Best Online Translation Jobs For Earning Money Online (2022)
43% of the world’s population knows more than one language. Being a bilingual individual opens up more job opportunities than you would have access to like someone who’s only familiar with a single language. This article will walk you through how you can apply for the best online translation jobs and where to find them.
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How do online translation agencies work?
In particular, if you know more than one foreign language, then you are capable of becoming a translator, which is a highly lucrative career. This job path is even more enticing because you can be an online translator through online translation agencies.
For a freelancer or independent contractor, the application process is fairly straightforward. Contact the translation agency, who will likely schedule a two-part test to determine your language level.
Assuming that the company is satisfied with your language level in the target language, they’ll likely ask you to go through background checks, then send you an employment contract. From there, they’ll probably start you on smaller translation projects until you’ve demonstrated your ability to handle the work.
How much money can I earn working for translation companies?
It’s hard to specify what the pay rate is for the any particular language. There are many factors that might determine how much a translation agency might pay you.
Language proficiency
A native speaker will command more money than a non-native speaker. New translators can expect to receive less money than those with years of experience under their belt.
Formal education
If you went to college to become a professional translator, you may command extra money, especially if you earned a bachelor’s degree or higher in that second language.
Years of experience
Obviously, the longer you’re in the industry, the more experience you’re going to accumulate. Along the way, you’ll have completed a significant amount of projects, translated documents, or found something that you’re specifically good at.
Also, over time, a good translator will work for a lot of companies. This will help them naturally build their own list of potential clients to choose from.
And translators with high customer demand will usually have lots of jobs to choose from because there will be plenty of clients willing to pay them what they’re worth.
Target language
Not only does the number of speakers matter, but the cost of living in that country might be an impact.
For example, you might be able to hire a lot of bilingual Spanish translators that are also native English speakers. And you might be able to find them in locations where the cost of living is relatively low.
Contrast that scenario to that of Swedish. Most native speakers hail from Sweden, a high cost of living country.
It would be much more difficult to find inexpensive translation in Swedish because:
- There are a lot fewer Swedish speakers than Spanish speakers
- Swedish speakers are more likely to live in expensive areas
Professional translation services
If you have a specific technical background, that is a great way to earn extra income. For example, there is a high demand for legal, medical, and engineering document translation services.
After you are finished translating it from one language to another, you’re sent a check! Sounds great, right?
That’s why today we are going to show you some of the best platforms to finds online translating gigs, so you can start earning through this job path.
TextMaster
TextMaster is a translation company that specializes in helping small to medium-sized businesses translate corporate material. They have over 5,000 different customers in 100 countries, which means that there’s plenty of translation work waiting for you to do.
They require people like you to help their business grow and keep their clients happy. This is why they are looking for bilingual people to work with them through their site.
They are looking for young and energetic people that are fun to work with and who happen to be language lovers. Does that sound like you?
If so, check out their jobs section to see if there are any translation positions currently available.
Appen
Appen is one of the leading companies in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data entry. They offer a wide variety of language services to their customers. That’s where you come in.
Navigate to their jobs section and filter the results for freelance translator positions. This will display all of the current opportunities you can apply for.
Many of them are completely remote, allowing you to work from home or on the go. You should have a background in languages, whether that is a degree, certificate, or work experience.
Translate.com
While computers and software can automatically translate information with great accuracy, Translate.com believes that nothing is better than the human touch. They sell translation and transcription services to their customers, among other products, and are always looking for highly skilled individuals to help them.
The process begins with you signing up for free and going through a test to determine your skill level. If you’re accepted, you can begin taking on translation gigs to earn money.
This creates the opportunity for you to work from home, get paid doing what you love, and cashing out any time via PayPal. There are no bidding wars like freelance platforms, and you get to be your own boss.
OneHourTranslation
OneHourTranslation provides proofreading, transcription, and professional translating services to their customers. They work with businesses in the blockchain, technology, and legal industries, among others. If you are familiar with these areas of expertise, you have a better chance of getting accepted.
You can begin by signing up here and going through the online exam. This is to ensure that you have translating experience and are a good fit for their platform. This will be reviewed by their staff, and accepted translators receive a certificate they can show off.
A translator can begin working on paid assignments and will have access to an exclusive OneHourTranslation MasterCard. It doesn’t require a bank account, as the funds you earn are directly deposited into the card.
As you work more on their website, you will also climb up their ranking and badges system. These badges will appear on your profile, helping you to be given more jobs. This is a unique feature that stood out to us as we researched them.
Rev
Rev up your engine, because this website is one of the best places to find freelance translator jobs. They are looking for freelancers like you to translate various materials for their customers.
You can work as much, or part-time if you like. Rev will display relevant projects for you to choose from, which helps make the process more enjoyable, as you work on things you love. Payments are made every week through a PayPal account and you will receive regular coaching to make you a better linguist.
Translators can earn $0.05-0.07 per word. Consider if you translate 1,000 words per hour. That would equal to $50-70/hour! Even if you translated slower at 500 words per hour, you’re looking at some serious money.
Tethras
Tethras is a unique translation business because they focus on translating mobile apps. It’s common to need mobile app user guides and other resources translated into other languages, especially when a company grows internationally.
After signing up, you will receive notifications for the latest jobs. You accept what you’d like to take on, and get paid through PayPal in USD. There are 1,300 translators making money through their website, so what are you waiting for?
LionBridge
When a business grows large enough, they will have a customer base all over the world. This means that they have to be ready to provide their product in different languages. Lionbridge helps some of the largest enterprises localize their resources with the help of translators like yourself.
You can apply to become a Lionbridge translator on their website. They welcome both individuals working as a freelancer and those that run large agencies.
Previous employees have said many good things about working for the company, such as this review.
Acclaro
Acclaro is a leading translation service agency that began as a small boutique firm. They are now a global enterprise with offices and customers in several different continents.
They value hard work, working well in teams, and long term success. If that sounds interesting to you, apply through their jobs page. Here you will find all of the open positions, and whether they require it in-house or remote.
Indeed
When you think of Indeed, you might think of standard 9 to 5 jobs, but there are plenty of remote careers you can find, as well. Search for keywords like “translator” or “translation” into the job title field.
You can further refine the results by narrowing down the location of any job type, such as freelance or contract. If there are any online translation jobs that seem appealing, click the orange “Apply” button after selecting a listing.
Verbalizeit
Verbalizeit has one of the most streamlined processes for earning money online as a translator. You begin by signing up and telling them about your experience and expertise with languages.
From there, you will need to complete tests to prove your skill level, and Verbalizeit also offers training to make you better. This means you will have new skills you can put on your resume afterward.
Once accepted, you can mark your profile as available. You will then receive notifications on your desktop or phone of new opportunities. Freelancers accept only work that they wish to take on, start translating and then get paid every 15 days.
Gengo
Gengo has a pool of over 21,000 translators that power their translation language service. Customers send in an order for the content they need to be translated into another language, and it’s sent to an expert like you.
There are thousands of projects available at any given time, and you are free to work on them 24/7. Translators can connect with one another through Gengo, and can receive help from professionals to improve their linguistic skills.
Unlike some of the other sites on this list, Gengo has a proprietary workbench that can be used from phone, tablet, or desktop. You will be able to make money at any time, anywhere.
The average English translator earns $417 per month, too. This amounts to changes based on the languages you’re familiar with. What could you do with that kind of money every month?
CyraCom
Last but not least is CyraCom. They are a bit different than the standard online translation platform because they specialize in translating phone calls. They are looking for enthusiastic individuals that enjoy helping people and love languages.
You will translate for individuals in emergency situations and day to day scenarios like customer service. This makes working for CyraCom exciting because every workday is a different adventure. The company hires both independent contractors and full-time roles.
As an online translator, you will gain access to a competitive salary, great benefits, and insurance coverage. There is overtime pay and free interpreter training included, as well. Opportunities for advancement are present, so you can potentially move up over time and turn it into a long term career.
Final thoughts
Not only is knowing multiple languages a great life skill, but it opens doors to earning money online through online translation jobs.
We recommend that you apply to several of the platforms we outlined today. You will gain the benefits of working from home, doing something you enjoy, and being your own boss.
It increases your chances of getting accepted and enables you to take on work from multiple websites, increasing your earnings.
So, put those language skills to the test and start making money today!