Shortage of Translators

[Antonio]

China is continually experiencing a shortage of translators!

What this means for those teaching in China, is that if you manage to get a grasp of Chinese, then you can find yourself in demand by top translation companies. Furthermore you could always become a freelance Chinese to English translator.

China does not have enough qualified interpreters to translate from Chinese into foreign languages. The lack of professionals able to produce high-quality translations of Chinese into foreign languages has become one of the biggest constraints on China's exposure to the rest of the world.

China accounts for as much as 10% of the global translation market. China has 60,000 certified translators, while a conservative estimate places the number of professional translators at about 500,000. Translation companies are doing a roaring trade with some 3,000 registered translation companies in the country.

Globally, translation is a big business. So whether you live in China, Japan, Korea or wherever, trying to learn the local language on the side will be a big plus for your future career aspirations.

[kdavid]

What type of translation jobs are available? What do they typically pay?

[Antonio]

Translation would be from Chinese to English if you were a native English speaker. It's always done to the mother language of the translater.

Most jobs are for companies doing technical translation of manuals, procedures and so on. Rather dry work.

Rates you can expect are around US$20 / page where a page would be 300 words on average. Depends on your skill too, if your work needs proofreading after or not.

I suggest checking out Translators & translator resources - ProZ.com where freelance work can be searched on.