Working as a freelancer today becomes quite trendy due to a variety of reasons, one of which is the remote mode of the full-time job. As more people work remotely, with all of the benefits and drawbacks, more of them manage to save more time than they would otherwise spend on their way to work. So, there are more opportunities to spend this time and put it to great use. After all, everybody needs some spare cash done in two or three hours after work or on weekends. Yet, what can you do as a freelancer and get paid fairly enough? The options are, in fact, many but translations are totally some of the best.
Why Translation?
There are many reasons, for which translators are valued and demanded today. The translation is quite an important part of human life if you think about it as a part of communication, the role of which is oftentimes vital. The point is that despite all the connectedness that we have in our world today and all the technology, language barriers still exist nowadays and might even pose various threats to business, politics, and many other areas closely connected to communication.
That’s exactly why the demand for translators grows rapidly, with the number of translators expected to grow by 20% in the U.S. within the next decade or so. So, getting a freelance job in translation is quite a promising idea, considering that there are high chances you’ll find work. But are there financial benefits? Yes, there are. But the amount of money will clearly depend on how much you’re ready to work as a translator and what kinds of jobs you take.
There are basically two general options for how you can work as a freelance translator. You can either work exclusively for your network, the people you know or work with freelance platforms. Obviously, you can work as a freelance translator 8 hours per day, just as you would do at your full-time job. Yet, the difference here is that you work by the deadline, rather than workdays. You don’t have to work 8 hours straight, you don’t have to work Monday to Friday, and you don’t have to do the same work every day. At the same time, you’ll be able to pull off quite a fair salary that can be the same as you’d work full-time elsewhere. Sometimes, the amount is much bigger, yet, that depends on the client base you work for.
Alternatively, you can combine your regular full-time job and freelance. This way you’ll be able to work additionally about 18 hours per week if you work on weekends, pulling off about half of your regular salary additionally. Not as much as you could do with the full-time freelance but still pretty good, plus, you’ll have this amount on top of your regular salary and will not work too much additionally. So, this option is quite good, especially if you work for a company that has adapted the remote work.
Another factor that will influence the amount of money you’ll earn from your freelance translation is the kind of jobs you’re going to take. The translation is not just about written texts and documents. Language jobs highly vary. Here are just a couple of unconventional translation jobs.
- Speech translation (including telephone conversations, lectures, etc.),
- Specialized translations (technical translations, medical interpreter jobs, legal translations, etc.),
- Movie subtitle translation,
- Website translation and localization,
- Video game localization,
- Sign language interpretation.
There are many more jobs in translation like the above, all you have to do is to just check out your platform and select the job you like the most. The translator platform thewordpoint.com is known for its variety of tasks available for the translators as well as the generous rewards for these jobs. You can also ask your friends and other people you know who might need a translation of some kind.
And now comes the part you actually came here for. How much money do the freelance translators make, after all? According to various statistics in translation and HR, freelance translators earn about $60,000 per year with an $18/hour rate. The salary varies between about $30,000 and $130,000 per year, largely depending on where you live, what kinds of works you do, and how much time you work. Yet, these numbers are very approximate and should serve only as a guide to you. Don’t be too upset if you can’t reach them as you can always go and search for better jobs on the internet.
The Opportunities are Limitless; You Only Have to Know How to Look
Indeed, in the modern world that is so oversaturated with opportunities, it becomes more important how rather than where to look for them. In case if you know your goal and capabilities, you know where to search for the right things in life. And when it comes to some of the most important things, such as career, family, or personal development, there’s no better way than to use the opportunities for improvement you find on your way.
If you are looking for translation jobs, check out our list of the top translation job sites where you can discover your next opportunity!
About the author: Mark Blackwood’s career spans for many years and every year Mark sees as useful and eye-opening in one aspect or another. By learning every day, Mark believes, we are able to reach new heights and discover new horizons. Always stay in tune with this world, don’t let yourself fall out of reality, and then you’ll be able to grow a little bit at a time every day.
