Comments on: How do you know how much to charge as a freelance translator?

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:16:59 +0000

I just got offered a job to translate a crane manual from english to spanish. I have translated before but never charged for it. Being that this is a technical translation, what do you suggest I charge?

Thanks for all of your help!

By: Benjamin

Benjamin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:48:01 +0000

Hello I am a new comer to Freelance Translating. I would like to know if any one could give me pointers as to what the best way to get started in this business is on your own or through an agency? I have experience translating/interpreting from English/Spanish; Spanish/English most of it has been non-profit. This seems to be a legit and established way to generate revenue.

If anyone would be so kind as to point me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it.

By: Fadi El-Eter

Fadi El-Eter — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:12:44 +0000

I guess the rates differ per length of document. I did get a document translated the other day and I paid around 75 cents/word. It was only something like a 200 word document in Chinese and I needed it in English. Paid $150 to do the translation.

By: ivan

ivan — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:51:52 +0000

am living in Mexico and i want to start as a trasnlator Spanihs-english-spanish but i dont know how much can i charge i dont want to charge an excesive quantity of money ($65$ just sounds nuts awesome but nuts) I just want to know how much does a starter like me should charge?

By: Elisabetta

Elisabetta — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:15:05 +0000

So, I have been translating Italian/English/Italian for over 30 years. I am perfectly bilingual. But I have never offered my services online. I have paid 45 dollars to become a member of an agency. Now I have to prepare my CV and establish my rates. Help, please, please. Elisabetta.

By: Morad

Morad — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 05:32:53 +0000

I have been a freelance translator/interpreter for many years. I am tired of agencies trying to take advantage of individual like us freelance translators. the fact is the knowledge and skill is ours not theirs. I get calls from agencies to do a deposition for example, or translate a birth certificate. When I tell them my price, their response is NO Thanks. That is because they contact everyone else and whoever does it for them for dirt cheap, that is who they go with. talking about ethics.

By: Neil

Neil — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:33:11 +0000

..very helpful info, much appreciated.
Ive been working as a translator/Interpreter for the same company over the last 10 years. I’ve now started to do some freelance work as well, and have a couple of doubts re. pricing.

If, lets say, i set .08€ as my price per word for general translations- could anyone suggest a suitable rate (per word) to use for ‘edition’, ‘dubbing’ and ‘subtitling’ translations?

Thanks.

By: Elena

Elena — Fri, 20 May 2011 09:46:45 +0000

I’m currently located in Dubai, I translate from English-Spanish, Spanish-English and was wondering how much can I charged per hour based on consecutive translations?

By: Bill Alger

Bill Alger — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 00:26:06 +0000

I used to work for an agency called Trusted Translations. It’s supposed to be an American company but in reality all of their translators, editors and sales people are located in Argentina. They pay their translators 2.3 cents per word from English to Spanish, and 3.0 cents per word from Spanish to English. Their rates for editing were even lower, at only 1.0 cent per word.
100% of the company’s business comes from clients in the US.
Talk about exploitation!

By: Ryan Ginstrom

Ryan Ginstrom — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 02:20:58 +0000

@Diana

How much you charge depends on a lot of things. One of the most important is whether you are able to make a living at that income.

In my first translation job, I worked in-house at a car maker and earned $24/hour, $36/hour for overtime. $65/hour certainly beats that!