SOC 27-3091 · Salinas, CA metro

Interpreters and Translators Salary in Salinas, CA

The average salary for interpreters and translators in Salinas, California is $75,080 a year ($36.10 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $62,720: half of the 560 people in this job in the Salinas, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 11% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,848).

$75,080average per year

$36.10 / hourMedian $62,720Take-home ≈ $58,715

  • $50K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $63KMedian
  • $106K75th
  • $106K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

560people in this job
+11%vs U.S. metro average
#9 of 16California metros
109cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Interpreters and Translators pay range in Salinas

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,270 a year or less, while the top 10% make $106,470 or more. The middle half of interpreters and translators in Salinas earn between $50,310 and $106,410.

  • $50K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $63KMedian
  • $106K75th
  • $106K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$75,080$6,257$36.10
Median$62,720$5,227$30.15
Entry level (25th percentile)$50,310$4,192$24.19
Experienced (75th percentile)$106,410$8,868$51.16

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Interpreters and Translators salary after taxes in Salinas

On the average salary of $75,080, a single filer in Salinas takes home about $58,715 a year, or $4,893 a month and $2,258 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

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Is Salinas a good place for interpreters and translators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Salinas area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 109.0), so the average $75,080 buys what about $68,854 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Salinas ($47,380). A typical home costs $850,461, or 11.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $75,080 is worth in another city

Interpreters and Translators salary in other California cities

Salinas ranks 9th of 16 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($93,650).

All Interpreters and Translators salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for interpreters and translators

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($93,650).

Interpreters and Translators salary by city

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Interpreters and Translators salary in Salinas: questions

How much do interpreters and translators make an hour in Salinas?

$36.10 an hour on average, and $30.16 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level interpreters and translators salary in Salinas?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,270 a year and the 25th percentile is $50,310, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the interpreters and translators take-home pay in Salinas?

About $58,715 a year ($4,893 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $75,080. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do interpreters and translators earn more in Salinas than elsewhere?

The average here is 11% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,848).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 27-3091; area Salinas, CA (41500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 13.0%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 8.97, this job is 9.0 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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