For translators & the people who hire them

Translation hub

Practical, data-backed resources for literary and commercial translation: language facts and typical text expansion, indicative rate bands, official salary data, US language demand, a glossary and free calculators.

$60,170
US median translator pay (2025)
52,060
Employed translators & interpreters (US)
24+
Language guides
12+
Glossary terms
Languages

Language guides

Speakers, scripts, expansion and rate bands for 100+ languages.

Salaries

Translator salaries

BLS wages for translators in every state and metro area.

Demand

US language demand

Who speaks what at home, state by state (Census ACS).

Tool

Cost calculator

Estimate a quote by language, subject and deadline.

Reference

Translation glossary

CAT tools, TM, MTPE, transcreation and more, explained.

Careers

Writers, editors & librarians

Compare pay across the book professions.

Guides for translators

Guide

How to Become a Literary Translator

A practical path into literary translation: languages, training, samples, finding publishers and indie authors, contracts, rates…

Guide

How Translators Price Their Work: Per Word, Page, Line or Hour

Per-word, per-page (cartella), per-line (Normzeile) and hourly translation rates explained, what affects price, typical ranges by…

Guide

Text Expansion in Translation: Why Translations Get Longer

How much longer (or shorter) text becomes in German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and other languages — and what…

Guide

Translating Romance Novels: Voice, Heat and Culture

What makes romance translation hard: forms of address, endearments, love scenes, humour, idioms and series consistency …

Most-spoken languages

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Popular language pairs

From the glossary

All terms →