Freelance language services in the U.S. have traditionally been priced in two ways: translators charge out for their work per word, while interpreters charge out per hour or per day.

In recent years, however, businesses, agencies, and even a few translators, have begun discussing the possibility of translation services being paid by the hour as well. At a recent ATA Annual Conference, one speaker rhetorically asked why translators can’t be paid by the hour, like lawyers. The audience grumbled in response.

Hourly pay has been rebuffed by translators who assume that it will result in less income than they might earn per word, especially if they are good at their jobs. They believe that their speed and proficiency will work against them. And indeed, their fears are justified, unless both productivity and total cost can be taken into account.

The traditional per-word (or line, or even page) pricing model is based on the idea that the more words there are to translate, the longer it takes to complete a job. More.

See: The ATA Chronicle

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