What does a spanish interpreter/translator do?
Spanish Interpreters or translators are communicators who specialize in the translation of the Spanish language to another language (usually English) and vice versa. Most of the time, they are Spanish natives who are well-versed in the English language. There are some instances when Spanish interpreters or translators are foreign students of the language who have grown to speak and understand Spanish at an almost native speaker level. They are responsible for ensuring that the translated words remain in the same context as the original language used. They should also be able to translate fast to ensure swift communication.
Spanish interpreter/translator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real spanish interpreter/translator resumes:
- Lead an international team of HUMINT collectors for the NATO mission in Bosnia where overt and covert collection protocols are observed.
- Accompany soldiers on combat missions to provide accurate and efficient translation between Iraqi civilians and American soldiers.
- Translate Turkish advertising into English; write original English language copy as required and provide other localization expertise.
- Assist in effectively communicating client needs/concerns while professionally relaying pertinent information to breech language barriers and resolve conflicts.
- Train soldiers to perform in a combat environment including tactical navigation, military communications, and several types of weapons.
- Qualify to deliver and provide Somali assistance through conversation.
- Obtain and verify patient financial information, eligibility for Medicaid and kidney health care.
- Maintain relevant knowledge of Medicaid, Medicare, insurance policies, disease terminology, and medical diagnosis terminology.
- Provide oral Somali interpretation in simultaneous and consecutive modes during proceedings, hearings, interviews and other court relate events.
- Create education and promotional materials relate to Latino health and wellness.
Spanish interpreter/translator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 32% of Spanish Interpreter/Translators are proficient in Patients, Medical Terminology, and Medical Procedures. They’re also known for soft skills such as Business skills, Cultural sensitivity, and Dexterity.
We break down the percentage of Spanish Interpreter/Translators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 32%
Translated for Spanish speaking patients during medical examinations and assisted in filling out medical questionnaires.
- Medical Terminology, 12%
Understand complex medical terminology and concepts.
- Medical Procedures, 11%
Interpret medical procedures, treatment instructions pertaining to medications, diagnosis and other complex information.
- Phone Calls, 11%
Make phone calls to parents in Spanish to update them on children's behavior in school.
- Spanish Language, 9%
Certified as a Spanish translator, with numerous Spanish language only probationers
- Target Language, 6%
Transcribed and translated audio/video and written materials to and from target language, edited and proofread finished work.
Common skills that a spanish interpreter/translator uses to do their job include "patients," "medical terminology," and "medical procedures." You can find details on the most important spanish interpreter/translator responsibilities below.
Business skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a spanish interpreter/translator to have is business skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "self-employed interpreters and translators must be able to manage their finances." Spanish interpreter/translators often use business skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provide spanish translation and interpretation services for the medical, legal, and business. "
Cultural sensitivity. Another essential skill to perform spanish interpreter/translator duties is cultural sensitivity. Spanish interpreter/translators responsibilities require that "interpreters and translators must be aware of expectations among the people for whom they are helping to facilitate communication." Spanish interpreter/translators also use cultural sensitivity in their role according to a real resume snippet: "facilitate cross-cultural communication for non-english speaking patients of all ages. "
Dexterity. spanish interpreter/translators are also known for dexterity, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to spanish interpreter/translator responsibilities, because "sign language interpreters must be able to make quick and coordinated hand, finger, and arm movements when interpreting." A spanish interpreter/translator resume example shows how dexterity is used in the workplace: "interpreted for simultaneous hands-on maintenance and trainings between afghan air force technicians and dyncorp international technicians. "
Interpersonal skills. For certain spanish interpreter/translator responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "interpersonal skills." The day-to-day duties of a spanish interpreter/translator rely on this skill, as "interpreters and translators must be able to put clients and others at ease." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what spanish interpreter/translators do: "devoted to interpersonal skills with strong orientation to customer service. "
Listening skills. Another common skill required for spanish interpreter/translator responsibilities is "listening skills." This skill comes up in the duties of spanish interpreter/translators all the time, as "interpreters must pay attention when interpreting for audiences to ensure that they hear and interpret correctly." An excerpt from a real spanish interpreter/translator resume shows how this skill is central to what a spanish interpreter/translator does: "communicated with patients on behalf of chiropractors, dentists, doctors and nurses. "
The three companies that hire the most spanish interpreter/translators are:
- St. Luke's Health System3 spanish interpreter/translators jobs
- Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health3 spanish interpreter/translators jobs
- Kelly Services2 spanish interpreter/translators jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable spanish interpreter/translator resume templates
Build a professional spanish interpreter/translator resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your spanish interpreter/translator resume.
Compare different spanish interpreter/translators
Spanish interpreter/translator vs. Cryptologic linguist
Cryptologic linguists are lingual professionals who are responsible for using signals equipment to identify and analyze foreign communications. These linguists must assist intelligence community analysts in translating open source and sensitive materials as well as producing comprehensive reports about the daily activities of their enemies. They are required to supervise a team of other linguistic professionals to provide transcriptions and analysis from foreign communications. Cryptologic linguists must also identify the languages spoken at target geographic areas of interest.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between spanish interpreter/translators and cryptologic linguist. For instance, spanish interpreter/translator responsibilities require skills such as "patients," "medical terminology," "medical procedures," and "phone calls." Whereas a cryptologic linguist is skilled in "tip," "government agencies," "national security," and "signals intelligence." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Cryptologic linguists tend to reach lower levels of education than spanish interpreter/translators. In fact, cryptologic linguists are 7.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.7% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Spanish interpreter/translator vs. Arabic linguist
Arabic linguists are experts who interpret and translate research or business documents that are written in the Arab language or its dialects. These linguists are required to advise peers and superiors about the Arabic language and culture while providing inputs of written reports developed from target materials utilizing the specific Arabic language. They must conduct simultaneous interpretations of conversations during diplomatic meetings and conferences. Arabic linguists must also create and manage Arabic language training for the newly hired linguists.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, spanish interpreter/translator responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "patients," "medical terminology," "medical procedures," and "phone calls." Meanwhile, an arabic linguist has duties that require skills in areas such as "english language," "transcription," "language," and "cultural knowledge." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Arabic linguists earn similar levels of education than spanish interpreter/translators in general. They're 2.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Spanish interpreter/translator vs. Translator
A translator is an expert of one or multiple languages, responsible for transcribing communication between parties for easy comprehension. Translators often work with written documents, relaying the core context and original message from the source. They should also be able to translate jargon, slang, cultural expressions, and related technical terms in an understandable format, depending on the level of the target audience. A translator must be highly fluent with the language to render ideas accurately, as well as have excellent time-management skills to meet project deadlines.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from spanish interpreter/translator resumes include skills like "patients," "medical procedures," "phone calls," and "social services," whereas a translator is more likely to list skills in "translation services," "web pages," "english-language," and "subtitles. "
Translators make a very good living in the technology industry with an average annual salary of $58,098. On the other hand, spanish interpreter/translators are paid the highest salary in the energy industry, with average annual pay of $68,373.Most translators achieve a similar degree level compared to spanish interpreter/translators. For example, they're 2.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Spanish interpreter/translator vs. Bilingual interpreter
A bilingual interpreter is responsible for translating communications from one language to another without compromising the focus of the context. Bilingual interpreters manage verbal and written interactions between parties, including the translation of complicated terminologies to comprehensive statements with the same meaning. They should be excellently familiar with the style and structure of their language expertise to translate codes effectively. A bilingual interpreter must have excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as coordinating with different kinds of people efficiently to assist clients in their daily tasks.
Types of spanish interpreter/translator
Updated January 8, 2025
