Since July 2013, I have been staying in three Shanghai translation companies intermittently. The first family only stayed for one and a half months, while the latter two companies stayed for about one and a half years, working as full-time translators for more than three years.
These companies are among the top translation companies in that city. After knowing the salary system of these companies, we will probably know about the salary of the translation market in the new front-line cities. The salaries of these companies are somewhat different, but on the whole they are quite the same.
Now I’ll give you a brief introduction. The following data are all approximate data and do not represent their real salary system. So, please don’t sit in the right place.
Generally speaking, the salary system of translation companies is composed of base salary and commission. At the same time, factors such as school, educational background, specialty and certificate will be taken into account. Although academic qualifications and certificates are not equal to competence, they can at least reduce recruitment costs.
First Translation Company
Base salary and commission: The company I first stayed at required a minimum translation of 5W Chinese per month, so that the base salary would be about 1500 yuan, and then the excess would be calculated in terms of 301,000 words. Haha, this is my base salary and offer at that time. Different levels, the minimum monthly translation volume is also different, Commission will be different. Because I stayed very short, I didn’t know them very well.
But they are said to have an incentive mechanism. For example, if you translate 8W words, you will be rewarded several hundred yuan, more than 10W words and more than 1000 yuan. (The number of bonuses is estimated. I don’t know exactly what it is.) They then choose the translator with the largest number of words each month or quarter and pay a bonus.
When the company recruits new students or translators with little experience, the selection of resumes is not very strict, basically based on the test manuscript. However, when they recruit, they will let the new interpreter work for half a month before deciding whether to sign a probation contract. In another month, another decision will be made and the final assessment will be three months before becoming an official interpreter. So in any case, if there is no real talent to learn, it will eventually be dismantled.
Second Translation Company
Base salary and commission: The next translation company (the second translation company), salary is also made up of base salary plus commission. The company divides interpreters into three levels: junior, intermediate and senior. Primary level is generally required to translate 6W Chinese, about 1800 yuan, not up to the translation volume and not deduct money. There are five levels in the elementary level. The unit price of each level is several yuan apart. If you start at the lowest level, it will take about two years for you to go through the whole junior level.
Intermediate is required to translate at least 8W words, the base salary becomes 3000, then there are five levels, each level unit price is a few dollars apart. In advanced words, I don’t understand. Estimates should also set a minimum number of words, and then set a unit price for each level.
Evaluate or upgrade basis: Primary upgrade is quarterly, intermediate upgrade is semi-annual. Upgrading is based on the number of words up to standard, no low-level errors in the middle, no complaints from customers, and at least a few requests for customer praise.
The Third Translation Company
Base salary and commission: The salary of another translation company (the third translation company) is different although it is also a base salary plus commission. It is also divided into primary, intermediate and advanced. However, technical translation teams such as engineering teams adopt a system. The Social Science Group adopts another system. Take the technical translation group for example, the primary corresponding is 8W words, and then divided into two units. For example, the base salary at the lower junior level may be 3200, while that at the higher level may be 3800.
Intermediate seems to be divided into 10W and 12W words, 10W level is divided into two prices, such as the lower base salary is 5000, the higher one is 5400. The 12W word is also divided into two levels, approximately corresponding to 6K and 6500 bar.
Judgment or promotion basis: Generally, there is an interpreter with one or two years translation experience. In this company, the salary level can reach 56,000 in a year and a half.
As far as I know, the salaries of translation companies are about these three kinds. Either the minimum monthly translation volume is different, or the unit price is different, or the word count is different. Some are based on the number of Chinese characters, some are based on the number of Chinese and Korean characters (excluding numbers and other symbols). Some requirements must meet the minimum monthly translation volume, if not, the unit price will be deducted.
These companies have overtime pay, according to the usual overtime, weekend overtime and holiday overtime. But as far as I know, the third translation company works most overtime. The other two are still much more relaxed.
Now, the translation companies with good strength are more strict in the selection of resumes. As I mentioned in the third translation company, undergraduate and professional level 8 or 6 are the necessary qualifications. Without these two methods, it is almost impossible to enter the personnel, of course, the project manager will not see your test paper. Of course, non-English major job seekers will be more popular if they do not learn English well.
Later, when the company’s salary reform, I found that the social science group’s salary system directly incorporates factors such as CATTI translation certificates, education and work experience (starting in one year). If these items can be satisfied at the same time, they can basically jump directly to the intermediate level.
Nevertheless, the newly graduated MIT students should not expect the company to offer you an intermediate salary at once. Once graded, these backgrounds don’t matter. After that, the company will follow your actual chart.
