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Earnings, income, and rates among language professionals, 2023
*
1.
Are you a full-time language professional?
(Required.)
Yes
No
2.
For how many years have you been in the industry?
0 - 2 years
2 - 5 years
5 - 10 years
10 - 15 years
15 - 20 years
More than 20 years
*
3.
What is your main country of residence?
(Required.)
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Costa Rica
Côte D'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Holy See
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Korea, South (Republic of Korea)
Korea, North (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Macedonia
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia and Montenegro
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands (British)
Virgin Islands (US)
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
4.
Do you spend part of your year residing in another country?
Yes
No
5.
If you spend part of your year residing in another country (or countries), please indicate which, and roughly how many months of the year you spend there. If not, please skip this question.
6.
Have you moved within the past 5 years? If so, was at least part of the motivation for the move due to seeking a place with a more favorable cost of living?
No, I have not moved in the past five years
No, I have not moved in the past five years, but I am considering it, though cost of living is
not
a factor
No, I have not moved in the past five years, but I am considering it, and cost of living
is
a factor
Yes, I have moved in the past five years, but cost of living was
not
a deciding factor
Yes, I have moved in the past five years, and cost of living was
one
factor
Yes, I have moved in the past five years, and cost of living was the
main or only
factor
7.
What percentage of your income comes from your language services work?
Less than 50%
50 - 60%
60 - 70%
70 - 80%
80 - 90%
90 - 99%
All of it
8.
Are you the main (or only) breadwinner in your household?
Yes, I am the only breadwinner
Yes, I am the main breadwinner
No, I contribute around 50 - 60%
No, I contribute around 40 - 50%
No, I contribute around 30 - 40%
No, I contribute less than 30%
9.
Expressed in USD/EUR, what was your gross income (before taxes) from language services in 2022?
Less than 10,000 USD / 9,150 EUR
Between 10,000 USD / 9,150 EUR and 20,000 USD / 18,300 EUR
Between 20,000 USD / 18,300 EUR and 30,000 USD / 27,450 EUR
Between 30,000 USD / 27,450 EUR and 40,000 USD / 36,600 EUR
Between 40,000 USD / 36,600 EUR and 50,000 / 45,750 EUR
Between 50,000 / 45,750 EUR and 60,000 / 54,900 EUR
Between 60,000 / 54,900 EUR and 70,000 USD / 64,000 EUR
Between 70,000 USD / 64,000 EUR and 80,000 USD / 73,200 EUR
Between 80,000 USD / 73,200 EUR and 90,000 USD / 82,350 EUR
Between 90,000 USD / 82,350 EUR and 100,000 USD / 91,500 EUR
More than 100,000 USD / 91,500 EUR
10.
How does your gross income from language services compare to the average income for your (main) country of residence? One comparative of average annual income by country can be seen at
https://www.worlddata.info/average-income.php
My income is
far above
the average for my country
My income is
above
the average for my country
My income is about average for my country
My income is
below
the average for my country
My income is
far below
the average for my country
I don't know
11.
How do you feel about your annual income from your language services? Select the option that best describes your opinion.
It is good, I am able to do everything I want to do
It could be better, but I have a decent lifestyle
I get by
I need to supplement my income in order to do certain things I want to do
I am unable to make a living with my income
12.
Are you regularly able to put some of your earnings aside into savings?
Yes
Often but not regularly
No, only occasionally
No, not at all
13.
When was the last time you adjusted your rates?
In 2023 (this year) I adjusted them selectively
In 2023 (this year) I adjusted them across the board
During 2022 I adjusted them selectively
During 2022 I adjusted them across the board
During 2021 I adjusted them selectively
During 2021 I adjusted them across the board
During 2020 I adjusted them selectively
During 2020 I adjusted them across the board
Before 2020 (i.e. it's been more than three years)
14.
If you provide translation services, please indicate your average/general rates for translation (per word):
Less than 0.044 USD / 0.04 EUR per word
0.044 USD / 0.04 EUR per word
0.055 USD / 0.05 EUR per word
0.065 USD / 0.06 EUR per word
0.076 USD / 0.07 EUR per word
0.087 USD / 0.08 EUR per word
0.098 USD / 0.09 EUR per word
0.11 USD / 0.10 EUR per word
0.12 USD / 0.11 EUR per word
0.13 USD / 0.12 EUR per word
0.14 USD / 0.13 EUR per word
0.15 USD / 0.14 EUR per word
0.16 USD / 0.15 EUR per word
0.17 USD / 0.16 EUR per word
0.18 - 0.19 USD / 0.17 EUR per word
0.20 USD / 0.18 EUR per word
0.21 USD / 0.19 EUR per word
0.22 USD / 0.20 EUR per word
0.23 USD / 0.21 EUR per word
0.24 USD / 0.22 EUR per word
0.25 USD / 0.23 EUR per word
0.26 USD / 0.24 EUR per word
0.27 USD / 0.25 EUR per word
More than 0.27 USD / 0.25 EUR per word
N/A I don't offer this service
15.
If you provide post-editing of machine translation (PEMT) services, please indicate your average/general rates for that service (per word):
Less than 0.044 USD / 0.04 EUR per word
0.044 USD / 0.04 EUR per word
0.055 USD / 0.05 EUR per word
0.065 USD / 0.06 EUR per word
0.076 USD / 0.07 EUR per word
0.087 USD / 0.08 EUR per word
0.098 USD / 0.09 EUR per word
0.11 USD / 0.10 EUR per word
0.12 USD / 0.11 EUR per word
0.13 USD / 0.12 EUR per word
0.14 USD / 0.13 EUR per word
0.15 USD / 0.14 EUR per word
0.16 USD / 0.15 EUR per word
0.17 USD / 0.16 EUR per word
0.18 - 0.19 USD / 0.17 EUR per word
0.20 USD / 0.18 EUR per word
0.21 USD / 0.19 EUR per word
0.22 USD / 0.20 EUR per word
0.23 USD / 0.21 EUR per word
0.24 USD / 0.22 EUR per word
0.25 USD / 0.23 EUR per word
0.26 USD / 0.24 EUR per word
0.27 USD / 0.25 EUR per word
More than 0.27 USD / 0.25 EUR per word
N/A I don't offer this service
16.
If you provide interpreting services, please indicate your average/general rate for interpreting (per hour). Choose the rate which is closest to what you charge:
Less than 5 USD / 4.58 EUR per hour
5 - 10 USD / 4.58 - 9.15 EUR per hour
10 - 20 USD / 9.15 EUR - 18.30 EUR per hour
20 -25 USD / 18.30 - 22.88 EUR per hour
25 - 30 USD / 22.88 - 27.45 EUR per hour
30 - 35 USD / 27.45 - 32 EUR per hour
35 - 40 USD / 32 - 36.60 EUR per hour
40 - 45 USD / 36.60 - 41.18 EUR per hour
45 - 50 USD / 41.18 - 45.75 EUR per hour
50 - 55 USD / 45.75 EUR - 50.33 EUR per hour
55 - 60 USD / 50.33 - 54.90 EUR per hour
More than 60 USD / 54.90 EUR per hour
N/A I don't offer this service
17.
In general, do you have policies which affect how much you charge for a job? Select all that apply:
Minimum charge
Surcharge for rush or weekend jobs
Surcharge for complexity
Surcharge for formatting or source document issues
Discounts for volume
Discounts for repetitions
Discounts for "easy"/quick jobs
Discounts for first-time clients
Other (please specify)
18.
In general, how do you tend to handle rates with new clients?
I use the opportunity to quote my higher/adjusted rates
I offer a discount to "seal the deal"
I offer my standard rates
Other (please specify)
19.
Do you ever feel pressured to offer lower rates than what you would like to in order to win new clients?
No
Yes, occasionally
Yes, often
20.
Where are most of your clients based?
Most or all of my clients are based in the country where I reside
Most or all of my clients are based outside of the country where I reside
It's about 50-50
I don't know
21.
On average, how many hours do you tend to work per day? If you do other professional activity outside of language services, please report only the hours you spend doing language service (or related) work.
Fewer than 4 hours
4 hours
5 hours
6 hours
7 hours
8 hours
9 hours
More than 9 hours
22.
So far in 2023, are you on track to earn as much as, or more than, you did in 2022?
Yes, about the same amount
Yes, more than last year
No
I don't know
23.
What do you expect your total gross income (before taxes) from language services will be in 2023?
Less than 10,000 USD / 9,150 EUR
Between 10,000 USD / 9,150 EUR and 20,000 USD / 18,300 EUR
Between 20,000 USD / 18,300 EUR and 30,000 USD / 27,450 EUR
Between 30,000 USD / 27,450 EUR and 40,000 USD / 36,600 EUR
Between 40,000 USD / 36,600 EUR and 50,000 / 45,750 EUR
Between 50,000 / 45,750 EUR and 60,000 / 54,900 EUR
Between 60,000 / 54,900 EUR and 70,000 USD / 64,000 EUR
Between 70,000 USD / 64,000 EUR and 80,000 USD / 73,200 EUR
Between 80,000 USD / 73,200 EUR and 90,000 USD / 82,350 EUR
Between 90,000 USD / 82,350 EUR and 100,000 USD / 91,500 EUR
More than 100,000 USD / 91,500 EUR
24.
If you are seeing an increase or decrease in your income for the year, please comment on what you see as the main factors for the increase or decrease. Are they factors under your control (e.g., you decided to work more or less, you got new clients or let some clients go, etc.), or factors outside of your control (inflation, additional taxation or tax benefits, etc.)?
25.
Has your language services income played a role recently in decision-making about your career?
Not really
Yes, it is a main factor in my decision to continue working in language services
Yes, it is a main factor in my decision to look for work in another industry
Yes, it is a main factor in my decision to... (please specify)
26.
Thank you for taking the time to answer this survey! Please feel free to add any additional comments you feel are relevant here.