NUJ Rate for the Job: Translation

Updated: 2025-09-27

These rates have been reported by members of the National Union of Journalists and others, and printed in the Freelance, newsletter of London Freelance Branch. They are sorted by publisher/publication, then by date (most recent first). TIP: Use the "Find in page" command under your browser's "Edit" or "Search" menu to be sure of finding all occurrences of a publication/publisher. AND do note the year in which the rate was reported! See also the Freelance Fees Guide, which gives general recommendations. And read the disclaimer and the key to exactly what the entries mean.

Translation / all
Tell us what you've been paid for Translation / all		Freelance Fees Guide
Publication / Programme - details & terms	Group	Year		Total paid	GR	XXXX
Buzzfeed per day (unspecified language pairs)		2017		160.00
Daily Mail two days' work to gut a book, provide highlights and translate key passages 5-600 words	_Assoc	2012		450.00
ICT Update 1000 words		2012		60.00		XX
Louis Vuitton Travel Guides translation of guide book into English, per 1000 words		2014		180.00
Louis Vuitton Travel Guides translation of guide book into English, per 1000 words		2014		180.00
Louis Vuitton Travel Guides translation of guide book into English, per 1000 words		2014		180.00
Mail on Sunday fixer and translator day	_Assoc	2017		150.00		X
Academic client translating 19th-century texts from German to English: terms unclear!		2020		2100.00
Agency Fish Ltd inflight mags etc, per 1000	_Fish	2013		120.00
BBC World Service translation	_BBC	1995		35.00		X
Digital Radio Development Bureau from English into Simplified Mandarin (China), per 1000 paid by agency		2006		115.00
general translation translation		2007		85.00	GR
High Court interpreting day	_HMG	1998		200.00
International Road Transport Union website translation from Russian, 4000+ words		2014		460.00
International Road Transport Union website translation from Russian, 4000+ words		2014		460.00
Management consultancy platform internationalising a platform - English to Portuguese - advertised on Twitter - per 1000 words		2023		120.00
museum guide translation from English into German flat fee (no royalties) per 1000 words		2001		75.00
PR departments translations of PR texts and newspaper articles per 500 words		2016		40.00		XX
Reuters Interpreting, per 2hr session	_Reuter	1996		200.00
Scottish court interpreting Intrepretation work in the Scottish Courts -travel costs not covered (presume per hour)	_HMG	2012		18.00	GR	X
Sky TV Interpreting, per 2hr session	_NI	1996		200.00
Small specialist PR company research and translation per day, travel exes paid		2013		250.00		O
Text translation per 1000		1996		70.00
TF1 - TV France 2000 words (French/English)		2016		570.00
Translation German-English and English-German, non-technical, per A4 page (via #FreelancerPayGap)		2020		80.00
Translation German-English and English-German, technical, per A4 page (via #FreelancerPayGap)		2020		100.00
Translation agency proofing English-Nordic translations, per hour (agency charges client £45)		2006		30.00
Unnamed Public Relations departments translations of PR texts and newspaper articles per 1000 words		2016		80.00
Key to the rates, by column:
1 Publication / Programme, any details of work and licence
2 Owner at the time the rate was reported, where known	Group
3 The year in which the rate was reported		Year
4 Currency: either or or (US)
5 Amount paid (total of basic licence and extra licences for web use, database resale...)				Amount
7 "Going Rate" according to experienced NUJ members - do try to better it:					GR
or Minimum rate set out in NUJ House Agreement:					HA
8 Underpaid, in the fallible opinion of the Freelance editor:				50.00		X
or Just sometimes we're pleasantly surprised:				1500.00		O

Other rates:

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