What this occupation does
Interpreters and translators convert information from one language into another. The role spans simultaneous and consecutive interpretation, document translation, localisation, and terminology management across legal, medical, conference, and content settings.
The exposure score in context
The ILO 2025 refined Generative AI Occupational Exposure Index places interpreters and translators in the very high exposure gradient. ILO 2025 places translators and interpreters in the very high exposure gradient. Document translation is technically and contextually feasible for current generative AI at task level; the growing tasks are high-stakes interpretation, certified translation, and culturally sensitive localisation where accountability and nuance remain human.
The mapping uses ISCO-08 code 2643 (BLS-published SOC-to-ISCO crosswalk). The full methodology, including the dominant-match rule for one-to-many crosswalks, is at /methodology/#algorithm.
The top five tasks, classified
The top five O*NET 30.2 tasks for this occupation, each tagged Displaceable / Changing / Growing per the Brookings 2024 task-level rubric. The tag definitions are at /glossary/#displaceable-task, /glossary/#changing-task, and /glossary/#growing-task.
- Growing: Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signals, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible. Live interpretation in high-stakes settings (court, medical, diplomatic) involves judgement and accountability that remain human-led.
- Changing: Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary. AI live-listening tools are widely used; comprehension judgement remains human in high-stakes settings.
- Changing: Translate the spoken or written word into another language, taking into account cultural references, regional differences, idiomatic expressions, and contextual nuances. AI translation handles routine cases; cultural and idiomatic nuance for sensitive content remains human-supervised.
- Displaceable: Refer to reference materials, such as dictionaries, lexicons, encyclopaedias, and computerised terminology banks, as needed to ensure translation accuracy. Routine reference and terminology checks are technically and contextually feasible for current generative AI.
- Growing: Check translations of technical terms and terminology to ensure that they are accurate and remain consistent throughout translation revisions. Terminology consistency in regulated content (legal, medical) is augmentation-prone and grows as AI generates more candidate translations.
What is growing in this role
The BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 outlook for interpreters and translators is faster than average (+2% projected change, +1k jobs). Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Per the WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025, the top three growing skills relevant to this role are: AI and big data, Empathy and active listening, Technological literacy. The skills are mapped to the occupation's O*NET skills profile.
Brookings 2024 finds translation among the most-exposed knowledge work; certified translation, live interpretation, and culturally sensitive localisation are augmentation-prone.
Similar occupations
O*NET 30.2 lists the following related roles. Each links to its own deep dive where one is published.
- Writers and Authors
- Secondary School Teachers
- News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants
- Human Resources Specialists
Industry context
This role sits primarily in the Creative Industries industry. The industry-level rollup includes the cross-occupation exposure profile and the BLS-published industry-level outlook.
How this assessment was made
The full methodology is at /methodology/: ILO 2025 refined index for the gradient, Brookings 2024 rubric for the task tags, BLS 2024-2034 for the growth outlook, WEF 2025 for the skills demand. The pre-empted critiques are at /how-to-argue-with-this/.