The online translation job market is one of the fastest-growing job markets out there because the world has already turned into a global village, thanks to the internet.
If you have bilingual skills, there are many jobs you can find online and make good money from them from the comfort of your home.
You can search for “work at home translation jobs” and get a job that fits into your schedule and abilities. An online translator can also be involved in online teaching, interpreting, and bilingual telephone calls.
You don’t have to worry about moving or working in an office because freelancers dominate the online translation job market. Many of the jobs require you to do it from home and a lot of companies who need online translators just need them on an ad hoc basis.
All you need is a reliable internet connection.
How To Get Online Translation Jobs
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It is not just about learning a language at school, there are certain criteria you have to meet to get hired.
As an aspiring online translator, you should be familiar with the colloquialisms, use, and practice of another language.
To make it easy for you, pick online translation jobs that you have to translate from a second language into your native childhood language. By doing this, it will be easy for you to know if it “reads right”.
If you grew up in a true bilingual family and have spoken two or more languages from childhood, you will be in high demand in this fast-growing job market.
If any agency wants to hire you, they will require you to take fluency tests before employing you. This is just to show them that you are accurate and precise in your translations.
Also, if the agency is putting you forward for a job, they want to be assured that you will not let them down. And in most cases, this means that you have to be a native speaker.
How Much Can One Make From Online Translation Jobs?
There is no standard rate for translation, so what you earn depends on you, how good you are, how many clients you have, and the rate at which you charge them.
The tasks you may be given will range from translating hundreds of pages to the simple facilitation of email correspondence.
So, the amount of money you make as an online translator depends on the difficulty of the job, but it is constantly subject to your negotiations.
You can also decide to charge per word, it can be $.10 or $.20 per word or you can decide to be paid by the hour. Hourly rates can range from $10 to $100, this depends on your speed and abilities.
Best Companies Where You Can Find Online Translation Jobs
Below is a list of the best companies where you can find online translation jobs as a freelancer.
1. Translate.com
Tanslate.com is a website where companies and people who need freelance translators go to. The jobs most of these companies and people need here are translation of blog posts, social media, posts, support tickets, etc.
You can register with this website and work from anywhere and anytime. But they have a policy that tasks are given on a first come first serve basis.
You are also paid anytime you wish through PayPal.
2. Unbabel
Unbabel is another wonderful website where freelancers can find online translation jobs.
But it works like a translation subscription kind of service where companies and people can have their online contents, product descriptions, blog posts, newsletters, and customer service descriptions translated.
Online translators are paid hourly and the wage is $8 per hour. So for every second that you are translating on the site, you are being paid for it.
And the best part about Unbabel is that you can cash out anytime you want through PayPal.
3. OneHourTranslation.com
Before you are chosen to offer your services on this website, you have to apply first and then you will take an online exam. After which you will send in your relevant certifications.
Once you’ve been accepted, you can work and get paid through whatever means you want. They offer payments through Paypal and wire transfer.
They also have another method of payment in which they send you their One hour Translation MasterCard. You can use this card to withdraw your earnings anywhere in the world.
4. Rev
Rev pays freelance online translators $0.05 to $.07 per word to translate captions or documents from one language to another. They also have jobs for transcriptionists and captioners.
You have to apply first and once you’ve been accepted, you can work and get paid weekly through PayPal.
5. Tethras
Tethras will be loved more by people who love mobile apps. This website only works with mobile developers, it offers them translations for their apps in different languages.
And this is where you come in, you help them translate apps into other languages.
Once you join the site, you will be notified of new and available jobs. You can review the job and accept it if you wish. Payment is done through PayPal.
6. TextMaster
TextMaster is a professional online translation, proofreading, and web content writing company. If accepted, you can earn up to 15¢ per word.
Then you can request payment once your account balance is up to €50 and you will be paid through PayPal.
7. Lionbridge
This website claims to have been into translation for over 40 years and that many translation companies use their translation platform.
Lionbridge has 2500 linguists worldwide and they use a unified technology software platform.
Their application process is easy, you simply fill out a form on their website and wait for their reply.
8. Acclaro
This organization offers localization services and business translations in more than 60 languages. Their website lists full-time positions around the world and they also have a long list of freelance opportunities.
Acclaro also places localization project managers with their clients.
9. American high-tech transcription and reporting
This company is based in Florida and provides transcription services to government and law enforcement agencies only.
Due to this, the organization runs background checks with fingerprints on potential translators.
The company’s main need is for native English speakers to translate from other languages and it also requires its translators to be US citizens or legal residents.
So, to work here as an online translator, you must be living and working in the USA.
Also, their translators must be certified through a state or federal court interpreters program or other nationally recognized certifying agency.
10. Aberdeen Languages Services Ltd
Aberdeen offers business translation services. They have a fast and competitive service which includes 24-hour work each day.
This company also has a desktop publishing division that will take the translated documents and produce finished books or brochures.
Aberdeen’s headquarter is in Canada and it makes use of freelancers from around the world.
11. CSC translation
This company emphasizes quality a lot and they offer quality business translation.
When applying, you have to submit a resume and your credentials to their email so that they can see if you qualify.
12. Indeed
Indeed is a job board that lists many translation opportunities.
You have to be careful on Indeed because it pulls together all kinds of jobs. It also lists on-site work and also online works.
However, Indeed is a good place to see lots of online translation jobs.
13. LanguageLine Solutions
This wonderful company offers localization services, translation, and interpreting services. As a freelancer, when chosen, you can translate over the phone, by remote video, or even face to face.
LanguageLine Solutions also offer training for individual companies’ in-house bilingual staff and also interpreter testing.
14. Languages Unlimited, LLC
This company claims it has more than 10,000 registered interpreters and it offers a wide range of certified translation services.
If you want to apply, you simply register in the company’s database online.
15. GlobaLink Translation Limited
GlobaLink specializes in doing translations for health care industries, these include pharmacies, research institutions, and medical and psychological translations.
This company is looking for ways and freelancers to expand its network of reviewers and translators.
If you are interested in being a team member, you can contact them through email, phone, or fax. Or you can fill out an information form about yourself on their website.
16. Linguistic Systems Inc.
This company, LSI has over 7,000 translators and it specializes in translating for the following sectors: Pharmaceutical companies, Manufacturing companies, information technology fields, legal, and publishing companies.
To be a team member, you must have a bachelor’s degree and at least 2 years experience of being a translator.
Their online applications include short tests for translation between some pairs of languages. If you are chosen, you will have access to their email and basic software.
17. WordExpress
This organization offers translation services worldwide and they can translate into more than 100 different languages.
They offer full-time positions in California also, and also freelance positions. They employ only professional interpreters for a lot of tasks including simultaneous and legal translation services.
You start your application process by emailing them a resume.
18. NetworkOmni
NetworkOmni is constantly looking for highly experienced translators to use as independent/freelance contractors.
They have criteria you must meet before they pick you.
You must have at least 3 years of experience in translation, and you must have a higher education degree.
Network Omni also claims it has so many applications and this makes it impossible to respond individually to all of them.
You don’t have to be worried because of this, you can still apply and if you meet the requirements, they will invite you for a screening process through which you will be picked if you score high.
19. Pacific interpreters
Pacific interpreters focus mainly on translating for government, public safety, business projects, and healthcare. They also assist people who are deaf and hard of hearing.
This organization does remote video interpreting, telephonic interpreting, and even on-site interpreting. Their services also include the American Sign Language.
You can become a member by applying for a position on the parent company website, LanguageLine Solution.
20. Clickworker
This organization is different from many online translation companies in the way they work.
It covers many fields and is crowdsourced. Clickworker has a total of 700,000 workers available on demand.
They offer many other services apart from translation. Some of the other services they offer are customer service, copywriting, and data entry.
Before you can receive work from Clickworker, you have to register and take an assessment.
21. ProZ
This organization claims to be leading the translation industry workplace. Before you join them, you have to register and create a profile free of charge.
However, you can pay a subscription to maximize your opportunities of obtaining a job.
After registering, you browse available jobs and offer a bid on anyone you like, think you can handle, or any job you know that you are qualified for.
22. TRADUguide
This company gives translators the opportunity to browse through a list of jobs, and also provide a quote for doing the work.
This wonderful platform brings translators and potential clients together.
23. TranslationDirectory
This company serves as an online job board that helps online translators connect with people who need translations. There are translation agencies here and also freelance jobs as well.
24. SDL
SDL provides paid translation in addition to its automated software translation. Their requirement for you to be a member is at least 2 years of experience in freelance translation or one year of in-house translation experience.
If you want to work with them, you apply through their website. They will also consider applications from translators who feel they have equivalent alternative experience.
25. 1-800-translate
This company needs freelance online translators and on-site translators. They have a long list of job opportunities on their website.
To apply, they will need a cover letter and resume. They are also interested in linguists well-experienced in the post edit of machine translations.
Can I Find Online Translation Jobs On Freelancing Sites?
Yes, apart from these job boards we’ve mentioned above that deal mainly on translations, there are many general job boards and freelancing sites where you can get online translation job opportunities.
Some of these general job boards are:
How To Become A Certified Translator
Having a professional certification in translation will help you in this career.
There are a lot of training and certification programs online, but we advise you to go for the one organized by the American Translators Association (ATA).
You will write a certification exam that will allow you to add the designation “CT” (Certified Translator) after your name.
This will give your potential clients a measure of your worth and they will trust you more. It also means that you will be paid more.
Conclusion
If you are aspiring to be an online translator, this post will help you understand more about this career and show you where you can get awesome job opportunities and earn cool cash. Also check out these online translation jobs for beginners.
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