by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Court Interpreter involves the study of A Program Of Study That Prepares Individuals To Provide Accurate Translation And Interpretation Between Two Or More Languages For Parties Involved In A Legal Proceeding. Includes Instruction In Courtroom Standards And Procedures, Court Interpreting, Legal Terminology, Consecutive Interpretation, Simultaneous Interpretation, And Sight Translation. Continue reading for the essential details every court interpreter major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering court interpreter programs.
Across the country, court interpreter is a widely-pursued major, with 2 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Court Interpreter Schools ranking analyzes these 1 schools to determine the best overall colleges for court interpreter students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of court interpreter programs later in this article.
Studies in Court Interpreter build a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations court interpreter graduates commonly enter.
Skills built by a court interpreter program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a court interpreter major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several court interpreter degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 2 |
People currently working in careers related to court interpreter tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 48.6% |
| Master’s degree | 24.8% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 9.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 7.7% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 5.2% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 3.3% |
| Some college courses | 0.6% |
| First professional degree | 0.3% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in court interpreter careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying court interpreter prepares you for a variety of career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to court interpreter.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to court interpreter.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Interpreters and Translators | 424,722 | 12.2% |
| Legal Support Workers, All Other | 197,456 | -0.5% |
| Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners | 51,457 | 8.7% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of court interpreter graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $37,277 |
| 4 years | $37,648 |
| 5 years | $42,965 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for court interpreter graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers court interpreter grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Legal Support Workers, All Other | $80,735 |
| Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners | $76,955 |
| Interpreters and Translators | $52,627 |
With 1 different court interpreter programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased court interpreter school rankings to help you.
Students interested in court interpreter, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 9,493 |
| Legal Administrative Assistant/Secretary | 403 |
| Court Reporting and Captioning/Court Reporter | 380 |
| Legal Support Services, Other | 212 |
| Scopist | 2 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
