Freelance RateSetting a rate as a translator and interpreter
How this work is usually priced, where the unpaid hours hide, and a worked example you can change to your own numbers.
How this work is priced
Translators are paid per word or per page, interpreters per hour or per day. Words per hour vary a great deal with the subject, so a per-word rate hides the real hourly income.
The unpaid work
Hours that no client pays for here include reading the source text first, terminology research, checking and formatting, client queries, minimum-fee jobs that take longer than expected. They are the reason a billable share of 60% is used in the example, not 100%.
Costs to count
Translation software and glossaries, dictionaries and subscriptions, a computer and second screen, professional memberships and insurance. Each belongs in the yearly costs box.
A worked example
These figures are made up to show the working in British pound. Use your own.
| Take-home wanted | £36,000 |
| Business costs | £3,000 |
| Profit needed before tax and savings (22% + 8%) | £51,429 |
| Income to bill in the year | £54,429 |
| Billable hours (46 weeks, 38 hours, 60% billed) | 1,049 |
| Hourly floor | £52 |
| Day rate floor | £394 |
What changes the answer
- If your billable share falls by 10 points to 50%, the hourly floor rises from £52 to £62.
- If you take 3 more weeks off, it rises to £56.
- If your costs are 25% higher than you planned, it rises to £53.
A tip for this work
Time three jobs in different subjects to find your words per hour. Divide your hourly need by that number to get a per-word rate, and set a minimum fee for very small jobs.
Try your own figures
Common questions
How do I turn an hourly need into a per-word rate?
Divide the hourly rate by the words you translate in an hour on average. If you translate 400 words an hour and need 40 an hour, the rate is 0.10 a word. Test the figure on real jobs.
Is a minimum fee reasonable?
Yes. A 50-word job still involves opening files, reading, replying and invoicing. A minimum charge covers that fixed time.
Keep going
Example figures on this site are made up to show the working. They are not market rates or averages. Tax, social-insurance, sales-tax and holiday rules differ by country and change, so this site does not state them: ask the tax authority of your country or an accountant. Checked 14 November 2026.