Honest US market guide rates for translation, interpreting, transcription, and subtitling, with a fixed written quote in 60 minutes.
As a guide, certified translation in the US starts at around $24.95 per page, standard translation runs about $0.10 to $0.25 per word, and on-site interpreting typically costs $45 to $95 per hour with a two-hour minimum. These are typical US market ranges; your written quote from Prism Linguistics confirms the exact price within 60 minutes during business hours.
Last reviewed August 24, 2026 by the Prism Linguistics editorial team
Most language companies make you call for a number. We would rather show you the honest ranges first, explain what moves them, and then confirm your exact price in writing. This page covers guide rates for our full range of translation services and interpreting services, plus transcription and subtitling, in one place.
One thing to keep in mind while you read: every figure here is a typical US market range, not a Prism price list. Language, subject, and deadline all shift the number. Send your details through the quote form or call +1 (833) 282 8883 and you get a fixed price for your exact job.
Most professional translation in the US is priced per source word, the word count of the document you send in. That keeps the price predictable: the count is fixed before work starts, so the price is too. As a guide, expect roughly $0.10 to $0.25 per word depending on the language pair and the subject matter.
| Type of work | Typical US guide rate | Typical turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| General business content, common language pairs | $0.10 – $0.16 per word | 3 – 7 business days |
| Legal, medical, financial, technical | $0.14 – $0.20 per word | 3 – 10 business days |
| Rare languages, specialist subject matter | $0.18 – $0.25+ per word | 5 – 14 business days |
| Short certificates, priced per page (certified) | From around $24.95 per page | Usually 24 – 48 hours |
A Spanish employee handbook lands near the bottom of the range. A Burmese clinical trial protocol does not. Larger projects usually earn a volume discount, and repeat clients get consistent rates across jobs. For what a full project involves, see our document translation services.
Short official documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas, and ID cards, are usually priced per page rather than per word. As a guide, certified translation in the US market starts at around $24.95 per page, where a page generally means up to about 250 words. Dense academic transcripts, handwritten records, and rare language pairs cost more.
That per-page figure includes the signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy, prepared to meet USCIS requirements, and a second-linguist review before anything is signed. If a receiving officer ever requests a correction, we revise the translation free of charge. The full picture, including who accepts the work, is on our certified translation page.
Interpreter pricing depends less on the words and more on the clock: the delivery mode, the setting, and how long the interpreter is committed. A deposition in Houston with a court-experienced Mandarin interpreter is a different product from a five-minute phone call with a pharmacy, and the rates below reflect that.
| Delivery mode | Typical US guide rate | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| On-site interpreting | $45 – $95 per hour, plus travel where applicable | 2 hours |
| American Sign Language (ASL) | $75 – $150 per hour | 2 hours typical |
| Telephone interpreting | $1.25 – $3.00 per minute | None on most calls |
| Video remote interpreting (VRI) | $1.75 – $3.75 per minute | Short session minimums |
| Conference interpreting (simultaneous) | $700 – $1,500 per interpreter per day; half-day rates available | Half day |
Two-hour minimums on in-person work are standard across the US market, because the interpreter commits that slot to you and turns down other bookings. Full-day simultaneous work needs two interpreters working in shifts; that is an industry safety standard, not padding. Details of each mode are on our face-to-face interpreting, telephone interpreting, video interpreting, conference interpreting, and sign language interpreting pages.
Recorded media is priced on the length of the recording, not the time it takes us to process it. That surprises people: one audio minute of a clear single-speaker interview can take four or five minutes of skilled work to transcribe, and messy multi-speaker audio takes longer.
| Service | Typical US guide rate | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Audio transcription | $1.50 – $3.50 per audio minute | Audio quality, number of speakers, timestamps, language |
| Subtitling | $6 – $15 per video minute | Translation vs same-language, timing files, on-screen text |
Same-language captioning sits at the lower end; translated subtitles with full timing and formatting sit higher. See audio transcription and subtitling services for how each service works.
Five factors explain almost every difference between the bottom and the top of the ranges above — and knowing them helps you budget before you even ask for a quote.
Setting matters too. Evening, weekend, and out-of-hours interpreting assignments usually carry a premium, and in-person work outside an interpreter's local area adds travel, which we quote before you confirm.
Comparing language quotes is hard because providers bundle differently. Ours are simple. The price you approve is the price you pay, and it always covers:
Quotes themselves are free, and there is no obligation attached to asking. Get the number in writing, compare it properly, and come back when you are ready.
Guide ranges get you close. A written quote gets you the actual number.
Upload your document or list the assignment basics (language, setting, date, deadline) through our quote form, or email info@prismlinguistics.com. The more we know, the tighter the price.
We reply within 60 minutes during business hours with a fixed price and turnaround for your exact job. No login, no callback queue, no haggling.
Nothing starts until you approve the quote. The price on the quote is the price on the invoice, with no hidden fees added later.
Urgent work is priced honestly rather than promised blindly. Rush turnaround usually adds 25 to 50 percent over standard rates, and same-day delivery is sometimes possible for short standard documents, subject to capacity on the day. We confirm feasibility before you commit, so you never pay a rush premium for a deadline we cannot actually hit.
If your filing window is measured in hours, start with our same-day translation page, or call +1 (833) 282 8883 and we triage immediately.
The pricing questions we answer most often, with the same framing: guide ranges first, exact quote second.
Send the details of your job and you will have a fixed price and turnaround within 60 minutes during business hours.
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