Simultaneous interpretation is a practice that requires a great deal of skill. Linguists who are experienced simultaneous interpreters are used to being in high-pressure situations with no safety net.

Unlike consecutive interpretation, where they have a voice in an environment and can ask for clarity, simultaneous interpretation is the pace at which the interpreter has to work, which is in someone else’s hands. There’s no room for error.

They have to listen and speak at the same time, whereas with consecutive interpretation, listening and speaking happen one after another.

At LinguaLinx, as a Language Services Provider (LSP), we know anything to do with languages and live situations can be stressful.  

Our role is to guide people through these situations and help them reduce or remove language barriers so they can get on with effectively running their business.

In this post, we’ll briefly examine simultaneous interpretation and the factors we consider when determining its cost.

And don’t worry, we’ll put our money where our mouth is and actually put a few figures down so you’ve got something useful to consider and not just a lot of hypothetical talk.

A Brief Overview of Simultaneous Interpretation

Imagine a scenario where you’re at an international conference in Japan and the speakers are all Japanese. The audience is comprised of tens or hundreds of people from around the world who speak a mixture of languages. The audience all have headsets on and are listening to the speaker in their own language.

This is being facilitated by various interpreters in soundproof booths. They listen to the speaker and then, with the smallest amount of lag time possible, interpret what is being said in another language via a microphone This is simultaneous interpretation.

Determining the Cost

Just by looking at the above scenario, you can see there will be a number of factors that come together to determine what the rate will be for putting a simultaneous interpretation set-up together.

These are the top things your LSP will look at:

How quickly do you need it?

Is this an “I need it tomorrow!” request, or is it something that can be planned in advance to miss out on those additional charges that come with last minute requests?

Does it require an interpreter to be available out of business hours? The more the rush, usually the more the cost.

Where’s it going to take place?

Where’s the conference or meeting? At an office in the middle of a large city, where interpreters are much more readily available, or is it at a remote retreat in the Chilean Andes?

Typically, the more remote the location, the higher the cost because of travel and the availability of local interpreters.

Is there a tech set-up in place?

Does the venue have the technological infrastructure in place – soundproof booths, microphones, headsets, all transmission cabling, etc. – or does the LSP need to provide this too?

Any existing tech will need to be tested so that the LSP can guarantee a smooth operation with the client. Obviously, bringing technology into a venue will require extra costs including potentially having a support technician available at all times.

What language(s) are we dealing with?

What are the source and target languages? The rarer the language, the more interpreters tend to cost because they’re in short supply.

Some languages, such as Arabic, are more expensive than others even though they’re widely spoken, because of the limited number of qualified Arabic translators (and the fact that the language has over 12 million distinct words).

What industry are we talking about?

We always try to use linguists who are also subject matter experts in the industry they’re interpreting.

Industries have their own jargon, acronyms, and terminology, and getting this right is central to an accurate interpretation.

Finance, tech, legal, and retail…they’re all very different, which is why certain industries are more expensive to interpret than others.

How long will the presentation be?

Is it just one presentation, or is it a multi-speaker event that runs over several days? Each day, how much simultaneous interpretation is required and during what hours?

Just during the day or also at unsociable hours like when after-dinner speeches take place? Naturally, the more time the interpreter is needed, the higher the cost.

How frequently will you need the interpretation services?

Is this for a stand-alone conference, or is it going to be a series of regular meetings, such as what takes place at the United Nations?

If there is some consistency with time and location, your LSP may be able to get better rates as they can then negotiate better deals with their linguists.

Most linguists are freelancers, so any kind of consistency in their schedules will be welcomed with open arms and often lower rates.

It’s a team effort

Simultaneous interpretation requires two interpreters to rotate, each interpreting for about 20-30 minutes before taking a rest.

Listening and translating at the same time in a high-pressure environment (there’s no room for error or for asking additional questions) is mentally exhausting, which is why you’ll need to have a team of two.

So, What Does it Cost?

Taking into account all the variables above, simultaneous interpretation usually costs between $750 - $1250 a day per interpreter (remember, you need two).

The usual expenses – travel, accommodation, and subsistence – where applicable are at the top.

Also, if a technician is needed to set up equipment, their daily rate (which will probably be about $500 - $700) needs to be factored in along with any equipment hire.

The More You Know, the More Accurate the Quote

And everyone wants an accurate quote. The good thing is that your LSP partner will ask all the questions that will let them arrive at an accurate cost and, crucially, an accurate plan.

Once a presentation requiring simultaneous interpretation starts, you can’t ask it to stop, so the plan and testing are important. 

Lean on your LSP, they’ll consider the languages, the location, the timescales, the industry, the length of interpretation time needed and anything else that might be unique to this particular requirement.

Now that you know the information you need to supply to get the ball rolling, if you need the support of an LSP, we’d love to see how we can fit into the equation.  

At LinguaLinx, we can help you with any translation, interpretation, or localization requirements you have.

Consultations are free and there’s no obligation. You’re in safe hands with us as we’re ISO 17100 and ISO 9001 compliant, have over twenty years of professional translation experience, and have earned the trust of organizations around the world.