How much does an interpreter cost?
On Remoto, professional remote interpreting for the most-requested language pairs typically costs $0.50–$2.11 per minute, all-in and billed by the second — the live English ↔ Spanish median is $0.80/min. By comparison, traditional providers typically publish ≈ $1.50–$4.00/min for phone interpreting, ≈ $3.00–$5.00/min for video, and ≈ $50–$150+/hour (plus minimums and travel) for on-site interpreters.
The rates below are computed live from 8,700+ verified interpreters — not estimates.
Live interpreter rates by language pair
Median and typical (middle 50%) all-in prices per minute, aggregated hourly from interpreters' published rates. Click a pair to see the available interpreters.
| Language pair | Median /min | Typical range /min | Interpreters |
|---|---|---|---|
| English ↔ Spanish | $0.80 | $0.60–$1.68 | 1,360 |
| English ↔ French | $1.00 | $0.60–$1.87 | 600 |
| English ↔ Portuguese | $0.76 | $0.50–$1.60 | 578 |
| English ↔ Arabic | $0.72 | $0.50–$1.63 | 470 |
| English ↔ Italian | $1.10 | $0.62–$1.87 | 448 |
| English ↔ Russian | $0.82 | $0.60–$1.31 | 436 |
| English ↔ English | $0.60 | $0.50–$1.02 | 374 |
| English ↔ Chinese | $0.80 | $0.60–$1.60 | 350 |
| English ↔ German | $1.33 | $0.82–$2.11 | 270 |
| English ↔ Turkish | $0.80 | $0.60–$1.60 | 225 |
All-in prices including the platform fee, in USD. Pairs with fewer than 5 interpreters are excluded to keep the statistics meaningful.
Interpreter cost comparison: remote vs on-site
Typical published price ranges across the industry. Traditional-provider figures vary by vendor, language and volume — treat them as ballparks and always request the exact rate.
| Service type | Typical cost | Billing model |
|---|---|---|
| Remoto on-demand (video or audio) | Live rates below — most pairs well under $2/min | Per second, $0.50 minimum, no subscription |
| Traditional over-the-phone interpreting (OPI) | ≈ $1.50–$4.00 per minute | Per minute, often with contracts or monthly minimums |
| Traditional video remote interpreting (VRI) | ≈ $3.00–$5.00 per minute | Per minute, usually quote-based |
| On-site interpreter | ≈ $50–$150+ per hour | Hourly, commonly 2-hour minimums plus travel |
Worked example: a 20-minute medical appointment
At the live English ↔ Spanish median of $0.80/min, a 20-minute on-demand video call costs about $16.00 (typically $12.00–$33.60). The same session at a traditional VRI rate of $3.00–$5.00/min would run $60.00–$100.00, and an on-site interpreter would usually bill a 2-hour minimum regardless of how short the visit is.
- Rate locked and shown before you connect
- Billed by the second — no rounding up
- No subscription, no contract, no monthly minimum
What determines what an interpreter costs?
Language pair
High-supply pairs (Spanish, French, Mandarin with English) cost less than rare pairs, because more interpreters compete for the work. On Remoto you can compare live rates per pair before you book.
Specialty and certification
Medical, legal and court-certified interpreters typically charge more than generalists — their training and credentials are part of what you're paying for.
Session type
On-demand calls are billed by the second at the interpreter's published per-minute rate. Scheduled bookings are paid per session, and conference (simultaneous) work is priced by interpreters and languages needed.
Extras
On Remoto the only add-on is optional call recording (+$0.10/min, charged only when you turn it on). Traditional providers may add connection fees, minimums or after-hours surcharges — always check the fine print.
Interpreter cost FAQ
How much does an interpreter cost per minute?
On Remoto, interpreters set their own per-minute rates and most in-demand language pairs land well under $2 per minute all-in, billed by the second. Traditional remote interpreting services typically publish rates of $1.50–$4.00 per minute for phone and $3.00–$5.00 per minute for video.
How much does an interpreter cost per hour?
On-site interpreters typically charge around $50–$150+ per hour, often with a 2-hour minimum plus travel. Remote interpreting is usually far cheaper for short sessions because you only pay for connected minutes — a 20-minute video call on Remoto often costs less than a single on-site minimum.
How much does a medical interpreter cost?
Certified medical interpreters command premium hourly rates on-site (often $100+ per hour with minimums). Remote medical interpreting on Remoto is billed per minute at the interpreter's published rate — browse medical interpreters to see live rates for your language pair before you commit.
Are there subscriptions, contracts or minimums?
Remoto has no subscription and no contract: you pay per second of connected time at the rate shown before you connect, with a small $0.50 minimum per call. Many traditional providers require contracts, monthly minimums or volume commitments.
Is the price shown the full price?
Yes. The per-minute rate you see in the Remoto directory and at checkout is the all-in price, including the platform service fee. Optional call recording (+$0.10/min) is always shown before you confirm.
Why are interpreter rates different for every language pair?
Supply and demand. Rates are set by the interpreters themselves, so pairs with many available interpreters tend to be cheaper, while rare pairs or specialist credentials cost more. The live table on this page shows real medians and typical ranges by pair.
See the exact rate for your language pair
Browse live per-minute rates from verified interpreters — no account needed to compare prices.