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For translators & interpreters

Before you sign that translation agreement, check these three things.

Agency and direct-client agreements for translation and interpreting can be long for the size of the job. Three parts carry most of the risk: who answers for errors, how long confidentiality lasts, and when invoices are paid.

Translation Services Agreement.pdfPage 1 of 5
Example
High risk— review carefully before you sign

This agency agreement leaves you answerable for any loss from a translation error and pays only after the end client pays.

Lower riskHigher risk
Against youHigh · Liability

No cap on liability for errors

“Any loss” is not tied to the fee for the job, so one mistranslated term in a contract or manual can cost far more than the translation paid.

Ask for

Ask for liability capped at the fee for the job concerned.

  • Paid only after the end client paysHigh · Payment
  • Your translation memories stay behindMedium · Confidentiality
See the full sample analysis →

The numbers

In May 2025, there were 52,060 wage and salary jobs for interpreters and translators in the U.S., with a median annual wage of $60,170.

Median hourly wage, U.S., May 2025: interpreters and translators ($28.93) and 28 other occupations these pages cover. Each dot is one occupation's median.

These figures count jobs, not people, and do not include self-employed work — so they say little about how many interpreters and translators work freelance or run their own business.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, national estimates for SOC 27-3091. Public domain.

Error liability, confidentiality and pay terms

  1. Liability for errors — A clause making you liable for any loss caused by a translation error, with no cap, can outweigh the fee many times over. Look for a limit.
  2. Confidentiality — Check what counts as confidential, how long the duty lasts, and whether it lets you use translation memory and glossaries you build.
  3. Payment terms — Net 60 or payment “after the end client pays” shifts the agency's risk to you. Look for a fixed number of days from your invoice.

Check the agreement before the first file

The riskiest part of a translation agreement is not the rate. Free: one analysis every 30 days, no card. Each analysis gives a risk read of the key clauses, quotes the contract's own words for its findings, and turns each flagged clause into a specific ask.

Analyze my contract — free
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  • Files auto-deleted after 30 days
  • Never used to train models
  • Informational — not legal advice

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