Translators, Terminologists, and Interpreters
Job description
Translators translate texts from one language into another.
Interpreters express orally in one language what has been said in another language.
Terminologists list terms, define them, and search for their equivalents in another language. They are self-employed or work in:
- Translation and interpreting firms or internal services
- The government
- Large companies
- International organizations
- From the media
Sign language interpreters express in sign language what has been said in spoken language (and vice versa). They are self-employed or work in:
- Educational institutions
- Interpretation services
- Social services
- Courts of law
- Government services
- Television stations
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
Main tasks
Translators and translator-editors
- Translating written documents from one language to another.
- Faithfully convey the content, context, and style of the source text.
- Adapt technological applications and technical documents to another language and culture.
- Edit and correct the translated texts.
- Train and supervise other translators as required.
Terminologists
- Establish terminology specific to a sphere of activity.
- Carry out terminological research to prepare and maintain databases.
- Manage, update, and disseminate the linguistic information collected.
- Provide consulting services to translators, interpreters, and technical writers.
Interpreters
- Express in one language what was said in another language.
- Make simultaneous, consecutive, or whispered interpretations.
- Provide interpretation services before courts of law or tribunals.
- Provide interpretation services for conferences, meetings, and symposia.
- Provide interpretation, if required, for travellers and native or foreign language speakers.
- Train other interpreters, as required.
Sign Language Interpreters
- Express in sign language what was said in speech language (and vice versa) simultaneously or consecutively.
- Work in French and in Quebec Sign Language (LSQ).
Advancement and mobility
- These individuals may specialize in various fields (administrative, literary, scientific translation, etc.).
- Interpreters may specialize in court, parliamentary, or conference interpreting.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $21.95
- Median
- $35.64
- Maximum
- $51.28
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
All of Québec
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
All of Québec
Gender distribution
All of Québec
- 71.9% Female
- 28.1% Male
- 71.9% Female
- 28.1% Male
Job types
All of Québec
- Full time
- Part time
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- Non traditional for men
- None
All of Québec
- Non traditional for men
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
-
NAICS 5418, 541962% of jobs
-
NAICS 9110% of jobs
-
NAICS 5411, 54123% of jobs
-
NAICS 613% of jobs
-
NAICS 54153% of jobs
-
Others19% of jobs
All of Québec
-
NAICS 5418, 541962% of jobs
-
NAICS 9110% of jobs
-
NAICS 5411, 54123% of jobs
-
NAICS 613% of jobs
-
NAICS 54153% of jobs
-
Others19% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
University
English literature or English, language of instruction
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 56.5%
21.7% of graduates pursue further studies
French literature or French, language of instruction
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 40.8%
53.4% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 63.9%
26.4% of graduates pursue further studies
French or English language or literature
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 18.8%
75% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 75%
25% of graduates pursue further studies
Linguistics
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 38.8%
57.6% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 83.3%
Modern language or literature other than French or English
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 57.6%
36.4% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 50%
35% of graduates pursue further studies
Translation
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 80.1%
10.2% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 82.9%
11.4% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
- Membership in the Ordre des traducteurs, interprètes et terminologues agréés du Québec (OTTIAQ [Quebec Order of Certified Translators, Interpreters, and Terminologists]) to bear the reserved titles of certified translator, certified terminologist, and certified interpreter.
- Language transfer courses.
Sometimes required
Translators
- Two to five years of full-time translation experience in a language pair may be required.
Sign Language Interpreters
- A certificate or an accreditation in Quebec Sign Language Interpretation (LSQ) may be required.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Active listening
- Oral expression
- Reading comprehension
- Information processing
- Written expression
- Critical thought
- Result evaluation
- Active learning
- Coordination
- Teaching
- Judgment and decision-making
- Service oriented
- Social perception
- Learning strategies
- Time management
- Solving complex problems
Abilities
- Oral comprehension
- Verbal skills
- Speech recognition
- Speech clarity
- Written comprehension
- Written expression
- Near vision
- Information organization
- Awareness of issues
- Auditory attention
- Selective attention
- Hearing sensitivity
- Deductive reasoning
- Inductive reasoning
- Classification
- Originality
- Time sharing
- Perception speed
- Information processing speed
Knowledge and attributes
- Capacity to work under pressure
- Knowledge of the French language
- Autonomy
- Spoken and written bilingualism (French and English)
- Knowledge of customer and personalized services
- Capacity to work in a team
- Rigour
- Attention to detail
- Commitment to quality
- Knowledge of a foreign language
Interests
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Work in an office
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Artistic
- People with this profile prefer to express their emotions and thoughts through various art forms. They like to use their imagination.
- Social
- People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
Official name of the NOC 51114
Translators, terminologists and interpreters
Job titles
- Certified Terminologists
- Certified Translators
- Certified Interpreters
- Legal translator
- Quebec sign language (lsq) interpreter
- Interpreter
- Community interpreter
- Cultural interpreter
- Escort interpreter
- Conference interpreter
- American sign language (asl) interpreter
- Elbow interpreter
- Consecutive interpreter
- Sign language interpreter
- Sign language platform interpreter
- Visual language interpreter
- Simultaneous interpreter
- Court interpreter
- Deaf interpreter
- Oral interpreter
- Interpreter for persons who are deaf
- Educational interpreter
- Tactile interpreter
- Localiser - linguistics
- Reviser - translation
- Cultural or international adaptation specialist
- Terminologist
- Legal terminologist
- Medical terminologist
- Terminology advisor
- Jurilinguist translator
- Literary translator
- Medical translator
- Scientific translator
- Technical translator
- Translator adaptor
- Translator-reviser
- Translator
- Foreign broadcast translator
- Foreign news translator
- Transliterator
Skill type
Art, culture, recreation and sport
Last update: January 29, 2026