Interpreters and Translators Salary
Interpreters and Translators in Charleston-North Charleston, SC make a median of $64,550 a year, or about $31.03 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $108K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $63,936 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 42.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $65K get you in Charleston-North Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston-North Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (100.96). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About interpreters and translators
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What this looks like in Charleston-North Charleston
Interpreters and translators pay in Charleston-North Charleston tracks closely to the national median, $65K locally vs. $60K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,787/month, which is 41.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.96) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for interpreters and translators in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia | $52K | $56K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $47K | $51K |
| Spartanburg | $61K | $67K |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $39K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Entry-level interpreters and translators (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $108K or more, a $67K spread from bottom to top.
Interpreters and Translators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Interpreters and Translators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $110K | +83% | 280 |
| Maryland | $89K | +47% | 1,150 |
| New York | $84K | +40% | 3,240 |
| Rhode Island | $82K | +37% | 200 |
| Massachusetts | $73K | +21% | 2,280 |
| Colorado | $72K | +19% | 800 |
| California | $71K | +18% | 5,560 |
| Connecticut | $68K | +14% | 280 |
| Minnesota | $66K | +10% | 1,030 |
| Oregon | $66K | +10% | 660 |
| Idaho | $66K | +10% | 300 |
| Utah | $66K | +9% | 850 |
| New Mexico | $64K | +6% | 360 |
| Maine | $63K | +5% | 90 |
| Wisconsin | $63K | +5% | 1,410 |
| Virginia | $63K | +5% | 1,630 |
| Vermont | $62K | +4% | 80 |
| Washington | $62K | +3% | 1,250 |
| Ohio | $61K | +2% | 2,030 |
| New Jersey | $59K | -2% | 870 |
| Georgia | $58K | -4% | 1,600 |
| Mississippi | $57K | -5% | 80 |
| Pennsylvania | $57K | -5% | 1,420 |
| Missouri | $57K | -5% | 440 |
| New Hampshire | $56K | -6% | 240 |
| Illinois | $55K | -8% | 1,510 |
| Kentucky | $54K | -11% | 480 |
| South Dakota | $53K | -12% | 230 |
| Nebraska | $53K | -12% | 570 |
| Arkansas | $52K | -13% | 220 |
| Tennessee | $51K | -15% | 710 |
| South Carolina | $51K | -15% | 520 |
| Nevada | $50K | -16% | 320 |
| Arizona | $50K | -17% | 2,070 |
| North Carolina | $50K | -17% | 1,780 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -19% | 320 |
| Florida | $49K | -19% | 4,200 |
| Louisiana | $48K | -20% | 120 |
| North Dakota | $48K | -20% | 130 |
| Iowa | $48K | -20% | 560 |
| Indiana | $48K | -20% | 1,170 |
| Kansas | $48K | -20% | 470 |
| Montana | $48K | -20% | 60 |
| Texas | $48K | -21% | 6,780 |
| Alabama | $46K | -23% | 310 |
| Michigan | $45K | -25% | 940 |
| Hawaii | $42K | -30% | 60 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track interpreters and translators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charleston-North Charleston numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a interpreters and translator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 41.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,787/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for interpreters and translators in Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new interpreters and translators typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,440/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 73% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is interpreters and translator a high-paying job in Charleston-North Charleston?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $65K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for interpreters and translators?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do interpreters and translators make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $64,550 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,670, and experienced interpreters and translators can clear $107,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,274/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 41.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a interpreters and translators salary go in Charleston-North Charleston?
Charleston-North Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 100.96 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median interpreters and translators salary is worth about $63,936 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do interpreters and translators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.