Best Interpreter programs in California, ranked by enrollment
Interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into.
155 schools in California run programs that feed this job, graduating 4,208 people a year. The job pays a median of $70,770 in California across about 5,560 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in California that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
34 programs in California that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in California (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own California page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish Language and Literaturemain feeder CIP 16.0905In California → | 1,616 | 38.4% | 141 | $34,541 | $22,748 |
| 2 | Linguisticsmain feeder CIP 16.0102In California → | 463 | 11.0% | 21 | $27,449 | $20,824 |
| 3 | American Sign Language (ASL)main feeder CIP 16.1601In California → | 354 | 8.4% | 37 | $32,695 | $25,209 |
| 4 | Language Interpretation and Translationmain feeder CIP 16.0103In California → | 268 | 6.4% | 9 | $27,449 | $20,824 |
| 5 | Japanese Language and Literaturemain feeder CIP 16.0302In California → | 246 | 5.8% | 34 | $27,331 | $20,685 |
| 6 | Foreign Languages and Literatures, Generalmain feeder CIP 16.0101In California → | 185 | 4.4% | 22 | $27,449 | $20,824 |
| 7 | Sign Language Interpretation and Translationmain feeder CIP 16.1603In California → | 180 | 4.3% | 20 | $32,695 | $25,209 |
| 8 | French Language and Literaturemain feeder CIP 16.0901In California → | 168 | 4.0% | 49 | $34,541 | $22,748 |
| 9 | Deaf Studiesmain feeder CIP 05.0211In California → | 148 | 3.5% | 4 | $31,459 | $23,000 |
| 10 | Chinese Language and Literaturemain feeder CIP 16.0301In California → | 109 | 2.6% | 20 | $27,331 | $20,685 |
| 11 | CIP 16.1200In California → | 60 | 1.4% | 13 | — | $22,560 |
| 12 | CIP 16.0908In California → | 56 | 1.3% | 2 | $34,541 | $22,748 |
| 13 | Arabic Language and Literaturemain feeder CIP 16.1101In California → | 50 | 1.2% | 4 | $48,355 | $15,526 |
| 14 | Italian Language and Literaturemain feeder CIP 16.0902In California → | 48 | 1.1% | 17 | $34,541 | $22,748 |
| 15 | CIP 16.9999In California → | 47 | 1.1% | 7 | $34,944 | $24,828 |
| 16 | Korean Language and Literaturemain feeder CIP 16.0303In California → | 42 | 1.0% | 4 | $27,331 | $20,685 |
| 17 | German Language and Literaturemain feeder CIP 16.0501In California → | 42 | 1.0% | 13 | $44,390 | $23,202 |
| 18 | Russian Language and Literaturemain feeder CIP 16.0402In California → | 20 | 0.5% | 8 | $60,240 | $5,500 |
| 19 | CIP 16.0300In California → | 19 | 0.5% | 5 | $27,331 | $20,685 |
| 20 | CIP 16.0400In California → | 15 | 0.4% | 3 | $60,240 | $5,500 |
| 21 | CIP 16.0799In California → | 14 | 0.3% | 1 | — | — |
| 22 | Applied Linguisticsmain feeder CIP 16.0105In California → | 12 | 0.3% | 1 | $27,449 | $20,824 |
| 23 | Vietnamese Language and Literaturemain feeder CIP 16.1408In California → | 8 | 0.2% | 1 | — | — |
| 24 | CIP 16.1199In California → | 7 | 0.2% | 2 | $48,355 | $15,526 |
| 25 | CIP 13.1003In California → | 7 | 0.2% | 2 | $44,139 | $26,675 |
| 26 | CIP 16.0900In California → | 5 | 0.1% | 4 | $34,541 | $22,748 |
| 27 | CIP 16.0399In California → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $27,331 | $20,685 |
| 28 | CIP 16.0500In California → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $44,390 | $23,202 |
| 29 | Portuguese Language and Literaturemain feeder CIP 16.0904In California → | 3 | 0.1% | 2 | $34,541 | $22,748 |
| 30 | CIP 16.1100In California → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $48,355 | $15,526 |
| 31 | CIP 16.1103In California → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $48,355 | $15,526 |
| 32 | CIP 16.1299In California → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | — | $22,560 |
| 33 | CIP 16.0502In California → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $44,390 | $23,202 |
| 34 | Dutch/Flemish Language and Literaturemain feeder CIP 16.0504In California → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $44,390 | $23,202 |
Top 25 schools in California
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 24 of the 155 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 15 feeder programs | 166 | Linguistics | $25,059 | 93% | — | 11% |
| 2 | California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 150 | Deaf Studies | $26,767 | 57% | — | 93% |
| 3 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 8 feeder programs | 135 | Linguistics | $18,393 | 69% | — | 46% |
| 4 | University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 8 feeder programs | 135 | Linguistics | $22,965 | 86% | — | 42% |
| 5 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 15 feeder programs | 116 | Linguistics | $30,524 | 93% | — | 9% |
| 6 | Bakersfield College Bakersfield, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 94 | Spanish Language and Literature | — | 21% | — | — |
| 7 | Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey Monterey, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 92 | Language Interpretation and Translation | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 90 | Language Interpretation and Translation | — | 31% | — | — |
| 9 | California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 89 | Spanish Language and Literature | $20,070 | 57% | — | 95% |
| 10 | Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA Public · 9 feeder programs | 83 | French Language and Literature | — | 48% | — | — |
| 11 | University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 81 | Linguistics | $21,793 | 75% | — | 66% |
| 12 | Long Beach City College Long Beach, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 76 | Japanese Language and Literature | — | 30% | — | — |
| 13 | Southwestern College Chula Vista, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 75 | Spanish Language and Literature | — | 35% | — | — |
| 14 | Palomar College San Marcos, CA Public · 7 feeder programs | 74 | Japanese Language and Literature | — | 38% | — | — |
| 15 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 74 | Spanish Language and Literature | $28,182 | 76% | — | 36% |
| 16 | City College of San Francisco San Francisco, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 70 | Chinese Language and Literature | — | 40% | — | — |
| 17 | California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 69 | Spanish Language and Literature | — | 70% | — | 91% |
| 18 | Los Angeles City College Los Angeles, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 65 | Korean Language and Literature | — | 29% | — | — |
| 19 | San Diego Mesa College San Diego, CA Public · 7 feeder programs | 65 | Spanish Language and Literature | — | 35% | — | — |
| 20 | Stanford University Stanford, CA Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 64 | Linguistics | — | 92% | $12,032 | 4% |
| 21 | University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA Public · 7 feeder programs | 59 | Spanish Language and Literature | $24,453 | 76% | — | 76% |
| 22 | San Joaquin Delta College Stockton, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 57 | Spanish Language and Literature | — | 35% | — | — |
| 23 | University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA Public · 10 feeder programs | 57 | Spanish Language and Literature | $35,635 | 83% | — | 33% |
| 24 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs | 54 | Linguistics | — | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 25 | Grossmont College El Cajon, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 52 | American Sign Language (ASL) | — | 37% | — | — |
All 155 schools in California
Every school in California with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California - Berkeley | Berkeley | Public | 166 | 15 |
| California State University - Northridge | Northridge | Public | 150 | 4 |
| California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach | Public | 135 | 8 |
| University of California - Davis | Davis | Public | 135 | 8 |
| University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Public | 116 | 15 |
| Bakersfield College | Bakersfield | Public | 94 | 4 |
| Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey | Monterey | Private not-for-profit | 92 | 1 |
| Santa Ana College | Santa Ana | Public | 90 | 4 |
| California State University - Fresno | Fresno | Public | 89 | 5 |
| Pasadena City College | Pasadena | Public | 83 | 9 |
| University of California - Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Public | 81 | 4 |
| Long Beach City College | Long Beach | Public | 76 | 6 |
| Southwestern College | Chula Vista | Public | 75 | 4 |
| Palomar College | San Marcos | Public | 74 | 7 |
| San Diego State University | San Diego | Public | 74 | 6 |
What interpreters and translators earn in California
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $60,170. California pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in California
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Interpreters and Translators page.
How to become a Interpreter
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in California
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Interpreters and Translators17 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 05.0211Deaf Studies
- 13.1003Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness
- 16.0101Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
- 16.0102Linguistics
- 16.0103Language Interpretation and Translation
- 16.0105Applied Linguistics
- 16.0201African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
- 16.0300East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
- 16.0301Chinese Language and Literature
- 16.0302Japanese Language and Literature
- 16.0303Korean Language and Literature
- 16.0304Tibetan Language and Literature(no graduates reported)
- 16.0399East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
- 16.0400Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
- 16.0401Baltic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics(no graduates reported)
- 16.0402Russian Language and Literature
- 16.0404Albanian Language and Literature(no graduates reported)
- 16.0405Bulgarian Language and Literature(no graduates reported)
- 16.0406Czech Language and Literature(no graduates reported)
- 16.0407Polish Language and Literature
- 16.0408Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian Languages and Literatures(no graduates reported)
- 16.0409Slovak Language and Literature(no graduates reported)
- 16.0410Ukrainian Language and Literature(no graduates reported)
- 16.0499Slavic, Baltic, and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
- 16.0500Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Common questions
Answers for people weighing interpreters and translators programs in California.
What degree do you need to become an Interpreter?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Spanish Language and Literature, which awarded 1,616 degrees in California in 2024-25, 38.4% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Interpreter?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 34 programs to this occupation. The largest are Romance Languages, Linguistic, American Sign Language, East Asian Languages, plus 9 more. Together they graduate about 4,208 people a year in California.
How much do interpreters and translators earn in California?+
The median is $70,770 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 17.6% above the U.S. median of $60,170. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for interpreters and translators growing?+
BLS projects a +1.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 6,900 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in California?+
155 institutions in California reported graduates from at least one of the 34 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do interpreters and translators work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Translator, Interpreter, Medical Interpreter, Sign Language Interpreter among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-3091.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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