A career in the translation industry is the dream of many people who are passionate about foreign languages. Where if not during translations, you can have such contact with languages. Working as a language translator can bring a lot of satisfaction and certainly a lot of different challenges. Clients commission content from many fields, from regular translations to specialized translations. Their difficulty is different, which can also translate into the translator’s salary. What else affects the earnings of the translator? Is it worth it to be a language translator? Is it a profession that allows for a high salary? As you know, the answer to this question can not be unambiguous. The earnings of a language translator are influenced by many aspects. Yes, as in any industry, the salary range is movable. Some may earn quite a lot of money, others will be at the bottom of the ranking of salaries for translators. How much does an interpreter earn? Know some of the details that determine the salary.

Does a foreign language affect the translator’s earnings?

In Poland, there is no shortage of English translators. The rates for translations from English are not as high as they were a few years ago. Why? Because of the number of specialists. English translators are present in every translation office. Many people who know English well, take up work as a freelancer translator. The same applies to languages: German, French, Russian or Italian. They are relatively popular, the offer is rich, and as a result, the competition is very high. To break through the competition, language translators often lower translation rates to attract customers. As you can easily guess, this does not affect high earnings.

How much a translator earns can be influenced by knowledge of less popular languages. Exotic languages, in terms of translation, have the peculiarity that they are not mastered by a large number of translators. And this means that it is more difficult to find a suitable translator, translation therefore takes more time, and the rate for translations increases. Translators of unpopular languages are distinguished by a higher rate for translations, their earnings can therefore be higher.

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Time is Money – Express Translations

Sometimes it happens that translation is needed “for now”. The client forgot to order a translation earlier or accelerated official affairs and requires a quick translation. Many translation agencies offer so-called express translations. What does it consist of? If, as a standard, the translation of one 1800 zzs billing page takes, for example, 2 days in a given office, the express offer will provide translation within one day. The translator will perform them after working hours, in free time, or simply move the order in the queue to the first place. There is usually a surcharge for the express translation service. It ranges from a dozen percent to even double the rate of translation performed in standard mode.

Express translations have an impact on how much a translator earns. They are an additional source of income, but they also require more dedication from the translator. Sometimes dedicating their own free time. Is it worth giving up free hours to earn more? I think so, since many translation agencies offer expedited translations.

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Salary of a sworn translator

While translation agencies can impose their own prices, based on industry trends or competition, a sworn translator has rates set from above. Why is this so? A sworn translator is included in the list of sworn translators. It is under the control of the Ministry of Justice. The Law on the Profession of Sworn Translator also contains guidelines that discuss the process of becoming a sworn translator. Among other things, the candidate must pass the sworn translator exam, which consists of two parts: written and oral.

By Regulation of the Minister of Justice of 16 October 2019, it sets the rates for sworn translations. You can find out that for the translation page:

• for Polish from English, German, French and Russian you have to pay PLN 34.50, and from Polish to English, German, French and Russian the rate is PLN 45.11,
• for Polish from another European language (than those mentioned above) and from Latin, the rate is PLN 37.16, and from Polish to another European language and to Latin you have to pay PLN 53.07,
• for Polish from a non-European language using the Latin alphabet the rate is PLN 45.11, and from Polish to a non-European language using the Latin alphabet the rate is PLN 61.04.

Can a sworn translator do express translations? Yes, thanks to this, the rate increases, and with it his earnings. How much does a sworn translator earn? Much depends on the number of orders. Even performing translations at the highest rate will not give good earnings when there are few orders. A larger number of clients is a way to ensure a higher salary. This also applies to other translations: ordinary or specialized. The customer has a decisive influence on profits. Continuous development, being one step ahead of the competition and the high quality of the services offered are factors that influence the attractive remuneration of translators.

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Mieszko Marciniak

Mam na imię Mieszko i pochodzę z małej miejscowości we wschodniej Polsce. Od czterech lat mieszkam i pracuję w Lublinie, który stał się moim drugim domem. Na co dzień pracuję jako tłumacz, a moją pasją jest pisanie. Lubię sporo czytać, dzięki czemu poznałem cienką, choć bardzo wyraźną linię pomiędzy teorią i praktyka. Z przyjemnością podzielę się z Państwem moim doświadczeniem i wiedzą. Poza pracą moją drugą pasją jest sport, który uprawiam od dziecka, co sprawia, że o kondycję nie muszę się martwić.