Not Very Resilient
Last Update: 8/30/2026
AI Resilience Score for Interpreters & Translators:
24.4%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
Low
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
Med
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Low
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
This result is backed by strong agreement across multiple data sources.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forInterpreters and Translators
$60,170 median salary•6,000 annual openings•SOC Code: 27-3091.00
Interpreters and Translators are less resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 8 sources.
Interpreting and translating is labeled "Not Very Resilient" because AI tools like DeepL, Google Translate, and ChatGPT can already handle a huge portion of the routine, everyday translation work that used to require a human, and the field is only projected to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, which is slower than almost every other career out there. The core tasks of the job, like drafting translations, checking terminology, and rewriting text, are increasingly being done by AI right inside professional software, leaving humans mostly in a reviewing and polishing role.
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Interpreting and translating is labeled "Not Very Resilient" because AI tools like DeepL, Google Translate, and ChatGPT can already handle a huge portion of the routine, everyday translation work that used to require a human, and the field is only projected to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, which is slower than almost every other career out there. The core tasks of the job, like drafting translations, checking terminology, and rewriting text, are increasingly being done by AI right inside professional software, leaving humans mostly in a reviewing and polishing role.
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View analysisChat with CoachLatest newsMore career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreAnalysis of Current AI Resilience
Interpreters & Translators
Updated Quarterly
How is AI changing Interpreters & Translators jobs?
If you're thinking about becoming a translator or interpreter, it's fair to feel a mix of curiosity and concern — this field is being reshaped by AI faster than almost any other. Modern AI tools are already handling large chunks of the routine work. Certain jobs are at very high risk, like interpreters and translators (98%) and historians (91%), with tools such as ChatGPT, DeepL, and Google Translate doing many of their tasks, according to a statistics roundup from Datarefs [1] updated in August 2026.
Much of this is augmentation rather than pure replacement: professional platforms are baking AI directly into the translator's workflow. MultiLingual reports [2] that the new Trados Studio 2026 offers significant performance, AI and terminology enhancements, including brand new options to bring the world's most advanced AI translation engine, Language Weaver Pro, into the Trados ecosystem, and Trados Studio 2026 also brings large language models (LLMs) directly into the professional translation workflow. That means the "reference dictionaries," terminology checks, and first-draft rewriting listed as core tasks are increasingly done by AI, while humans review, polish, and handle high-stakes decisions.
Interpreting is next: an AImultiple analysis [3] notes that recent college graduates may struggle as AI reduces demand for junior knowledge workers, while call-center employees, translators, software professionals, and other workers performing routine digital tasks face a higher risk of displacement.
Sources
How fast is AI adoption growing for Interpreters & Translators?
Adoption is moving quickly because the tools are cheap, widely available, and produce "good enough" results for lots of everyday content. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics [4] now projects that employment of interpreters and translators is projected to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, slower than the average for all occupations. Despite limited employment growth, about 6,000 openings for interpreters and translators are projected each year — a clear signal that AI is dampening demand.
But social, legal, and ethical guardrails are slowing full replacement in high-stakes settings. The American Translators Association reports [5] that it led a massive grassroots and legislative push against Wisconsin Assembly Bill 377, which proposed allowing AI-powered tools to replace court-certified human interpreters... Thanks to these coordinated efforts, the bill officially failed to pass the Senate on March 19, and the ATA is advocating for the integration of human, qualified professional interpreters in government-funded programs to replace reliance on unvetted, automated AI solutions.
The takeaway: routine translation is being automated, but confidentiality, ethics, mentoring, and high-stakes interpreting in courts, hospitals, and classrooms still need trained humans — so specializing in those areas is one of the smartest moves a young language professional can make.
Sources
Will AI replace Interpreters & Translators?
In part. We think AI will eventually automate a real share of this work, but human language professionals still have a meaningful role to play, especially in high-stakes settings.
Our 24.4% AI Resilience Score reflects how exposed this field already is. Tools like DeepL and Google Translate are handling routine translation at scale, and AI is now embedded directly into professional platforms like Trados Studio [2]. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects only 2% employment growth through 2035, slower than average, a clear sign that AI is absorbing demand [4].
That said, not everything is being automated. Courts, hospitals, and classrooms still need trained human interpreters, and advocates are actively fighting to keep it that way. The American Translators Association successfully helped defeat a Wisconsin bill that would have allowed AI tools to replace certified court interpreters [5]. Confidentiality, ethics, and cultural nuance remain genuinely hard for machines to get right.
If you love languages, the smarter path is to specialize in high-stakes, relationship-driven work, and to build skills that travel: cross-cultural communication, legal or medical knowledge, community advocacy. Those abilities matter in education, international business, public health, and policy. The field is shrinking in some directions, but it is opening in others.
Sources
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Latest AI news for Interpreters & Translators
These articles highlight the significant impact of AI on translation and interpretation careers. For instance, the study from Microsoft shows that roles involving communication, such as translators, are increasingly at risk due to automation. Additionally, the article from Mezha.net discusses how AI tools are reducing demand for human translators, affecting job security and income. However, understanding these challenges can foster "AI resilience." Students can adapt by enhancing their skills in areas where human insight and creativity remain invaluable, ensuring they stay relevant in a changing landscape.
Declining income, no consent: AI eats into Korea's creative, language workforce
www.koreatimes.co.kr • 4/24/2026
Voice actors, webtoon artists, interpreters say technology trained on their work is now taking their jobs...
AI Disrupts Human Translators Jobs and Income Globally
mezha.net • 1/23/2026
AI translation tools are drastically reducing demand for human translators, impacting incomes and job security worldwide, with experts...
Microsoft Study Reveals Which Jobs Are Most Vulnerable to AI. Is Your Position at Risk?
www.investopedia.com • 12/6/2025
Microsoft researchers argue that jobs involving writing, research, and communication, such as translators, journalists, and historians,...
AI Killed My Job: Translators
www.bloodinthemachine.com • 8/21/2025
Few industries have been hit by AI as hard as translation. Rates are plummeting. Work is drying up. Translators are considering abandoning...
Eight Key Insights from “AI and the Future of Translation and Interpretation”
www.middlebury.edu • 5/8/2024
Over 8000 people recently listened to a special event with top employers, academics and practitioners on AI and the future of translation...
More Career Info
Career: Interpreters and Translators
They help people understand each other by changing spoken or written words from one language to another.
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Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$60,170
Jobs (2025)
73,900
Growth (2025-35)
+2.0%
Annual Openings
6,000
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-2035
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Travel with or guide tourists who speak another language.
2
Train and supervise other translators or interpreters.
3
Educate students, parents, staff, and teachers about the roles and functions of educational interpreters.
4
Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information.
5
Adapt translations to students' cognitive and grade levels, collaborating with educational team members as necessary.
6
Discuss translation requirements with clients and determine any fees to be charged for services provided.
7
Identify and resolve conflicts related to the meanings of words, concepts, practices, or behaviors.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
