Interpreters and Translators Salary
Interpreters and Translators in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA make a median of $74,310 a year, or about $35.73 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $104K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.44), so that salary is closer to $69,814 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,201/month, about 45.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $74K get you in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario’s Regional Price Parity (106.44). 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario sits well above the national pay line for interpreters and translators, local pay runs about 24% higher than the U.S. median of $60K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,201/month, which is 45.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.44), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for interpreters and translators in metros near Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $69K | $61K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $84K | $72K |
| Salinas | $63K | $58K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $64K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Entry-level interpreters and translators (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $74K. Top earners bring in $104K or more, a $55K 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a interpreters and translator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $74K, rent takes 45.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,201/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new interpreters and translators typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,883/month. At HUD’s $2,201/month FMR, rent would take 76% 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Local pay is 24% above the national median — $74K here vs. $60K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario compare to the national average for interpreters and translators?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario pays $74K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $70K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do interpreters and translators make in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?
The median is $74,310 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,050, and experienced interpreters and translators can clear $103,530. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $74K enough to live in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,801/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,201/month, which eats 45.8% 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario has a Regional Price Parity of 106.44 (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 $69,814 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.