# Interpreters and Translators

> Interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another.

- **SOC code:** 27-3091.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-27-3091-00
- **Also known as:** Interpreter, Medical Interpreter, Sign Language Interpreter, Translator, American Sign Language Interpreter (ASL Interpreter), Court Interpreter, Educational Interpreter, Linguist
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information.
- Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible.
- Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary.
- Compile terminology and information to be used in translations, including technical terms such as those for legal or medical material.
- Adapt translations to students' cognitive and grade levels, collaborating with educational team members as necessary.
- Refer to reference materials, such as dictionaries, lexicons, encyclopedias, and computerized terminology banks, as needed to ensure translation accuracy.
- Check translations of technical terms and terminology to ensure that they are accurate and remain consistent throughout translation revisions.
- Identify and resolve conflicts related to the meanings of words, concepts, practices, or behaviors.
- Check original texts or confer with authors to ensure that translations retain the content, meaning, and feeling of the original material.
- Compile information on content and context of information to be translated and on intended audience.
- Adapt software and accompanying technical documents to another language and culture.
- Educate students, parents, staff, and teachers about the roles and functions of educational interpreters.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- English Language _(knowledge)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_
- Foreign Language _(knowledge)_
- Speaking _(essential_skill)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Active Listening _(essential_skill)_
- Written Comprehension _(ability)_
- Written Expression _(ability)_
- Reading Comprehension _(essential_skill)_
- Customer and Personal Service _(knowledge)_
- Speech Recognition _(ability)_
- Speech Clarity _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Foreign Language _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Writing _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- Social Perceptiveness _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Hypertext markup language HTML _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Access _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- Productivity software _(in demand)_
- AceTools.biz Ace Translator
- Adapt It
- AmoK Translator
- Ashkon Translation Pad

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 91st percentile (High) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 79th percentile (High) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 75th percentile (High) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 100th percentile (High) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 43rd percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 1.7% growth (About average); 6.9k annual openings; 75.3k → 76.6k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $59,440; 53,360 employed.

## How people actually use AI here

Anthropic Economic Index — measured AI conversations mapped to this occupation's tasks:

- **Automation vs augmentation:** 57% automation, 40% augmentation (usage-weighted).
- **Autonomy median:** 3.0 (higher = AI acts more independently).
- **Dominant collaboration mode:** directive.

**Tasks most handed to AI here:**
- Read written materials, such as legal documents, scientific works, or news reports, and rewrite material into specified languages. _(45.2% of measured AI use; directive)_
- Proofread, edit, and revise translated materials. _(19.6% of measured AI use; directive)_
- Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible. _(2.2% of measured AI use; directive)_
- Adapt translations to students' cognitive and grade levels, collaborating with educational team members as necessary. _(0.8% of measured AI use; directive)_
- Compile terminology and information to be used in translations, including technical terms such as those for legal or medical material. _(0.7% of measured AI use; directive)_
- Check original texts or confer with authors to ensure that translations retain the content, meaning, and feeling of the original material. _(0.6% of measured AI use; task iteration)_
- Check translations of technical terms and terminology to ensure that they are accurate and remain consistent throughout translation revisions. _(0.5% of measured AI use)_
- Discuss translation requirements with clients and determine any fees to be charged for services provided. _(0.4% of measured AI use)_

**Example prompts (honest phrasings of the tasks above — starting points, not endorsed instructions):**
- Help me read written materials, such as legal documents, scientific works, or news reports, and rewrite material into specified languages.
- Help me proofread, edit, and revise translated materials.
- Help me translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible.
- Help me adapt translations to students' cognitive and grade levels, collaborating with educational team members as necessary.
- Help me compile terminology and information to be used in translations, including technical terms such as those for legal or medical material.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Anthropic Economic Index** (v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27)) — Anthropic. https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-27-3091-00_