| Pages in topic: [1 2 3] > | Poll: How do your rates compare in general to those of colleagues living in the same country as you? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How do your rates compare in general to those of colleagues living in the same country as you?".
View the poll results »
| | | | Tanja Oresnik 
Slovenia
Local time: 05:30
French to Slovenian
+ ...
| Rates are a mystery | Jan 25, 2023 |
While our national translators' associations define recommended rates for different language combinations and subject fields, the actual negotiated rates are a mystery, usually also a business secret between clients and translators, so I have no idea how my rates compare to my colleagues' rates. The only regulated rates are those of sworn translators, and I'm guessing those are in fact higher than those of most other translation jobs.
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 05:30
French to English
Based on what I know from the agency where I used to work in-house, and PMs from agencies I now work with, I get the impression that I'm expensive. Also there is a person working for a sister company of one of my direct clients who often asks me for an estimate then never actually gives me the job, because they find someone cheaper.
Yet I know there are other translators who practise higher rates than me.
| | | | | Higher than average | Jan 25, 2023 |
When in 2015 I moved back to Lisbon from Brussels, I thought of adapting my rates to the Portuguese market, but finally it made no sense at all to reduce my rates as I had exactly the same client base as before. Since then, I've occasionally raised my rates on a project basis…
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Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 05:30
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Much lower, but then, my language combination doesn't pay as well as those of my colleagues. Ask the question again for same country + same languages.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 05:30
Spanish to English
+ ...
| About average | Jan 25, 2023 |
I think my rates are roughly average for my pair, given the tried and tested quality of my work. However, I'm often surprised by translators who claim to charge 50% (or more) more than I do. Maybe they're being "economical with the truth"…
| | | | Baran Keki
Türkiye
Local time: 07:30
Member
English to Turkish
| What you mean to say is... | Jan 25, 2023 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
Much lower, but then, my language combination doesn't pay as well as those of my colleagues.
Your colleagues in South Africa charge a lot less than what you charge for the same pair in the Netherlands, but they're making a decent living with their rates, considering the standards of living down there, and you're generally okay with that even though it cramps your style every now and then. Is that about right?
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neilmac wrote:
I think my rates are roughly average for my pair, given the tried and tested quality of my work. However, I'm often surprised by translators who claim to charge 50% (or more) more than I do. Maybe they're being "economical with the truth"…
Well, if they 'claim'... most often it's just 'claiming' and boosting the reality. Like in a joke that a old guy visiting a doctor complains about not being able to do certain things, while his even older neihgbor claims that he still can. The doctor then says well, you can 'claim' too... )
As for the topic, there will always be somebody charging more, or less for that matter. The most important thing is the (relative as it can be) sustainable workload and income that can be achieved with your rates, and what you can get to with your life in general with that income, i.e. life and work balance. I've seen fantastic rates claimed by colleagues, but how many pages in a month do they get offered at that rate, if any? I honestly doubt clients line up with big projects to those 'expensive' supertranslators. While a stable income and workload is achievable by efforts in many directions, not just boosting the rate (if it was that simple...). Competition analysis is important but there's always many 'but's with any kind of rate you can have (or 'claim' to have).
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But then I'm much better than them, so there.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:30
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| False comparison | Jan 25, 2023 |
ProZ.com Staff wrote:
This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How do your rates compare in general to those of colleagues living in the same country as you?". View the poll results »
This is a false comparison. To compare like with like the question should be
"How do your rates compare in general to those of colleagues working in the same language pair as you?"
| | | | Ana Vozone
Local time: 04:30
Member (2010)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| I really don't know | Jan 25, 2023 |
simply because I do not ask... i.e., I do not have enough information about other colleague's rates to judge how my own rates compare to theirs...
And, honestly, I really am not interested. I have my own rates, and use them with my clients, and am happy about how i this has worked for over 40 years.
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I have a full-time job as a technician, and I can offer my translation services more reasonably than other colleagues with my background who depend on an income as a translator only. Therefore, dear agencies, please ask for my best rate!
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| Lower, and that's fine | Jan 26, 2023 |
I haven't changed my rate in the last decade, during which my productivity has almost tripled
So I can afford not to raise it
In fact, I'm very surprised translation rates have not dropped in recent years.
A lot.
While what I see as reasonable output has increased over the last 10 years, due to the quality of CAT and MT tools, most translators on proz seem to think it is totally normal for them to be able to maintain, or even try to increase, their rates.
Neither ... See more I haven't changed my rate in the last decade, during which my productivity has almost tripled
So I can afford not to raise it
In fact, I'm very surprised translation rates have not dropped in recent years.
A lot.
While what I see as reasonable output has increased over the last 10 years, due to the quality of CAT and MT tools, most translators on proz seem to think it is totally normal for them to be able to maintain, or even try to increase, their rates.
Neither have I see a rise in output promised by translators, with most promising the same thing they did 10 or even 15 years ago: about 3,000 words/day, which has me scratching my head. Really?
Everyone does what they can, of course
I'm not criticizing or judging anyone
I'm just puzzled by the market dynamics
If I can use a paint gun, rather than a brush, and deliver the same quality, or even better, I can get a lot more painting done, obviously.
(Shrug) ▲ Collapse
| | | | Nikolay Novitskiy
Russian Federation
Local time: 09:30
Member (2018)
English to Russian
| It's not your rate which matters | Jan 26, 2023 |
It's not your rate which matters but the quality of translation, proofreading, or whichever service you provide.
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Justin Peterson wrote:
I haven't changed my rate in the last decade, during which my productivity has almost tripled
But what do you mean here?
You now translate 9,000 words a day from scratch without a TM and without breaking sweat?
Or that you can do 9,000 because you are using CAT or MT?
What is your secret?
And if your rates are below average, why don't you simply charge more and work less?
[Edited at 2023-01-26 14:05 GMT]
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