This is an incredibly vague question I get all the time from aspiring medical interpreters and medical interpreters looking to obtain an additional contract with a company, or medical interpreters looking a change of pace with a different employer. If you post this question in any of the interpreting groups I moderate or administer on Facebook, I will deny it. Why? Because without more details, this question is impossible to answer. The following details should be included when asking anyone this question:
- Are you certified? Do you have a certificate of training from a medical interpreter training program of at least 40 hours?
Click here if you don’t have at least 40 hours of medical interpreter training. - What language do you interpret?
- How much experience do you have as an interpreter?
Click here if you don’t have any experience as an interpreter. - Are you looking for a contract/freelance (1099) position or a position as an employee (W2)?
- Are you looking for an in-person, OPI (over-the-phone interpreting), or VRI (video remote interpreting) position?
- Are you located in the United States or outside of it?
- If you are located in the U.S., what U.S. state do you live in?
This question is especially relevant for in-person interpretation, but could have an impact on remote interpretation as well.
All of the answers to these questions will determine what types of jobs will be available to you and where you can look to find jobs. If you ask the incredibly vague question, “What companies are hiring?” you’re going to get a lot of leads to a lot of companies that likely won’t hire (or contract you) and you’ll waste a lot of time, as well as the time of the people who are kind enough and generous enough with their time to provide you with answers.
Speaking of this last point: if you expect other people to do all the work of finding open positions for you that meet your criteria without looking yourself, you will have a hard time getting into the field of interpretation. Being an interpreter, especially being a contract or freelance interpreter, requires a lot of work. If you’re not willing to put the work into finding a job, you’re likely not sufficiently motivated enough to go through all the other steps that go into getting a job as an interpreter, let alone doing the work required to consistently sharpen your skills. Being an interpreter requires a lot of discipline and perseverance.
I recognize that getting started as an interpreter can be difficult and confusing, which is why I try to provide so many free resources to current and aspiring medical interpreters. That being said, I have many people ask me the same questions and expect me to do a lot of work for them that could be answered with a simple Google Search. If you appreciate this page or any of the free resources I’ve created, consider supporting me on Ko-Fi!
Big Companies That Seem to (Almost) Always Be Hiring
Disclaimer: Just because I share a link to a company does NOT mean that I work for or with these companies, that I will be able to give you additional information, or that they are actively hiring. Sharing of these links also is no indication of whether or not these are good companies to work for. Not including a link to a company in this list does not mean I think it’s a bad company. I may not have included a company because they do not have a listing of available jobs available on their website, among other reasons.
You can also check out this list of the top 100 Language Service Providers in 2023 by CSA, but there is no guarantee these companies are hiring and they may not have job listings on their websites.
- AMN
AMN also has many positions open for both on-site and remote for many different languages. I am not sure if this is for both U.S. and internationally-based interpreters or not, so please reach out directly to AMN with any questions. You will need to search these results. - Cyracom
Cyracom often has positions available at their call centers as an employee, and as a contractor working from home. They do list starting pay. Requirements are minimal. You need to search the site to see their openings. - Globo
Globo has a lot of positions available both on-site and remote for many different languages, both for U.S.-based interpreters and internationally-based interpreters. You will need to search these results to find opportunities in your language. - Jeenie
Jeenie has a list of all their remote interpretation opportunities at this link. Some positions are international, others are for U.S.-based interpreters only, and all of them appear to be contract positions. - MasterWord
MasterWord adds positions to this page for U.S.-based interpreters, both in-person and remote. There is also a button on the page you can click on, “Language Professional Application,” if you don’t see your language listed to submit your resume for their consideration. - TransPerfect
- Go to this link if you are looking to become an employee with TransPerfect. You will need to search the results for your language. They appear to have both in-person positions in their call centers in the U.S. and remote international positions available for remote interpreting.
- Go to this link if you are looking to become a contractor/freelancer with Transperfect. In order to apply you will have to create an account. I’m not sure if they have remote or in-person contract/freelance positions.
List of Job Positions Kelly Created
These are Mostly In-Person Positions
I’m the main/active moderator on a large Facebook group called U.S. Medical Interpreters, and there is a post that is always pinned to the top of our Facebook group where I (and others) post open job positions we’ve heard about. Most of the positions that are posted are in-person employee positions at hospital systems, but some of them might be contract or remote opportunities. I update this post on a monthly basis and delete positions that are no longer open. In order to access this post you will need to:
- Have a Facebook account
- Request to join the group AND answer all membership questions completely
- Go to the group and at the top of the page you’ll see an image with big text that says “WHAT COMPANIES ARE HIRING?” this is the post.
- You can also access the U.S. Medical Interpreters list of medical interpreter jobs here. But again, you have to be a member!
Job Websites to Find Interpreter Jobs
As opposed to specific companies with job listings on their websites, these websites list a variety of jobs from many industries and can sometimes be useful for finding both contract and employee positions as an interpreter.
- LinkedIn
LinkedIn is my absolute top recommendation for finding interpreter jobs. It’s also really great for finding other interpreters who interpret the same language, which can be useful for a variety of reasons. Create a complete profile (trust me, this is worth it) and sometimes companies will reach out to you directly! This is how I get a lot of jobs as a freelance in-person medical interpreter in Richmond, Virginia. I highly suggest posting regularly and following language services companies (LSPs) on LinkedIn and people with the role “recruiter” or “recruiting specialist” in their job title. You’ll see job alerts and you can even search open jobs on the platform. Feel free to add me on LinkedIn or on my other social media accounts! - GlassDoor
You’ll need to create an account to even access GlassDoor, but in my early days as a medical interpreter I’d find both contract and employee positions for both in-person and remote interpretation. - Indeed
Indeed is a lot like GlassDoor, but you can search the site without having an account. Then, if you find a position you want to apply to, you’ll likely have to make an account. I also found both contract and employee positions for both in-person and remote interpretation here in my early days as a medical interpreter.
There are, of course, other job sites that likely have interpreting jobs available, but I’ve decided to just list the ones here that I have personal experience with.
Companies to Follow on Social Media (including LinkedIn)
Another way you can stay abreast of job openings is to follow language service companies (LSPs) on social media like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I list some companies in the section “Big Companies that (Always) Seem to be Hiring” but you can also check out this list of the top 100 Language Service Providers in 2023 by CSA.
Career Coaching
If you’re really struggling to find medical interpreting jobs in the U.S., I do offer Career Coaching through my Ko-Fi services page. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for in-person or remote positions, I’m experienced in giving guidance for both! While I am a Spanish medical interpreter in Richmond, Virginia, I am completely capable of giving guidance to interpreters of other languages.
Why Don’t You Do Career Coaching for Interpreters Outside of the U.S.?
If you’re interpreting outside of the U.S., it’s a completely different ballgame. Without the (still minimal) legal protections afforded U.S. interpreters in the U.S., as well as many other factors, it can be incredibly difficult to find a position as an interpreter outside of the U.S. with humane working conditions and decent pay, even adjusted for the cost of living in your country. If you need interpreting career advice and you’re based outside of the U.S., I’d recommend connecting with other interpreters from your country.
I do have one piece of advice for medical interpreters working outside of the U.S.: never forget that you are deserving of a living wage and humane working conditions, even if the company you’re working for denies you these things. The NCIHC (National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare) says in their Standards of Practice:
24. The interpreter advocates for working conditions that support quality interpreting.
For example, an interpreter on a lengthy assignment indicates when fatigue might compromise interpreting accuracy.
These Standards of Practice apply to you too. This means that you have one of the top reference documents from one of the top medical interpreting organizations in the U.S., that many LSPs (language service companies) include in their trainings and encourage their interpreters to follow, that you are entirely justified in speaking up for yourself if you aren’t given the conditions you need to do your job properly!
