Wouldn’t it be nice to get international exposure and never leave home? If you’re a translator you can. You may have already translated documents for a family member or friend and want to know how you can earn an income as a translator or perhaps you are new to this field and want some more information.

Translators translate various types of documents including, articles, business reports, screen plays, works of fiction and websites.

Of course, to become a translator you have to fluent in at least two languages, this means reading and writing. A translator needs a source language and a target language. The source is language the language of the original text you are translating. The target language is the language you are translating it into.



Language proficiency
Translating is about more than just translating words. They need to be able to convey the author’s feeling as closely as possible. A translator must have exceptional writing skills in their target language. As well as broad knowledge and education in certain specialists fields. Not only do different people use different words and grammar, they also think differently, have different moral standards and respond emotionally to different stimuli. A good translator understands this and has good cross-cultural understanding and idiomatic use of words in foreign languages.

Specialization
Experts recommend specializing in a niche. Translating is an art and there is nothing harder to translate than text that you do not fully understand. A good dictionary is helpful (even essential) but specializing is even better. Specializing in certain fields reduces the amount of vocabulary you need to master. This is especially helpful when you are dealing with technical terms.

Education
Many people who are interested in becoming translators ask if a degree is a necessity. Experts will usually say no, but hiring agencies say yes. Experts say no because in the translating world experience can take you just as far or even farther than having formal education. Many translators have become successful without a degree. However, a formal education is a bonus if you want to land your first job. Companies are more likely to take a chance on someone who has a degree. Some jobs such as government jobs and non-profit organizations are only open to those with a formal degree. Having a degree will open more doors to you but once you have been working as a translator for a few years your education will seem less important and your experience becomes your qualifier.

A translation degree can be acquired in a university or college. In addition to that you may want to consider getting a degree in a specialized field. But one or the other will make you a desirable candidate for an agency.

Equipment
You need to own, or have unlimited access to:
- A computer
- Internet
-Office suite. You will need at least MS Word. Excel is important, too. Powerpoint is a good idea, but is not as commonly required. If you are translating web pages, you will need an HTML editor.
-Fax capabilities. You may have to sign contracts with translation agencies and fax them.
- A mobile phone or a pager especially if you are out a lot during business hours.
-Dictionaries and reference books.
-You have to have, and regularly update, your anti-virus and spyware software.
-Also relevant are CAT tools (computer-assisted translation software). You can survive without it, but if you have it, your chances of securing commissions improve.

Earnings
Translators are entrepreneurs who have to go out and solicit work. Thus wages vary depending on your business and marketing skills, experience, education, certification, and other factors like whether or not the language is in demand. For instance, as of now, languages such as Chinese and Japanese are in high demand and carry the highest level wage earnings. Hourly wages range from $9.50-$26.50 an hour, with the median being 15.00 an hour. Freelance translators can make anywhere from $19,693 a year to $100,000 a year.

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