mmia 2006 compensation survey summary report prepared by: gregory figaro, culturesmart, inc
TRANSCRIPT
MMIA 2006 Compensation MMIA 2006 Compensation Survey Summary ReportSurvey Summary Report
Prepared by:
Gregory Figaro, Culturesmart, Inc.
AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements 7 MMIA member-Interpreter
Reviewers MMIA Executive Committee Susan S. Fish, PharmD, MPH,
Co-Director, MA in Clinical Investigation, Boston University School of Medicine
MMIA members who answered the questionnaire
The MMIA 2006 Interpreter Salary Survey is published in accordance with federal and state privacy and antitrust laws. It meets all the conditions set forth by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission that apply to compensation surveys.
What Methodology was What Methodology was Used?Used?
Survey developed between August and September 2006
Pilot survey tested and reviewed during September 2006
Comments and feedback integrated into final survey instrument
Professional researcher reviewed final survey instrument for construct validity
What was the Process Like?What was the Process Like? Questionnaire sent by email to MMIA
membership Two follow-up email reminders Survey opened on 10/3/06 and closed
on 11/1/06 Not a scientific survey Data is self-reported
Survey ContentSurvey Content 73 Questions One question: Screen out employers and
interpreters in administrative roles 9 Questions: Geographic location,
Demographics: race, gender, ethnicity, age, language, length of time in U.S.
11 Questions: Education, training and work experience
50 Questions: Wages, benefits, work settings, employment status
Sample QuestionSample Question
What is the highest level of training in interpreting you have received?
Workshop at my place of work or otherInterpreter training certificate programUndergraduate level college interpreter
training/education programGraduate level college interpreter
training/educationOther (please specify)
Who Participated?Who Participated?1326 MMIA members with valid emails invited to participate
426 Members responded and completed online survey
30 U.S. States where MMIA respondents are located
75% of respondents located in Massachusetts
Classification of RespondentsClassification of Respondents Of the 426 respondents, the initial question
screened out 80 employers (managers, coordinators, directors)
Six interpreting compensation categories1. Staff medical interpreters2. Freelance medical interpreters3. Staff legal interpreters4. Freelance legal interpreters5. Translators6. Telephone / Video / Remote interpreters
What questions What questions were on our minds?were on our minds?
Where are MMIA interpreters working? What are the base salaries and salary
ranges? How does compensation compare between
different variables?o specialtieso freelance vs. staff statuso general educational levelso interpreter trainingo demographicso regions
Distribution of RespondentsDistribution of Respondentsby Primary Source of Workby Primary Source of Work
28%Freelance Medical Interpreters
25%Staff Medical Interpreters
Freelance Social Service Interpreters
11%
1%
6%12%
4%
4%4% 5%
Freelance Legal Interpreters
Staff Legal Interpreters
Staff Social Service Interpreters
Staff Translators
Freelance Translators
Telephone / Video Interpreters
Other
Number of RespondentsNumber of Respondentsper Massachusetts Regionper Massachusetts Region
40
32
41
17
166
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Boston or Greater Boston
North of MA, incl. Southern NH
South of MA, incl. Cape andIslands and Providence Area
Central MA / Worcester area
Western MA, incl. Springfieldarea and Berkshires
Languages Spoken by Languages Spoken by RespondentsRespondents
6
5
6
7
4
10
3
3
57
8
89
3
11
1
111
1
1
1
1
12
2
1
1
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Albanian
Amharic
Arabic
Armenian
ASL
Cantonese
Cape Verdean or Portuguese Creole
Chinese
Croatian
English
Farsi
French
Haitian or French Creole
Greek
Hindi
Italian
Khmer
Korean
Kurdish
Polish
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Spanish
Tibetan
Tigrinya
Vietnamese
Racial Distribution of Racial Distribution of RespondentsRespondents
12%
11%
74%
2%
0%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
American Indian or AlaskaNative
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or OtherPacific Islander
White
General FindingsGeneral Findings
89%of interpreters report having received 40 or more hours of interpreter training
66%of interpreters also work as translators while only 41% have received training in translation and 17% are accredited translators
71%of respondents report Portuguese or Spanish as their primary language
80%of respondents are female
74%of respondents report their racial identity as white
55%of respondents are Hispanic or Latino
109Number of Ethnicities reported
56%of respondents hold a bachelor’s, master’s or higher degree
43%of interpreters have less than 5 years of work experience as an interpreter
What is the highest level of What is the highest level of training in interpreting you have training in interpreting you have
received?received?
9%
73%
10%
5%
4%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Workshop on interpreting atmy place of work or other
Interpreter training certificateprogram
Undergraduate level collegeinterpreter training/education
program
Graduate level collegeinterpreter training/education
Other
How many hours of training How many hours of training was this program?was this program?
4%
8%
43%
20%
26%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Less than 8 hours
8 hours to 39 hours
40 to 60 hours
61 to 180 hours
More than 180 hours
How many years of work How many years of work experience experience
do you have as an interpreter?do you have as an interpreter?
45%
30%
13%
7%
6%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Less than 5 years
5 to 10 years
11 to 15 years
16 to 20 years
More than 20 years
Staff Medical Interpreter Staff Medical Interpreter WagesWages
15%
40%
32%
9%
3%
1%
0%
0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Less than $10.00 per hour
$10.01 to $15.00 per hour
$15.01 to $20.00 per hour
$20.01 to $25.00 per hour
$25.01 to $30.00 per hour
$30.01 to $50.00 per hour
$50.01 to $100.00 per hour
$100.01 or more per hour
Freelance Medical Interpreter Freelance Medical Interpreter WagesWages
5%
29%
32%
15%
16%
2%
0%
1%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Less than $10.00 per hour
$10.01 to $15.00 per hour
$15.01 to $20.00 per hour
$20.01 to $25.00 per hour
$25.01 to $30.00 per hour
$30.01 to $50.00 per hour
$50.01 to $100.00 per hour
$100.01 or more per hour
Freelance Legal Interpreter Freelance Legal Interpreter Wages*Wages*
4%
4%
24%
44%
20%
4%
0%
0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Less than $10.00 per hour
$10.01 to $15.00 per hour
$15.01 to $20.00 per hour
$20.01 to $25.00 per hour
$25.01 to $30.00 per hour
$30.01 to $50.00 per hour
$50.01 to $100.00 per hour
$100.01 or more per hour
*not statistically significant.
Human / Social ServicesHuman / Social ServicesStaff Interpreter Wages *Staff Interpreter Wages *
5%
5%
21%
5%
47%
16%
0%
0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Less than $10.00 per hour
$10.01 to $15.00 per hour
$15.01 to $20.00 per hour
$20.01 to $25.00 per hour
$25.01 to $30.00 per hour
$30.01 to $50.00 per hour
$50.01 to $100.00 per hour
$100.01 or more per hour
*not statistically significant.
Human / Social Services Human / Social Services Freelance Interpreter WagesFreelance Interpreter Wages
3%
15%
13%
26%
33%
10%
0%
0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Less than $10.00 per hour
$10.01 to $15.00 per hour
$15.01 to $20.00 per hour
$20.01 to $25.00 per hour
$25.01 to $30.00 per hour
$30.01 to $50.00 per hour
$50.01 to $100.00 per hour
$100.01 or more per hour
Next Steps / Next Steps / RecommendationsRecommendations Publish & distribute MMIA Interpreter Compensation
Survey Report (will be posted on www.mmia.org in Spring of 2007)
MMIA plans to conduct yearly compensation surveys
Propose a standard survey tool in association with other interpreter organizations
Propose a national yearly interpreter compensation survey