Translator job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

8

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$60,170

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Interpreters and Translators (O*NET-SOC 27-3091.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information. importance 4.9 of 5
2. Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible. importance 4.7 of 5
3. Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary. importance 4.5 of 5
4. Compile terminology and information to be used in translations, including technical terms such as those for legal or medical material. importance 4.5 of 5
5. Refer to reference materials, such as dictionaries, lexicons, encyclopedias, and computerized terminology banks, as needed to ensure translation accuracy. importance 4.4 of 5
6. Check translations of technical terms and terminology to ensure that they are accurate and remain consistent throughout translation revisions. importance 4.3 of 5
7. Identify and resolve conflicts related to the meanings of words, concepts, practices, or behaviors. importance 4.3 of 5
8. Compile information on content and context of information to be translated and on intended audience. importance 4.2 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge and Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Adapt translations to students' cognitive and grade levels, collaborating with educational team members as necessary.
• Check original texts or confer with authors to ensure that translations retain the content, meaning, and feeling of the original material.
• Adapt software and accompanying technical documents to another language and culture.
• Educate students, parents, staff, and teachers about the roles and functions of educational interpreters.
• Proofread, edit, and revise translated materials.
• Train and supervise other translators or interpreters.

Knowledge areas: English Language, Foreign Language, Customer and Personal Service, Education and Training and Administrative.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, Productivity software, Hypertext markup language HTML, Microsoft Access. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a translator.

Most translators surveyed by O*NET (55%) name a bachelor's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Translator
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Translator to interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will 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.
- Identify and resolve conflicts related to the meanings of words, concepts, practices, or behaviors.
- Compile information on content and context of information to be translated and on intended audience.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in speaking, active listening and reading comprehension
- Working knowledge of English Language and Foreign Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $60,170 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $28.93. BLS estimates about 52,060 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Interpreters and Translators to grow 2.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,000 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full translator salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real translator posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only translator work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (speaking and active listening).