more general job boards, such as Indeed.