How much to charge as a freelance translator

Translation is a skilled, technical and often complex job, especially if you’re a specialist in a particular industry. But as a freelance translator, how do you make sure you’re pricing your services accordingly?

In this guide, we’ll look at methods for pricing freelance translation services by word, page and project. We’ll also show you how you can make the most of your freelance earnings with Wise Business.

Table of contents

Word count vs time-based vs project-based pricing What's the Average Going Rate for Freelance Translators? What is the biggest factor that affects how much you can charge to translate a language? How to calculate your rate as a freelance translator Step 1: Decide on a pricing model Step 2: Assess the competition and language niche Step 3: Factor in your skills and experience Step 4: Cross-check your rate against the market Step 5: Account for your expenses Finalising your Freelance Translator Rate Card Manage your freelance income like a pro with Wise Business FAQs Are freelance translation rates negotiable? How does AI translation affect how much to charge as a freelance translator?

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Word count vs time-based vs project-based pricing

Word count pricing typically involves charging a fixed rate per a certain number of words, such as per 100 or 1,000 words.

Time-based pricing refers to charging based on the number of hours or days it takes to translate the document at hand.

Project-based pricing involves charging one lump sum for the entire translation project, irrespective of the number of words or how long it takes you to translate everything.

Word count pricing is the most popular pricing model for freelance translators due to the simple fact that the word count of the project directly correlates with how much work needs to be done.

So that you can easily scale up your pricing for longer texts, you’ll need a per-word rate - then, you can simply multiply this by the project word count. Alternatively, you can set a price per page.

This can be a straightforward way to price your services, as long as you’re aware of how long it takes you to translate text of a particular length.

However, it doesn’t always take into account the complexities of some projects, such as the need to seek clarification, carry out research or extra time spent working on nuanced passages.

Time-based pricing isn’t as common, but can be useful if you want to account for time spent on work beyond just the word count - such as handling difficult-to-read documents, seeking clarifications and in-depth research.

One thing to note about time-based pricing is that translators often avoid it due to the fear that translating something quickly will be penalised¹.

In reality, a more skilled freelance translator is likely to bill fewer hours and potentially earn less for the same project than a slower one.

In contrast, setting a custom price per project can provide clarity to you and the client alike.

Neither of you has to worry about the speed or scope of the task - but this approach can be risky for the translator if the project ends up taking much longer than expected.

What's the Average Going Rate for Freelance Translators?

The average going rate for freelance translators in the UK is 5p to 50p per word, or £18.20 per hour^2,3,4.

The rate can change depending on how common the language is and the complexity of the work. For instance, specialised or legal translation work commands higher rates, as it’s more complex.

When it comes to specific pricing for translation, it often comes down to how niche (or otherwise) the language is (or in other words, the perceived difficulty of the language and how widely it is spoken).

This affects the number of available translators sufficiently skilled in that language.

What is the biggest factor that affects how much you can charge to translate a language?

Supply and demand are arguably the most important factors in how much translation services typically cost.

The more competition there is in the market (such as for widely spoken languages like Italian, Spanish or French), the lower the average rate is likely to be.

However, if there’s a shortage of translators in a particularly niche language (such as Finnish) or a linguistically complex one (such as Japanese, for example) and this is what you specialise in, then you can usually charge much more as a freelance translator.

With such a broad number of variables, it can be difficult to find a baseline for your pricing model.

This means you’ll need to research what other freelance translators are charging within your particular language and industry specialism.

How to calculate your rate as a freelance translator

1. Decide on a pricing model
2. Assess the competition and language niche
3. Factor in your skills and experience
4. Cross-check your rate against the market
5. Account for your expenses

Step 1: Decide on a pricing model

The first thing you must do is decide whether to charge per set of words, by the hour, or per project.

Although pricing based on the word count is highly common, it isn’t always the best option. Your choice should depend on the specific nature of the work as well as both your and the client’s preferences.

💡 Tip: You can always mix up the pricing models if you prefer. For instance, you could charge per word count, but also an additional base rate for the entire project, depending on its complexity.

Step 2: Assess the competition and language niche

Generally speaking, the more niche the language, the more difficult it is to translate, and the more you can charge.

The supply of sufficiently skilled translators in the languages you read, write and speak directly affects the demand for your services.

If you have the ability to translate between more unusual language pairs, but so do others competing for the same clients as you, then you may need to drop your prices to get work.

Step 3: Factor in your skills and experience

The value you bring to a project is a direct reflection of your professional background, and this should be a cornerstone of your pricing strategy.

If you’re a newcomer, you can’t charge as much for obvious reasons. However, as you build a portfolio of successful projects and gather positive testimonials, your value increases.

Clients almost always pay more for a more experienced translator with an established track record - and for certain projects, this proof of quality is non-negotiable.

Trustworthiness and credibility are especially important for projects where mistakes and mistranslations could be really costly, such as legal contracts.

In these high-stakes scenarios, clients are paying you not just for your translation services but also for some level of assurance against reputational damage or even a business liability stemming from not being able to understand whatever it is you’re translating.

Step 4: Cross-check your rate against the market

A good place to start is to use a free online calculator⁵ to check your own rate.

This will give you a rough idea of a rate you can compare against other freelance translators offering a similar level of service and who are as experienced and skilled as you.

You can find others' rates on freelance sites like Upwork or Fiverr. Alternatively, head to Reddit and check relevant threads.

Note: Some freelance translation calculators online give you average rates per word and per hour for a number of language pairs, and you can filter results in your own currency too.

Step 5: Account for your expenses

It’s all well and good accounting for business expenses, but you must remember this is also your livelihood.

Therefore, you must factor in your living expenses, like how much you need to earn from your work to cover your bills and support your lifestyle.

Other expenses to consider are:

• Taxes - you might need to set aside a portion of your profits for Income Tax and National Insurance contributions.
• Pension contributions - to be able to retire comfortably (optional, depending on your circumstances)
• Time off - such as for holidays and sick days

Finalising your Freelance Translator Rate Card

Your final freelance translation rate card should look something like this (assuming you’re charging per word count for a language pair that isn’t too complex, such as German to English):

Nature of translation	Minimum rate per 1,000 words
General, non-technical, non-specialist	£105
Technical/specialist subjects	£120
Advertising/copywriting	£135
Transcreation/highly-creative copy	£150

Note: You may want to include a minimum charge on your rate card.

The benefit of this is that you may be able to encourage clients to offer you larger volume projects, which can make a significant contribution to your earnings - rather than lots of very small projects where you’ll earn hardly anything (but that takes up your valuable time).

You can also include an extra premium for rush jobs - this could be as high as 20% for projects with very tight deadlines.

Introducing Wise Business - the perfect business account for freelancers

Wise Business is a fantastic solution for global freelancers as it lets you send, receive, convert and hold money in 40+ currencies.

It gives you the option of generating custom invoices for free so you can charge your clients correctly using the rate card you’ve prepared.

What’s more, you get a Wise Business card to spend in 150+ countries while also earning 0.5% cashback on eligible purchases.

And best of all, you’re guaranteed the mid-market exchange rate on all currency conversions. This could save you a bundle compared to using a bank for multi-currency payments.

Simplify your freelance finances by opening a Wise Business account today.

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FAQs

Are freelance translation rates negotiable?

Yes - negotiation is common when working as a freelance translator, so you should definitely be open to discussions on price with your clients. This is especially important if you’re pricing per project.

This isn’t to say you should shortchange yourself. It’s important to set yourself a minimum rate (based on what you need to cover your expenses and earn a living) and know your value.

But otherwise, you can discuss rates with the client and find an acceptable compromise.

How does AI translation affect how much to charge as a freelance translator?

AI translation is a big threat to freelance translators who are doing simpler work, like translating marketing copy.

However, companies are still willing to pay a pretty penny for more complex and legal work, where they may not be comfortable inputting the details of that work into software or an AI tool like ChatGPT.

Therefore, the rule still holds that the more complex and sensitive the work, the more you can charge.

Sources:

1. American Translators Association, An Hourly Fee for Translation?
2. Espresso Translations, How much does a certified translation cost?
3. London Freelance, NUJ Freelance Fees Guide
4. Indeed, Freelance translator salary in United Kingdom
5. Atlas Translations, Price calculator

Sources last checked 10th October, 2025