This article is our latest study on the Highest paying linguist jobs.
So, which jobs pay well? We know that being an elementary school teacher is one of the top 10 highest paying jobs for many people, but what if you studied a field like foreign languages?
Just because the annual salary is lower doesn’t mean you can’t earn a reputation as one of the best. Some career paths outside of teaching English or working with American sign language can be very lucrative.
If you decide to become a linguist, there are a wide variety of options for you in the workforce. This article will help you sort through some of the most common job offers for people with a linguistics degree.
Here are the highest-paying jobs for linguistics majors.
Here is a video summary based on this article
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Table of Contents
#12. American Sign Language Interpreter
- Source: Payscale
- Low Range: $28k per year
- High Range: $75k per year
- Median Pay: $41,341 per year
American sign language interpreters facilitate the communication of ideas between people who are deaf and those who can hear. They work with a variety of professionals, including teachers, doctors, lawyers, and social workers, to help their clients communicate effectively in many different situations.
The educational requirement for American sign language interpreters is a bachelor’s degree in the field. If you want to go into the field, you can also major in a different subject and pursue a certificate or minor in American sign language interpretation.
Many schools offer both undergraduate and graduate programs in the field, but not all do.
The pay for American sign language interpreters depends on several factors, including your experience level and what kind of employer you work for. According to data from Payscale, interpreters make an average salary of $41,341 per year.
Interpreters usually start with two years of experience before they begin working as independent contractors or full-time employees. Most independent contractors will have at least five years under their belt before they take on this role—and some require ten years’ worth!
#11. Foreign Language Teacher
- Source: Payscale
- Low Range: $22k per year
- High Range: $61k per year
- Median Pay: $42,645 per year
Foreign language teachers not only impart knowledge of a particular language, but they also teach the history and culture of the various countries where this language is spoken. They may also be required to develop lesson plans and monitor student progress.
The minimum educational requirement for a foreign language teacher is a bachelor’s degree in secondary education, but most states require a master’s degree. The job outlook for foreign language teachers is excellent, with an expected growth rate of 12% faster than the national average.
Foreign language teachers earn an average annual salary of $42,645, but this can vary depending on experience and location.
#10. Copy Editor
- Source: Payscale
- Low Range: $37k per year
- High Range: $76k per year
- Median Pay: $51,098 per year
Copy editors are responsible for improving copy flow, clarity, grammar, and accuracy for various mediums. They work with writers to improve and prepare material for publication by reviewing the text and correcting spelling, grammar, syntax, and style inconsistencies. They may also be in charge of fact-checking content.
Copy editors typically work in publishing houses, newspapers, and advertising agencies. However, this role is often outsourced to freelancers now that so much content is produced digitally.
A college degree or equivalent experience is required for this role. According to Payscale, the average salary for a Copy editor is $51,098 per year.
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#9. Speech & Language Therapist
- Source: Payscale
- Low Range: $34k per year
- High Range: $96k per year
- Median Pay: $53,000 per year
Speech and language therapists help people with communication difficulties, swallowing disorders, and speech problems. They provide advice, assessment, treatment, and therapy to a variety of people, including those who have had strokes or have cleft lips or palates.
A speech and language therapist is trained for a minimum of three years at university, with one year spent on placement. The average salary is around $53k a year.
Speech and language therapists work in hospitals, schools, and clinics in the NHS or for social service departments. Other places of employment include private hospitals and industries where there is a need for occupational therapy.
#8. Translator
- Source: ZipRecruiter
- Low Range: $16k per year
- High Range: $208,500 per year
- Median Pay: $60,118 per year
Translators are responsible for converting information from one language to another. They must be fluent in a second language.
Translators should also have a strong grasp of the topic at hand. In addition to having excellent written communication skills, they also need to understand and respect cultural differences between their own language and the one they are translating into.
The educational requirements for translators vary depending on where they work. Some jobs require a bachelor’s degree in translation or another related field (such as linguistics). Others only require that applicants be fluent in multiple languages with previous experience translating documents professionally.
The median salary for translators is $60,118 per year; however, many earn much more than this amount, depending on their skill level and experience level.
BLS expects the job outlook for translators to increase by 24% over the next decade due to globalization and increased trade between countries around the world.
You may work for translation agencies as a remote worker or get into full-time employment.
#7. International Aid Worker
- Source: Glassdoor
- Low Range: $18k per year
- High Range: $326k per year
- Median Pay: $$62,403 per year
International aid workers are people who work to improve human welfare and help victims of war, poverty, or oppression. They can work with charities or humanitarian organizations. The positions vary greatly depending on the individual needs of each organization.
The typical educational requirement is a bachelor’s degree in a field such as social science, international relations, or political science. An advanced degree is needed for some positions, and experience in related fields can often be substituted for a degree.
The typical salary range is $18k to $326k annually. Many different positions are available in this field, such as program managers, data analysts, accountants, and more.
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#6. Accent Coach
- Source: Glassdoor
- Low Range: $17k per year
- High Range: $281k per year
- Median Range: $63,574 per year
Accent coaches are professionals who help clients develop regional accents for acting and performing. They work with performers to build up speech patterns, pronunciation, and intonation to make it believable for the performer to speak in a regional accent from another part of the world.
Accent coaches usually have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, typically in theatre or performance arts. They are often natural linguists and have experience working as actors or performers.
They earn an average of $63,574 per year, but this number can vary greatly depending on the area of expertise, length of career, and popularity of their clientele.
#5. Lexicographer
- Source: Glassdoor
- Low Range: $36k per year
- High Range: $249k per year
- Median Pay: $65,235 per year
Lexicographers are skilled writers who create dictionaries and other reference books. They research words, definitions, variants of words, and the history of words and their meanings. Lexicographers write definitions and examples for the words that they include in a dictionary.
A bachelor’s degree is required for most positions as a lexicographer. Most bachelor’s degree programs in writing include courses in grammar, style, editing, and composition. A graduate degree may be required for some positions.
Master’s degree programs in English typically require students to write a thesis based on original research. If you are interested in becoming a lexicographer, you should take courses in linguistics to enrich your language skills.
The median annual salary for all lexicographers was $65,235 across all industries, with 10 percent paid less than $36k annually.
#4. Forensic Linguist
- Source: Glassdoor
- Low Range: $13k per year
- High Range: $504 per year
- Median Pay: $67,220 per year
Forensic linguists study language to provide evidence in legal matters. They analyze texts and use their expertise to determine authorship, explain the meaning of messages, and help determine if written and spoken words are true or false.
Forensic linguistics has few educational requirements; however, forensic linguists typically hold a bachelor’s degree in a related field.
Forensic linguists have an average salary of $67,220 per year.
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#3. Lawyer-Linguist
- Source: Payscale
- Low Range: $43k per year
- High Range: $124k per year
- Median Pay: $77,687 per year
Lawyer-Linguists work in law firms and legal departments of corporations and other organizations. They specialize in the technicalities of language and its application to the law.
Lawyer-Linguists are also known as Language Lawyers, a term that refers to their expertise in both fields. They earn an average annual salary of $77,687, according to Payscale.
For those who are interested in becoming one, the educational requirements are steep. First, you must be a licensed lawyer with a Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school. Then you must complete additional training in linguistics and language analysis.
#2. Computational Linguist
- Source: Payscale
- Low Range: $46k per year
- High Range: $103k per year
- Median Pay: $80,330 per year
A computational linguist is someone who studies and applies computational principles to create algorithms that solve language problems. The job description of computational linguists involves using computer programming to optimize natural language processing software.
To become a computational linguist, you will generally need a postgraduate degree in the field. You’ll need an undergraduate degree in linguistics or computer science (or both) before you can apply for admission into a graduate program focused on computational linguistics.
You then may be able to choose between receiving your master’s degree or doctorate in the field, depending on your goals.
Computational linguists earn an average salary of $80,330 per year. This number can vary based on location and employer—for example, some research institutions may pay more than larger tech companies.
The job outlook for computational linguists is very good; it is expected to grow over the next decade as companies continue to invest in developing their own natural language processing.
#1. Linguistics Professor
- Source: Payscale
- Low Range: $54k per year
- High Range: $147k per year
- Median Pay: $81,738 per year
Linguistics Professors are responsible for teaching courses in grammar, the history of languages, and sometimes even foreign languages to students of all ages. They may also conduct research in their field and publish their findings.
Most professors work in colleges and universities, but some may teach in private schools or even online.
Becoming a linguistics Professor requires at least a Master’s degree in Linguistics, but many schools prefer candidates with a Ph.D. You may also need to spend several years as an assistant professor before being promoted to full professor.
According to Payscale, the average salary for a Linguistic Professor is $81,738.
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Conclusion
As graduates looking for employment, we always have certain expectations from the companies that we join. We want to do the job we love and be paid enough to support our families.
Consequently, the highest paying linguistics jobs in this list are the most sought-after careers for language majors as well. Their flexibility and high pay are two key factors that make these jobs so attractive to potential employees.
In this sense, it is also interesting that all these occupations require different levels of training. Some of these jobs can be obtained after a short period of relevant studies, while others require at least eight years of a college education.
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References
[3] https://www.ziprecruiter.com/
[4] https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/index.htm
Wow these are great
Despite us interpreters being called translator daily, that is not what we do.
Translators don’t really work speaking as your picture of a translator suggests and description of the job state. Translators read text in a language in which they are fluent and write a rendition in a different language in which they are also fluent. Translators work with WRITTEN language. A person that repeats a conversation into another language facilitating the communication of two people that do not speak the same language is an interpreter.
A translator can’t necessary interpret and vice-versa, different sets of skills are required for each.
And by the way, I am both a translator and an interpreter.
Really nice