UK Linguists Earn GBP 30 per Hour for LSP Work, CIOL Survey Finds

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Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Nikki Scott-Despaigne  Identity Verified
Local time: 02:16
French to English
Meaning of "to earn" Nov 6, 2019

The term "earn" is usually employed to describe take-home pay. In the case of self-employed individuals, I suppose that "to earn" means net, once all the usual contributions have been deducted. If "to earn" is, in fact, being used here to describe the hourly rate invoiced, then perhaps this could be indicated.

[Edited at 2019-11-06 14:59 GMT]


Felicita Ratti
Franco Rigoni
Ute Nossmann
 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
@Nikki Nov 6, 2019

Maybe it’s a British thing, but here what you say you earn is before tax unless stated otherwise. In this case, the linked article says that it’s the freelancer’s hourly rate that is being referred to.

Chris Foster
 
fateme cheraghi
fateme cheraghi
Iran
Local time: 04:46
English to Persian (Farsi)
+ ...
to earn in general Nov 6, 2019

to earn means get money by working, and deserve what one has worked for

 
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Nikki Scott-Despaigne  Identity Verified
Local time: 02:16
French to English
@Nikki Nov 8, 2019

Chris S wrote:

Maybe it’s a British thing, but here what you say you earn is before tax unless stated otherwise. In this case, the linked article says that it’s the freelancer’s hourly rate that is being referred to.


Yes, the article does refer to gross hourly rate.
The title is still ambiguous though. Note that I referred only to contributions and not to tax; I meant before (income) tax. Once the compulsory contributions have been deducted, the level of gain is sometimes below that of income tax.


 
Sasha Barral-Robinson
Sasha Barral-Robinson
France
Local time: 02:16
Member (2009)
French to English
+ ...
@nikki Nov 25, 2019

Yes, it is ambiguous. I read the original CIOL document and if I remember correctly it was an average figure too, so some people will be earning much more, and others much less. And of course, this is a gross figure. If you're in France a large amount will go to paying tax, and of course you're also paying for your retirement fund, equipment, internet fees, training costs out of that too; and potentially, holidays if any freelance translator can still afford to take a holiday. : )

[Edited
... See more
Yes, it is ambiguous. I read the original CIOL document and if I remember correctly it was an average figure too, so some people will be earning much more, and others much less. And of course, this is a gross figure. If you're in France a large amount will go to paying tax, and of course you're also paying for your retirement fund, equipment, internet fees, training costs out of that too; and potentially, holidays if any freelance translator can still afford to take a holiday. : )

[Edited at 2019-11-25 10:31 GMT]
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mmarie
 
mjbjosh
mjbjosh
Local time: 02:16
English to Latvian
+ ...
J Nov 25, 2019

I am a freelancer, and this sounds like very little money, we earn netto 440 in the EU, and they even pay something for the pension. Working since 2009, I already have above 200K collected. I hope I will not live too long and soon die in Spain.

 
Daryo
Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:16
Serbian to English
+ ...
I was thinking of letting it pass ... Jan 29, 2020

but then the prospect of this figure of 30 GBP per hour being bandied around and regurgitated at nauseam is not really something anyone sensible would wish.

This figure presuming to be an "average earning" has be taken with a shovelful of salt ....

And not only because the majority of translators DO NOT charge "per hour".
Nor because even interpreters DO NOT charge "per hour" - at least professionals - who would charge PER DAY, with a minimum of half-day
... See more
but then the prospect of this figure of 30 GBP per hour being bandied around and regurgitated at nauseam is not really something anyone sensible would wish.

This figure presuming to be an "average earning" has be taken with a shovelful of salt ....

And not only because the majority of translators DO NOT charge "per hour".
Nor because even interpreters DO NOT charge "per hour" - at least professionals - who would charge PER DAY, with a minimum of half-day

If you want more details, all you can find is lots of comments about the report. When you finally get hold of the original "Survey report", you are none the wiser about its relevance.

If this "survey" was done with the same methodology as their current survey about "Careers and Qualifications", this figure of £30 per hour is to be handled with gloves.

It was an automated online survey, with apparently no checks whatsoever - anyone could fill the survey with any figures they fancy.

Even assuming that all answers are totally accurate (meaning that everyone filling the survey gave the same and correct meaning to all terms used and knew how to calculate the right figures), there is still no guarantee whatsoever that those who answered the survey are in any way a "representative sample" of anything, as the inclusion criteria seems to have been as precise as "anyone with interest in languages", anywhere in the world!.

In brief, this figure is about as relevant as would be an "average hourly earning of a taxi driver" obtained through an online survey where anyone with a passing interest in driving could declare any figure they fancy, putting together professional drivers of luxury limousines with black cab drivers, minicab drivers, Uber drivers and moonlighting amateurs, and in a final push to make the figure more relevant, in the mix was added about 30% of answers given by people not even living in UK.


[Edited at 2020-01-29 22:41 GMT]

[Edited at 2020-01-29 23:02 GMT]
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UK Linguists Earn GBP 30 per Hour for LSP Work, CIOL Survey Finds







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