Free translation tools now turn a page of text into dozens of languages in seconds, so translators and interpreters have good reason to ask whether their profession has a future. The data shows a language profession under real pressure, with high exposure for translation, but also continued demand and a job that is moving toward reviewing, adapting and taking responsibility for the final text.
The short answer: AI is changing translation more than most professions, but today's data does not point to translators and interpreters disappearing. The ILO's 2025 index places translators, interpreters and other linguists in its significant-exposure band, one of the higher scores among professional jobs. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects slow growth from 2025 to 2035 and says AI tools are making translation work more efficient while many of these jobs cannot be entirely automated. No projection is certain.
How exposed language jobs are
How to read the table: the mean task score runs from 0 to 1, and the band is the ILO's grouping, from not exposed through minimal exposure to gradient 4, the highest (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025). More on the method in will AI take my job?
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Translators, Interpreters and Other Linguists | Gradient 3 | 0.59 |
| Authors and Related Writers | Gradient 3 | 0.55 |
| Journalists | Gradient 3 | 0.54 |
| Travel Consultants and Clerks | Gradient 3 | 0.56 |
Note that the ILO puts translators and interpreters in one group. Written translation is mostly text work, which generative AI handles; live interpreting happens in rooms, hospitals, courts and on video calls, with people and real-time judgment involved.
What the BLS projects
The BLS projects employment of interpreters and translators to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, slower than average, with about 6,000 openings a year. It expects a diverse US population and increasing globalization to create demand, an ongoing need for military and national security interpreters and translators, and growing demand for American Sign Language interpreters due to the increasing use of video relay services (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
On AI, the BLS says computer tools, including AI, are making the work of translators and localization specialists more efficient, but that many of these jobs cannot be entirely automated because, in its words, computers cannot yet produce work comparable to what human translators do in most cases.
Tasks moving to AI
- First-draft translation of routine text: product listings, support articles, internal documents.
- Translating large volumes of content for a first read.
- Keeping terminology consistent across documents.
- Generating subtitles and transcripts for review.
- Drafting localized versions of marketing copy.
What stays with the translator
- Reviewing and editing AI drafts: post-editing is now a large part of the work in many settings.
- Checking meaning: Generative AI can state wrong things fluently; NIST names this risk confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). A fluent sentence can still say the wrong thing. See checking AI output.
- Culture and context: humor, tone, idioms, local references and what will offend.
- High-stakes text: legal, medical, financial and safety material where someone must answer for the translation.
- Live interpreting: real-time, in-person or on-screen work with people, including sign language.
- Confidentiality: deciding what client text may go into an AI tool. See AI agents and personal data.
What this means for the job
For many translators, the work is shifting from translating from scratch to editing machine drafts, managing terminology and taking responsibility for the final version. Rates and volumes for routine text are under the most pressure. Translators with subject expertise, such as legal, medical or technical, and interpreters working live with people are best placed. Those who can manage AI tools and check output quickly can take on more work.
See also will AI replace writers?, will AI take my job? and remote AI jobs.
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for interpreters and translators at $60,170 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: bachelor's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace translators?
Not entirely on current evidence. The BLS projects 2 percent US growth for interpreters and translators from 2025 to 2035 and says many of these jobs cannot be entirely automated, though AI tools are making the work more efficient.
How exposed are translators to AI?
The ILO places translators, interpreters and other linguists in gradient 3, significant exposure, with a mean task score of 0.59, among the higher scores for professional jobs.
Will AI replace interpreters?
Live interpreting involves real-time work with people and settings such as healthcare, courts and video relay. The BLS expects growing demand for American Sign Language interpreters.
What translation work stays human?
Editing and checking AI drafts, cultural and contextual judgment, high-stakes text, live interpreting and protecting confidential material.
Is translation still a good career?
Demand is projected to grow slowly. Specialists in legal, medical or technical fields, interpreters and translators who can manage AI tools are best placed.