Are Translators Rich?

We’re going to get straight to the point here. And that point is this:

A lot of prospective translators want to know the answer to one question before they decide to make the plunge and that is this. Are translators rich?

I like it when prospective translators ask this because it’s important to be truthful. A lot of translators might think that this is a taboo question to ask because it puts the pay above the purity.

They might think, “If a person loves translation and is passionate about translation and language issues, should it matter what the pay is and whether or not you become rich?”

While I can understand where these “old-school” translators might be coming from, I have to disagree with them. If someone wants to become a professional translator and be able to earn a living from that profession, then it’s fair to ask if that profession is going to provide for the lifestyle that the translator wants.

Because at the end of the day, passion does not pay the bills.

Loving language is not going to take care of your family.

What does, though, is providing a service or product that other people are willing to pay for.

And if a translator wants to live in a nice home, have nice things, raise a family, provide resources for the local community, donate to charity, travel the world, etc., then he or she has to have enough money to do those things.

So, yeah, it’s OK to ask that question and in fact, that question should be asked by people thinking about going into the translation industry.

What Is Rich?

OK, so if it’s fine to ask that initial question of whether or not translators are rich, then the next question to ask is what it means to be rich. The reason we need to ask that is because the term rich is a pretty subjective one.

What it means to me to be rich could mean something completely different to another person.

And rich means more than just having enough money. Rich can also mean:

Having Family Time

While money is important, there are other things in life that matter just as much. One of those things is family. And for some people, family time is more important than anything else.So, if a translator can make money from translation while still having plenty of time to spend with family, then that person is rich in the truest sense of the word.

Living Wherever You Want

Another definition of rich could be the ability to live wherever you want. For some people, that might mean living in the city. For others, it might mean living in the country. And for others still, it might mean being able to live in multiple places.

Working Your Own Hours

For some people, being rich means having the ability to work their own hours. They don’t want to be tied down to a 9-5 job. They want the freedom to work when they want and where they want. In addition, they might want the ability to take extended periods of time off whenever they want.

Doing What You Enjoy

Another definition of rich could be having the ability to do what you enjoy. For some people, that might mean being able to travel the world. For others, it might mean being able to work from home. And for others still, it might mean being able to retire early.

Pursuing Your Own Hobbies

Finally, rich could also mean having the ability to pursue your own hobbies. For some people, that might mean being able to play golf or tennis whenever they want. For others, it might mean being able to take up a new hobby without having to worry about the cost.

Working With People You Want (or by Yourself)

Some people might also define rich as being able to work with the people they want to work with. For some, that might mean working by themselves. For others, it might mean being able to choose their own clients. And for others still, it might mean being able to work with a team of people they enjoy working with.

Wearing What You Want

Finally, some people might define rich as being able to wear what they want. For some, that might mean being able to wear expensive clothing. For others, it might mean being able to dress more casual. And for others still, it might mean not having to worry about what they wear at all.So, as you can see, there are a lot of different definitions of rich. And what it means to be rich.

You can be rich in a lot of different ways other than money, and as a translator, there are lots of opportunities to become rich.

How Are Translators Rich?

All right. Now it’s time to answer the original question of whether or not translators are rich.

The quick answer is this:

Successful, professional translators are very rich.

Here’s how.

Rich In Freedom

Successful freelance translators are rich because they have the ability to be free in a variety of ways.

First of all, freelance translators can decide how much money they want to make.

Nobody determines the salary of a translator except for the translator. There’s no boss or corporation mandating a salary range; instead, as a translator, you are in charge of your own financial destiny. You can charge what you want, market how you want, find the clients you want, and decide how much you want to work.

Secondly, you have freedom of location. As a freelance translator, you can live and work from anywhere you want.

You can move around the world at your will, settle down in one place, or move to a whole new country. That freedom is something that many people desire and never attain.

Freedom of location is likely the number one freedom that translators (and other location-independent entrepreneurs) enjoy.

Third, you as a translator have the freedom of work.

What I mean by this is that we have the opportunity as freelance translators to work on the things that we want to work on.

Nobody is over our shoulder telling us what jobs we can accept and what translation jobs we can’t.

If we want to move beyond translation and do other language work like subtitling, we can.

If we want to take a hiatus and write a training manual for translators, we can.

And if we’d rather not do any of that and focus solely on translating, it’s our decision to make.

Conclusion

So, yes, I would say that successful translators are rich and anybody that has the desire and dedication to become a successful freelance translator also has the ability to be rich.

FAQ – Are Translators Rich?