15 Ways To Get Paid To Translate Languages Online | Make Money Tips

Do you remember those “foreign language” classes you were advised (sometimes even forced) to take in high school?

Maybe your family moved around internationally when you were younger, and you had to pick up a few languages.

If you took those seriously, I’ve got some good news – they are about to pay off. How? The answer is simple – you can get paid to translate languages online.

Fun fact: The average translator can make up to $51,830 a year. If you ask me, that’s a pretty decent sum. Stats also say that the employment rate for translators is projected to grow by over 20% over the next decade – even more than in some regular fields.

To get you started on your translating journey, we will be addressing the following subheadings:

So, let’s get down to business;

What exactly does a translator do?

The job of a translator is to accurately convey the message of a written text from a source language into the target language.

It is often mixed up with interpreting, which is similar, but the difference is that interpreters do not work with written texts; interpreters translate into real-time ‘live sessions.’

Translators mainly work with written materials, including letters, reports, articles, books, etc.

They use many tools–dictionaries, glossaries, and translation software.

Where the text to be translated is specific to a culture, it is the translator’s job to be properly informed about the cultures of the target and source languages to be translated to convey the intended message accurately.

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What you need to know on how to get paid to translate language online

Most translators work on a freelance or contract basis, and most of their work is online – especially with the current pandemic that has caused companies worldwide to adopt the concept of a ‘virtual office.’

On this job board, the following were listed as a translator’s job description:

  • Reading material and researching industry-specific terminology
  • Converting text and audio recordings in one language to one or more others
  • Ensuring translated texts convey original meaning and tone
  • Prepare subtitles for videos and online presentations
  • Cross-reference specialized dictionaries and translation tools to check the quality of the translation.
  • Proofread translated texts for grammar, spelling, and punctuation accuracy
  • Follow-up with internal team members and clients to ensure translation meets their needs
  • Edit the content to maintain its original format (e.g., font and structure)
  • Network with field experts to stay current on new translation tools and practices

It may look like a lot, but it’s not that hard to adapt to, and anyone worth their salt can take on these tasks.

How to Get Paid to Translate language online

Like most jobs, you need to make an application. Before making that application, you must be qualified to be a translator.

A bachelor’s degree in a language-related field is an added advantage (and a requirement in some cases), but it is not always necessary.

However, you don’t automatically qualify just because you are fluent in a language; you must undergo training. If you must get paid to translate online, you must master all the language’s grammar, vocabulary, etc.

Taking paid courses online, honing your computer skills, and gaining experience from smaller paying jobs can help to boost your resume. There are even websites that will hire beginner translators with no experience.

Besides freelance translator websites or contract jobs, here are some other ways you can offer your translation services:

  • Make language videos on YouTube or start a language blog
  • Teach the foreign language
  • Become a tour guide
  • Create a specialized glossary to sell; technical terms, especially.
  • Offer your services to authors and gain translation royalties. You may get rejected a lot of times, but keep at it, and one day you will strike gold – and the gold will keep streaming in.

The World of Subtitles and How to Get In

So, maybe being around long, boring documents for lengthened periods is not your thing. You could consider subtitling.

Subtitles provide a written version of the dialogue – and, sometimes, other sound effects – in a video file.

There are three types – general, closed captioning (for the hard of hearing or deaf), and language subtitles (where translating comes in).

Subtitle writing, or subtitling, is taking the transcript of a video (or working directly with the video) and creating abbreviated versions of the dialogue. Jobs in subtitling require a high level of linguistic accuracy.

Just so you know, a subtitle writer makes an average of $45,158/yr. No, I did not randomly type numbers; the stats are here.

How do you get in? Easy. You can take a paid course (GoSub, for example), connect online with other sub-titlers, and probably improve your hearing and typing skills. The last one goes without saying you can’t translate if you can’t hear.

15 Freelance Translator and Subtitling Websites

There are a lot of websites out there that are looking to hire freelance translators and sub-titlers of varying experiences and certifications. I cannot list them all, but here are a few of them:

Did you know there are so many online translation jobs that you can find? Check out the websites listed above to find out what to do and make more money.

You can also check; 25 Ways to Get Paid to Write Reviews in 2023 | Quick Money

Where to Get Paid to Translate Simple Documents from Your Home

Many websites allow you to get paid to translate simple documents from home. Which is only best depends on what you want at the moment.

All you need to do is sign up for the website services that best suits your need. Below are some of the many websites that allow you to get paid to translate simple documents from home:

Bonus Tips

Here are some bonus tips to help you on your journey:

  • Learning extra languages is an added advantage. The more languages you can speak and write fluently, the more marketability. Take language courses, travel, and connect with foreign-language speakers online to strengthen your footing in the language pool.
  • While learning languages, don’t just learn randomly. Go for languages in high demand, with little completion, e.g., Japanese, Russian, Icelandic, etc. A knowledge of these languages gives you an extra advantage in the translator market.
  • Promote yourself on a website or blog.
  • Pitch to clients as often as you can. As a beginner translator with no experience, inevitably, you would get a couple of rejections, but don’t give up.
  • Do not wait until you land a gig to generate material. In your idle time, pick up a random text to translate. You can add these random translations to your portfolio and present them as samples to prospective clients.

We have discussed how you can get paid to translate online documents and subtitle/caption videos.

Now, it is your turn to go out there (or online) and shoot your shots at all these companies and websites. I hope this article helps. Enough chitchat, go get ‘em!!

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