| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8] > | How much do you make? Thread poster: Vytautas Kacerauskis
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Paul Dixon 
Brazil
Local time: 23:03
Portuguese to English
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This is the easy answer to this question.
Although my average monthly income is not bad when compared to the income of the average Brazilian worker, the big problem here is the massive tax burden that eats up all your money. In some months I pay out more in taxes than I receive, what with income tax, corporation taxes and consumer taxes of all kinds (at federal, state and municipal level). There are over one hundred different taxes in Brazil, and the big difference from other high-t... See more This is the easy answer to this question.
Although my average monthly income is not bad when compared to the income of the average Brazilian worker, the big problem here is the massive tax burden that eats up all your money. In some months I pay out more in taxes than I receive, what with income tax, corporation taxes and consumer taxes of all kinds (at federal, state and municipal level). There are over one hundred different taxes in Brazil, and the big difference from other high-tax countries like Sweden is that we get nothing at all in return.
[Edited at 2010-05-29 19:12 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Paula Borges
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:03
Member (2010)
English to Portuguese
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| Every profession | May 29, 2010 |
It is common in every profession that less experienced people get offered less than more experienced people.
I don't know why that has to be such a taboo in the translation market. When I quit my job to translate full time I did not expect to charge the same rates as translators with 20 years of experience. In 20 years, I expect my experience to pay off as well, it's just how it goes.
I agree with Rebekka, as freelancers people get to choose how much work they want to take, ho... See more It is common in every profession that less experienced people get offered less than more experienced people.
I don't know why that has to be such a taboo in the translation market. When I quit my job to translate full time I did not expect to charge the same rates as translators with 20 years of experience. In 20 years, I expect my experience to pay off as well, it's just how it goes.
I agree with Rebekka, as freelancers people get to choose how much work they want to take, how much time they want to spend doing other things, whatever makes them happy. That is the best part of being a freelancer. Someone's income may vary for many different reasons: how much work they accept, the demand for their language combination, their ability to promote themselves and make contacts, the quality of their work or even how they deal with people.
My apologies for assuming that was the minimum wage in Lithuania, I believe I was thinking of Portugal, where 500 EUR is the minimum wage.
I also agree that posting our earnings on the Internet for everyone to see is not something most of us will be willing to do. It could even cause some tension. We tend to discuss rates instead because they have nothing to do with other factors like workload, self-promotion and the demand for the language combination. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Top and low ends of the translation market | May 29, 2010 |
polyglot45 wrote:
My basic conclusion from all this is that, at the top end of the market, translation is a respected profession. At the lower end, it is not. Period.
Exactly! Moscow-based in-house translators can take home anywhere between EUR 400 and EUR 4,000 per month, probably more (on top of that employers may or may not offer meal vouchers, medical insurance).
| | | | wonita (X)
China
Local time: 22:03
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Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 19:03
English to German
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In memoriam
As if anyone would disclose their annual income in a public forum and to anyone other than their tax accountant and the tax authorities. Especially to an anonymous poster with an entirely empty profile. Good luck!
| | | | Laurent KRAULAND (X)
France
Local time: 04:03
French to German
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| OT: poverty threshold | May 30, 2010 |
If your yearly turnover is lower than € 32,000 when you are a French liberal professional , you are eligible for welfare money (at least some € 450 per month).
This can be compared to the affirmation of some "agency", which once said than freelance translators should be making at least € 65,000 gross income. Draw your own conclusions.
[Edited at 2010-05-30 04:55 GMT]
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That is an extremely good point!
| | | | Williamson
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:03
Flemish to English
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polyglot45 wrote:
However many people reply to you, you are almost certain to get a skewed picture of the situation.
Almost all the translators I know personally do not come to sites like this for work and are therefore well outside the average rate bands typical of such sites. Many of them have worked for international organisations, UN, EU, NATO, etc. before going freelance and have kept some business from their former employers.
As you are probably aware, staffer jobs in such organisations are VERY WELL paid (often tax-free). You also have the benefit of health insurance, pension schemes, etc. I am talking from personal experience.
None of the people to whom I am referring make, to my knowledge, less now they are freelancing than as staffers. They can command high rates because they have expert skills and - often - experience in particular highly specialist fields.
.Period.
So, why not take the income of those staffers as a yardstick, not the income in a Member-State of the E.U.? In fact, E.U., Nato and UN are the only employers who put a decent value upon the worth of a translator. All others pay from 20.000-30.000 p.a. gross.
The net income of a starting staffer is mentioned at the end of every open competition. (Around 45000 low-taxed euros (20%) a year net for 11 months of work without perks. Calculate for yourself how hard you will have to work and how much your rate must be to achieve the annual salary of a beginning translator. Those with a couple of years of service, who got promoted earn more (AD7) equals about 7000 per month x 12 without perks for 11 months of work (one month paid vacation). (The exact figures can be found on the Internet).
[Edited at 2010-05-30 09:02 GMT]
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The figures you mention are indeed part of the public domain. The problem with taking them as a yardstick is that you totally ignore the cost of living issue - I know that living in Brussels is not cheap, so not all that lovely money goes into your pocket or your bank account. What you earn is only one factor in the equation. What about all the rest (pensions, health insurance, availability of goods, future prospects...), to name but a few ?
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 04:03
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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| Are you hiding something, Nicole? | May 30, 2010 |
Nicole Schnell wrote:
As if anyone would disclose their annual income in a public forum and to anyone other than their tax accountant and the tax authorities.
If you've told the tax authorities the truth about your income, then why hide it from the rest of the world, Nicole?
| | | | Williamson
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:03
Flemish to English
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| Comparing apples and apples | May 30, 2010 |
or apples and oranges?
polyglot45 wrote:
The figures you mention are indeed part of the public domain. The problem with taking them as a yardstick is that you totally ignore the cost of living issue - I know that living in Brussels is not cheap, so not all that lovely money goes into your pocket or your bank account. What you earn is only one factor in the equation. What about all the rest (pensions, health insurance, availability of goods, future prospects...), to name but a few ?
I have lived in Brussels too and have wandered in that city since 1977. So, I know the cost of living in Brussels. When I lived there, the cost of living was 350 euros to rent a flat in the rue Philippe le Bon. To rent the same flat in the same renovated house today, you'll need three times that amount. Due to the income (and perks) of those "staffers" the cost of living in Brussels trippled in the last 20 years..
Most of those staffers live in the most expensive part of Belgium, mostly South of Brussels (Kraainem, Wezenbeek-Oppem, Tervuren, Waterloo, Lasne).
No many bother to rent/buy property East of Brussels, where you can find islands of tranquility too.
Future prospects: Brussels is a multilingual as can be. You can find 3 universities in its perimeter, the German, English, French, Japanese and whatever other school.
Besides the perks (housing allowance, children at special schools, when they grow up payment for their tuition and books,...) are such that "the cost of working and living in Brussels" is largely compensated.
On the public domain, you also find that pensions, health insurance, are far better than that of say the average Belgian official working in the building next door.
4000 net for a E.U.-translator, €1650-1800 (public domain too) for a translator forced to translate both ways or he does not get the job at say the Museum for Natural Sciences or any Belgian government service, except for the Belgian Parliament where salaries are bit higher (without perks).
I'd say that if you know your way around and live the lifestyle of the average Belgian official (translator), half of it goes into your bank-account.
What yardstick should I use?
The income of an in-house translator, working for a government body in the most expensive E.U. member-state or the income of other professionals (a dentist in Brussels earns gross €150 per hour on an average if he has three patients ), my freelance I.T.-aquaintance monthly income is about €6000 gross, subject to Brussels costs and Belgian taxes)?
As a freelance translator, you can only earn well if you charge good rates and are based in a low-taxed country or if you are a "staffer" (career-possibilities).
Earning enough to survive is not good enough.
[Edited at 2010-05-30 11:13 GMT]
| | | | | not hiding anything | May 30, 2010 |
good point Samuel about not hiding anything...
Indeed, several people have already disclosed their income in this forum, as I have done. I have nothing to hide. But as I said, if people don't want to talk about their own income, that's fine. I already mentioned at least five times that people can speak very generally about incomes of translators in their environment, but I guess some only read the title of my post. Some people have given very interesting general observations without dislos... See more good point Samuel about not hiding anything...
Indeed, several people have already disclosed their income in this forum, as I have done. I have nothing to hide. But as I said, if people don't want to talk about their own income, that's fine. I already mentioned at least five times that people can speak very generally about incomes of translators in their environment, but I guess some only read the title of my post. Some people have given very interesting general observations without dislosing their personal income. For instance it was very interesting to learn that in Moscow you can earn up to 4000 euros IN HOUSE!
Speaking of the mentioned EU institutions, I have a number of friends in Brussels and Luxembourg working as interpreters, translators, lawyer linguists. They make 3500-6000 net depending on their exact position (lawyer linguists and interpreters make more than just translators). It also depends on your experience etc. By the way Heads of Units for translation make around 8000 eur, if my information is not outdated. (I myself work for an EU institution, only freelance, not in-house)
Yet Lithuanian colleagues of mine working in house for the EU do not account for any significant portion of the total number of translators. Definitely, they are at the hight end of the pay, and very few. if any, LT freelancers, can match what they earn.
But as someone correctly mentioned, there's the factor of higher living costs. My friends in luxembourg pay 1000 eur for a studio-type appartment monthly, whereas I pay 300 eur for a three-room appartment in a rather prestigious city part in LT. And I can get a full meal with a beer at a good restaurant for 6 eur.
An additional important factor that makes working full-time for an EU institution is that you have to either leave your family for several years and go there alone, or take them with you, which may create a number of obvious practical and emotional difficulties. ▲ Collapse
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| some more on EU | May 30, 2010 |
continuing my previous response, I wanted to add that the seemingly high wages for in-house EU translators are not only a reflection of their supposedly high qualifications (not always true), but also a compensation for having to leave your country, possibly your family and go live in a country with usually much higher living costs. Also a compensation for an enormously lengthy period of exams, interviews and other recruitment procedures if you apply through EPSO (may last up to two years or so... See more continuing my previous response, I wanted to add that the seemingly high wages for in-house EU translators are not only a reflection of their supposedly high qualifications (not always true), but also a compensation for having to leave your country, possibly your family and go live in a country with usually much higher living costs. Also a compensation for an enormously lengthy period of exams, interviews and other recruitment procedures if you apply through EPSO (may last up to two years or so from your application to actual recruitment)
And a large number of linguists are recruited not through EPSO, but as temporary staff to work for periods ranging from 10 months to 3 years. With no guarantees of extension. And obviously with no guarantess that once you return to your country, you'll find your old clients waiting for you with open arms. These short-term opportunities really seem to me as suited only for starting, inexperienced translators. ▲ Collapse
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Samuel Murray wrote: Nicole Schnell wrote:
As if anyone would disclose their annual income in a public forum and to anyone other than their tax accountant and the tax authorities. If you've told the tax authorities the truth about your income, then why hide it from the rest of the world, Nicole?
Are you sure that everyone reading this thread has "heavenly thoughts" in mind?
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 04:03
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
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Nicole Schnell wrote: As if anyone would disclose their annual income in a public forum and to anyone other than their tax accountant and the tax authorities. Especially to an anonymous poster with an entirely empty profile. Good luck!
I'm not even sure of motives for asking the broad public such a question. What will they gain/get from such information? Honestly, what?
Let's discuss the most probable motives for asking such a question.
IMO, the question is intrusive.
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