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Freelance Translation Jobs To Work From Home
The internet has connected almost the entire world thru its inter webs, while countries, cities and communities maintain their own languages and costumes.
The connection is kept by translating from one language to another things like Literary work, simple documents, websites translations, games, business documents and subtitles.
Language translation has been important for centuries facilitating trade and cultural understanding.
This field used to rely on humans to do all the interpreting.
Today translations are automated by machines and are mobile friendly, but humans are still involved in the process.
The translation market has been steadily growing, this year it’s expected to grow by 9% in the United States alone.
Are you a student, a stay-at-home Mom or a freelancer fluent in more than one language and want to earn money online?
There are many platforms that list work at home translations jobs for beginners, students and freelancers.
Many of these jobs are on a freelance basis, so you don’t have to worry about location dependency or having a fixed schedule.
You will be given deadlines, however these can be met with flexibility.
Some translation jobs require certified translators, but many job agencies only need that you pass a proficiency test.
This test is to demonstrate that you can translate verbatim and also identify language colloquialisms.
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How to Become A Translator At Home
Translation jobs usually, but not always ask for an undergraduate degree. Some of these jobs may require certification and experience in specific industries.
Other jobs like doing simple document translations may not ask for too many credentials or no experience to work from home.
These are generally the credentials needed to become a language translator;
- Bachelor degree or certification as a translator
- Industry specific knowledge like Legal, Medical and Business skills
- Work for a translation agency
- Take continuing education related courses
- Work experience in a high sought after field
- Have a reliable internet connection, many of these jobs are remote.
How Much Can You Make as a Translator
Your income as an online translator varies widely depending on many factors. Among these factors are your credentials, the type of translation, whether you’re full time employed or do freelancing and also on the industry.
A translator who is certified by an industry organization like the American Translators Association can make significantly more money than one is is not certified.
Technical translators, those who know another language and are also technically skilled in a field like law, medicine, computers or business can expect to earn more money.
This is because for technical fields the translator needs a very high degree of accuracy in the translations.
According to ZipRecruiter, translators can make on average $32 an hour and as high as $100 per hour.
Are Translators in High Demand
The growth in globalization and in the diversity of the US population are increasing the demand for language translators.
For the years 2020-2030 the Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects a 24% increase in the number of translator jobs.
Some of the languages that are in higher demand for translations are Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and German.
So, human translators are still on demand and growing probably because machines are good for words translations, but not very good at doing more complex language translations by themselves.
And, clients ask themselves whether they can trust machine translation alone.
The trend however is for agencies to do machine or AI translations and then use freelance language editors to refine and edit the final product.
11 Top Freelance Translation Jobs Platforms
Selecting your ideal translation platform depends on things like how many hours are you willing to work, your skills types and experience.
Also, how much money you can realistically expect to get paid depend on those factors, specially your niche skills.
A Literary translator, ones that translate books, poetry and literature, can expect to get a higher pay than mostly all other language translators.
These sites offer a mix of beginner and more experience opportunities for language translations.
These are agencies specializing in translations and some popular job boards.
Translation Agencies
This platform is an online community for translators. Before you can explore translation jobs here you need to register with the site for free.
Paid membership is also available to access more premium services.
The platform boasts of having over 1 million translators and translations companies.
The types of jobs you can find posted on ProZ include; translating, interpreting, proofreading, editing and subtitling among others.
This translation agency has been around for decades, however its platform is updated for today.
Lionbridge serves industries like Banking, Gaming, Manufacturing, Legal and the Sciences.
Part-time and Full time job opportunities are available from home or in one of the companies 42 offices.
Simply fill out the form for joining to start the on-boarding process.
This platform provides subscriptions style translation services to clients.
Translations are done by computers and edited and refined by humans.
This platform hires freelance language editors to do fast and high quality translations.
The pay rate at Unbabel is not very high, but you can cash out as you want thru Paypal.
These jobs are marketed as side hustles for multilingual people who are not professional translators.
This is one of the largest translation companies worldwide with over 20 years in the translation business.
It offers human and AI translations in many industries including Travel, Finance and Gaming among many others.
Use the contact form to request job information at this agency’s site.
This translation company provides interpreting, translating and localization services to various industries in many languages.
Some of the fields serviced by the platform include; Legal, Finance, Travel and Government.
Language services provided include; On Demand Translation, Online Translation and Website Translations among others.
Freelance translators can apply online to be consider and once approved start requesting assignments.
Textmaster provides translation services, proofreading and content writing services to clients.
You can apply to join and if accepted you can start selecting jobs for translation. The company’s workflow is completed online from request to submissions and payments.
This platform pays around 15 cents per word and your money is paid via PayPal.
This translation platform provides language translation, interpretations and localization services to clients.
Freelance translators can apply online. Once accepted they can start selecting assignments which may be completed over the phone, in person or via video technology.
This company also provides training to translators and clients.
Translation Jobs on Freelance Platforms and Job Boards
UpWork
This is a freelance platform for many different types of jobs and Gigs. Like in other freelance sites, you have to start your own service business on UpWork.
To start working as a translator, you’ll need to bid on projects and set your rates. It’s a good idea to check for job listings daily and to try to bid on projects early.
The clients on these platforms tend to be individuals needing translations work.
Fiverr
This is another Gig platform for many types of services like translations, website design, voice over, 2D and 3D modeling and many others.
Originally Fiverr was a market popular for $5 projects. Even thought some people still charge $5 for a project, there are many who don’t.
So, you can set your rates much higher keeping in mind that clients there are on a budget.
Indeed
Indeed is an online job board where yo can search for any type of job. The platform offers free tools and resources for job seekers.
You can sign up for job alerts matching your interest.
Flexjobs
This is another jobs board, but is not free to join. You can sign up for Flexjobs to gain access to job listings and other services.
This job site offers various pricing plans from 1 week access to one year.
Become a Certified Translator
The translation job market is growing, however competition for projects can also be high. This is the reason why becoming a Certified Translator may offer more work opportunities.
Translators don’t need to be certified, but if you’re serious about becoming a professional translator, a certification can always help you move further along.
Certification is usually desirable to translate technical documents in fields such as Law, Medical, Science and Computers.
To learn more about the Translation industry and how to become a Certified Translator, check the ATA, American Translators Association.
Final Thoughts
The translation market provides different pathways for job seekers. You can find part-time, full time, freelancing and permanent positions.
The kinds of projects range from the straightforward translations to more complex technical assignments.
For professional translators or people looking for a side hustle in language translation, these platforms offer flexibility and most of them have easy approval process.
If working remote from home or anywhere as a freelancer fits your style, language translations is one of the growing industry where you can start earning online.
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