Translation Rates
Want to know what influences the cost of translation services or to get an estimate of translation rates for your project? We’ve outlined these answers for you below AND developed a translation cost calculator that will deliver a personalized list of translation prices to your inbox instantly.
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How much do
translation services cost?
The industry standard for quoting translation rates is either by word or by hour. The actual cost of translation services varies depending on a few factors, such as the languages you require, the translator's location and cost of living, or specific subject expertise.
We'll share a bit more about what influences translation rates in the next section.
Translation cost per word
Most translation quotes are based on a per-word rate from the original document. For this reason, a crucial first step in managing costs is to ensure your original content is clear, concise, and complete to prevent additional charges occurring due to changes made to the source text.
Translation rates also vary by content type, with different per-word costs reflecting the content’s objectives and expertise required to meet the unique audience demands.
This section outlines the average translation cost per word for the following types of content:
- Marketing translations
- Technical document translations
- Software localization
- E-learning translations
Marketing translation cost per word
Marketing translations require a careful approach to tone and style, as well as a deep understanding of the brand’s essence to ensure that the messaging resonates consistently across cultures. Headlines, taglines, and calls-to-action may require transcreation—a specialized service that adapts creative content while preserving the original emotive impact.
As such, marketing translation rates from English range on average from USD 0.087 to USD 0.206 per word, depending on the scope and target language. In the context of a 1,000 word document, that would be between USD87 to USD206.
Additional services, like transcreation, SEO translation, and website localization, are often integrated into localization efforts to boost campaign impact and maximize relevance in target markets.
Technical document translation cost per word
Accuracy is paramount for technical documents like user manuals or product guides. Such translations demand rigorous terminology consistency to ensure the information is easily understood by users across different languages. Tools like termbases and translation memory assist in maintaining uniform terminology throughout the document, which is especially valuable in regulated industries.
The average cost per word to translate technical documents such as user manuals or knowledge bases from English to another language is between USD 0.052 to USD 0.118. This means a 1,000 word guide would have an average cost of USD52 to USD118.
Software localization cost per word
Software localization brings unique challenges, as it involves adapting user interfaces, applications, and digital tools across languages and cultures. Beyond standard translation, the process ensures that text elements, such as error messages, instructions, or UI labels, are accurate, concise, and culturally relevant.
Layout compatibility is also essential, as translated text must fit within defined spaces without compromising the design. This complexity of matching linguistic elements to functional and visual constraints places software localization rates from USD 0.069 to USD 0.163 per word. This means translating 1,000 words in a software or app would come up to approximately USD 69 to USD 163.
E-learning translation cost per word
E-learning materials often consist of text and multimedia components such as audio, videos, and interactive elements to make learning more engaging. Typically, content is split into text-based translation and multimedia localization, allowing for more controlled costs and precise adaptation of instructional elements.
The average translation rate for text in e-learning materials varies between USD 0.087 to USD 0.206 for a document in English. This means a 1,000 word file would cost between USD87 to USD206.
Specialized multimedia translations for videos and interactive components are often handled by the hour or per video minute, as discussed in the hourly cost section.
Translation cost per hour
In some instances, translation work is billed by the hour. This is common for localization tasks such as transcreation, reviewing, SEO translations, voiceovers, or video translations, which involve more in-depth tasks on top of just translating words. Hourly pricing accounts for these specialized efforts, as well as expert-level localization tasks that go beyond per-word estimates.
Multimedia and video translation costs
Video translations require additional steps and services, including subtitling, voiceover, and sometimes transcription. As these tasks go beyond word-for-word translation, they’re generally priced based on video length, with costs reflecting the complexity of the translation and production processes. The final cost can be influenced by factors like subject complexity and preferred video formats.
The table below outlines an example of the average cost of translation services for a 5-minutes, 30-minutes, and 1-hour video. However it is important to note that various factors, such as those detailed in the section below, can impact the final cost.
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| Subtitling (Soft-coded) |
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| Multimedia Engineering (Audio integration, on-screen text integration) |
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| Transcription |
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| Ai Voiceover (Example: German) |
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Calculate translation costs6 factors that impact the cost of translation services
A number of factors can and will influence the cost of translation services. We've outlined six of the most prominent ones below.
Want to know what your project might cost? Try out our translation cost calculator for a quick, personalized estimate!
Languages
The language pairs required (e.g. Spanish to English) and their complexity (e.g. common vs. rare languages) directly impact the cost. Furthermore when working with native speakers, the country's cost-of-living and average wages also determine translation costs.
For example, translating Swiss language variants are more expensive than the same languages spoken in France, Germany and Italy, as Switzerland has the highest cost of living and fewer native speakers than the other three countries.
Type of content
Different content types have varying translation complexities. For example, technical documents might require specialized terminology, while marketing materials demand creative adaptation.
Subject matter
The subject matter can influence the complexity of the translation. Technical, legal, or industry-specific content often requires translators with specialized knowledge.
Project management
Many free, self-service translation tools require you to manage the entire project. However outsourcing translation project management frees your team from the burden of planning, coordinating, and ensuring quality. With expert support, even complex projects are streamlined, allowing your team to focus on higher-level priorities and strategic work.
Human or machine translation
Which translation method you choose depends on content type and budget. Human translation is generally more expensive but ensures higher accuracy and cultural sensitivity. Machine translation can be cost-effective for basic text but typically require post-editing.
To manage costs while ensuring quality, it’s possible to opt for a hybrid of these methods.
Additional services
Additional services to fine-tune processes and quality, such as file preparation, proofreading, editing, desktop publishing, or cultural adaptation can impact the final cost.
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For example, the average cost of a marketing translation from English can fall between USD 0.087 to USD 0.206 per word whilst a translation of a technical document may range between USD 0.052 to USD 0.118.