Interpreters and Translators
Did You Know:
- About 26 percent of interpreters and translators are self-employed; many freelance and work in this occupation only sporadically.
- In addition to needing fluency in at least two languages, many interpreters and translators need a bachelor's degree.
- Employment is expected to grow much faster than average.
- Job prospects vary by specialty and language.
Industry Areas
- Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Elementary and Secondary Schools
- General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
Day-to-Day Tasks
- Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information.
- Identify and resolve conflicts related to the meanings of words, concepts, practices, or behaviors.
- Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible.
Overall Kind of Work
Interpreters and translators facilitate the cross-cultural communication necessary in today's society by converting one language into another. However, these language specialists do more than simp...
Work Environment
Military
Interpreters and translators normally work on military bases, aboard ships, or in airplanes.
Status
What is the difference between enlisted and officer?
Enlisted:Enlisted members enter the Military with a high school diploma (in some cases a GED), at a minimum. They are employed in almost every type of military career, often in hands-on roles.
Officers: Officers either enter the Military with a four-year college degree or greater or served previously as enlisted members, and are generally employed in management roles or highly specialized fields that require intensive training.
Officer
Enlisted
Military Breakdown
The number of people who currently hold this career in the Military.
10,559 Interpreters and Translators in the military
Service Branches
Interpreters and Translators work in the following services:
Type of Work
The level of day-to-day involvement with data, people or things.
Data: 
People: 
Things:
Skills at a Glance
The levels of different skills helpful in this career.
Verbal skills: 
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving:
Equipment Operation & Maintenance:
Math & Science Skills:
Technology Design & Control:
Leadership:
Workplace at a Glance
The level of different environmental factors you would experience on the job.
Responsibility:
Exposure to Job Hazards:
Physical Activity:
Decision Making:
Repetitiveness:
Level of Competition:
Time Pressure: