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Lead Interpreter Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Manager of Interpretation

Indianapolis, IN ยท On-site

$67K - $72K/yr

Serve as lead interpreter on assigned projects, shaping storytelling frameworks and audience outcomes * Incorporate visitor research and feedback to continuously improve experiences * Collaborate ...

Showing results 21-40

Lead Interpreter information

See salary details

$29.5K

$65.7K

$71K

How much do lead interpreter jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 2, 2026, the average yearly pay for lead interpreter in the United States is $65,716.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $69,000.00 and $69,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a lead interpreter do?

A Lead Interpreter is responsible for overseeing and coordinating a team of interpreters, ensuring high-quality language interpretation services in various settings such as legal, medical, educational, or conference environments. They manage scheduling, provide guidance and training to new interpreters, and often handle complex or sensitive assignments themselves. Additionally, Lead Interpreters may be involved in developing interpretation protocols, maintaining compliance with industry standards, and serving as a primary point of contact for clients or stakeholders. Their role is crucial in facilitating clear communication across language barriers.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a lead interpreter, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Lead Interpreter, you need advanced proficiency in at least two languages, deep cultural knowledge, and relevant interpreting certifications (such as ATA or court certification). Familiarity with interpreting technologies, translation management systems, and remote conferencing tools is typically required. Outstanding interpersonal skills, leadership, and the ability to manage team dynamics help set exceptional Lead Interpreters apart. These competencies are vital for ensuring accurate communication, facilitating cross-cultural understanding, and effectively leading interpreting teams in diverse settings.

What are some common challenges faced by lead interpreters when coordinating a team of interpreters for large events?

Lead Interpreters often encounter challenges such as managing differing skill levels among team members, ensuring consistent interpretation quality across sessions, and quickly resolving scheduling or logistical issues that arise during large events. They must also facilitate effective communication between interpreters and event organizers, and be prepared to offer support or guidance in high-pressure situations. Proactive planning, strong leadership, and adaptability are key to overcoming these challenges and ensuring seamless interpretation services.

What is the difference between Lead Interpreter vs Interpreter?

AspectLead InterpreterInterpreter
CredentialsTypically requires certification (e.g., CI, CT) and experienceRequires certification and language proficiency, but less leadership experience
Work EnvironmentLeads interpretation teams, manages projects, and coordinates schedulesPerforms individual interpretation tasks in various settings
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in organizations needing team leadership, such as conferences or agenciesCommon in healthcare, legal, and business settings for direct interpretation

The main difference between a Lead Interpreter and an Interpreter is that the Lead Interpreter takes on leadership responsibilities, manages interpretation teams, and oversees projects, while the Interpreter focuses on providing direct language interpretation services. Both roles require certification and language skills, but the Lead Interpreter also needs experience in team coordination and project management.

More about Lead Interpreter jobs
Infographic showing various Lead Interpreter job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 89% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $65,716 per year, or $31.6 per hour.

ASL Interpreter/Educational Interpreter 3600 - Bullhead City, AZ/Laughlin, NV

AZ State School for the Deaf and Blind

Tucson, AZ โ€ข On-site

$20 - $39.50/hr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Re-posted 24 days ago


Job description


ASL Interpreter/Educational Interpreter
ย  Location: Bullhead City, AZ/Laughlin, Nevada ย  Employee Status:ย  ย  ย  Limited-time Appointment ย  Hours Per Week: ย  40 Hoursย ย  ย  Work Calendar: ย  10-Month ย  Pay Rate: ย  $20.00/hr-$39.50/hr ย  Other: ย EIPA of 3.5 or AZ Interpreter General or Legal.ย ย 
ย Travel Required.ย  ย ย 


ย 

CLASSIFICATION SPECIFICATION


Provides interpreting services in educational settings for deaf, hard-of-hearing, and deaf-blind students, according to the students' IEPs (s). Matching the language use of students, their peers and instructors where travel may be required to interpret in the educational setting, the interpreter utilizes the interpreting process to ensure that the student has access to communication in the class including incidental language situations and other environmental auditory information when appropriate; facilitates communication between peers and others in the environment as needed; clarifies information interpreted to the student within the classroom setting to aid in understanding of lesson content.
Additionally, this position may participate as an IEP team member regarding language use and/or communication access; communicates with classroom teacher/appropriate educational personnel about the communication needs of the student(s) and the course subject matter regularly, and fulfills other responsibilities consistent with the policies and procedures of the host district(s) and/or ASDB.
**Educational Interpreter/Transition Technician**ย 
In addition to the essential duties of an Educational Interpreter, a staff member may also be assigned as vocational support and/or a "Transition Technician" (also known as "Career Path Technician"). The Educational Interpreter/Transition Technician will assist student(s) individually in academic or vocational subjects as assigned by the IEP team under the supervision of the Lead Interpreter and/or Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing, or another appointed agency representative. This support may include tutoring students (s) regarding vocational content when not interpreting. Educational Interpreters in the CPT role may also be required to provide transportation to and/or from an Internship/CTE job or class, as well as provide the necessary on-site interpreting for the student(s).
ย 






**Lead Educational Interpreter**ย 
In addition to the essential duties of an Educational Interpreter, the Lead Educational Interpreter (or Lead) may be responsible and held accountable to follow through with any disciplinary process to assist and correct any conduct not by ASDB policies and procedures; RID and NAIE Standards; and protocol set and followed by ASDB. The Lead is responsible for arranging and scheduling Educational Interpreters; assists in the interviewing and hiring of Educational Interpreters; collects and summarizes interpreting data for analysis; processes personnel documentation for hourly and contracted interpreters; assists in review and approval of invoicing for outside contracted services; maintain working relations between the agency and member district employees, and supports the Educational Interpreters as an IEP team member. The Lead will observe and provide feedback to staff, including but not limited to classroom walk-through observations, informal and/or formal evaluations, and facilitate and/or arrange professional development opportunities for Educational Interpreters, and track annual progress of professional development maintenance. Additionally, the Lead is responsible for implementing an Improvement Plan for any staff member who has not met the basic expectations of the job and/or is under-performing, as evidenced by multiple documented areas to improve on their yearly evaluation, and they monitor and document the employee's progress for the duration of the Improvement Plan. In the case of site Motor Pool use, the Lead may keep track of mileage sheets and schedule oil changes, maintenance, and repairs with the Agency Transportation Department or coordinate with Transportation through contracted facilities.


ย Position will be responsible for some or all of the listed duties and/or additional duties that occur from time to time.
TRAINING AND EXPERIENCEย 
Required:
High School Diploma or Equivalent
Previous experience working with children or adults in paid/voluntary positions in educational settings
Preferred:
Associate degree or higher in Interpreting, American Sign Language, and/or Deaf Studies related field
Prior experience as an Educational Interpreter
Experience in an educational setting
A minimum of twelve (12) hours of professional development is required annually by the agency's Educational Interpreters, regardless of whether minimum proficiencies have been met. These hours accrued can be a combination of agency-provided and community-based training. The staff member is responsible for gaining approval for professional development and gathering and reporting documentation to the supervisor annually.
LICENSING/CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS














  • Must be able to pass FBI and State background checks
  • Defensive Driver Training Program to be completed by all agency personnel who drive on State business
  • Show minimum proficiency in interpreting skills through one of the following: 1) Proof of a score of 3.5 or higher on the Education Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA), or 2) Valid RID/NAD/BEI certification including, CSC, CI, CT, CDI, SC:L, NIC (any variation), BEI (any variation), NAD (level 3 or higher)
  • If the Agency cannot find a candidate meeting the qualifications for minimum proficiency in interpreting skills, an individual may be hired or retained with lesser skills who has demonstrated proficiency in English and ASL, by fulfilling the minimum degree requirement and a EIPA Pre-Hire Screening result indicating the candidate has "skills at or above the required level" rating. The person will have to be placed on a professional development plan, regardless of the pre-screening result, as it does not indicate that the interpreter can meet the state's minimum requirement. This plan must include, 1) Proof of at least twenty-four (24) hours of training in interpreting for each year that a valid certification is not held or an EIPA passing score of 3.5 or higher is not attained, and 2) Documentation of a plan for the individual to meet the required qualifications within three (3) years. If this plan is not met, but progress toward attainment is demonstrated, the supervisor can determine that the plan can be modified to include an intensive program up to one (1) additional year to meet the minimum proficiencies.
  • **Lead Educational Interpreters are required to possess a minimum EIPA score of 4.0 and/or maintain a valid RID/NAD/BEI certification, including CSC, CI, CT, CDI, SC L, NIC (any variation), BEI (any variation), NAD (level 3 or higher)

ย 
KNOWLEDGE OF

  • Policies, procedures, and programs of the immediate work unit
  • Principles and practices of administration and management
  • Agency or program rules, regulations, and operating procedures
  • Content in the classroom to be able to interpret concepts and vocabulary accurately and meaningfully
  • Aware of meaning and application of appropriate techniques for non-verbal communication, using body language, gestures, cues, and facial expressions
  • Various interpreting processing models, Deaf Culture & cultural diversity
  • Written and spoken English and American Sign Language, including syntax, lexicon, prosody, and pragmatics
  • RID Code of Professional Conduct (CPC) for interpreters, National Association of Interpreters in Education (NAIE) Professional Guidelines for Interpreting in Educational Settings, and Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) Guidelines for Professional Conduct
  • Educational resources, including agency assistive technology services and provisions, teacher referrals, interpreting services provided outside of educational settings, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)/ADA, and other community resources
  • Individual Educational Program (IEP) process and standard procedures

ย 
DEMONSTRATED SKILL/ABILITY TO

  • Demonstrates the following skills/abilities:
  • Ability to organize, plan, and prepare to appropriately interpret daily classroom learning experiences
  • Works independently, taking initiative in problem-solving
  • Effectively demonstrate ethical decision-making, emphasizing confidentiality and only sharing assignment-related information as needed with the educational team
  • Maintains effective communication with other members of the educational team
  • Knows the role and responsibilities of each member of the educational team
  • Incorporates feedback into work product
  • Maintains professional development in line with expectations of the agency, and/or other licensing and certifying entities
  • Works as part of a team, both with co-interpreters and with the educational team
  • Understands and utilizes a variety of communication modes, conveying the message faithfully and accurately,
  • Evaluates the receiver's comprehension of the interpretation, and adjusts/modifies the interpretation as needed
  • Meets the physical and mental demands of interpreting work.
  • **Transition Technician/Educational Interpreter:ย  Tutor students, as determined by the IEP team, and with proper training and supervision.


ย 

BENEFITS
Benefit-eligible employees have a variety of choices for medical, dental, vision, short-term disability, supplemental, and dependent life insurance.ย  Offered plans provide exceptional value to our employees and their eligible dependents.ย ย  Employees have 31 days from the effective date of hire to elect coverage.ย  Elected benefits could start as early as 2 weeks after hire.ย 
Benefit-eligible employees are automatically covered for basic life, non-smokers, accidental death and dismemberment, and seat belt insurance.ย 
Benefit-eligible employees are automatically enrolled in the State's retirement plan and long-term disability (LTD) program.ย  Enrollment is mandatory and is subject to a 26-week waiting period before initial enrollment.ย  Employees may also choose to participate in a deferred compensation program to take advantage of tax-deferred retirement investments.ย  Benefit Options also offer Employee Self-Service, Wellness, Tuition Discount, Travel Reduction, Auto & Home Insurance, and Purchase Discount Programs.ย ย 


CONTACT INFORMATION For more information, contact the Recruiter at: HumanResources.Recruitment@asdb.az.gov
Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation, such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format, by contacting the Recruiter. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation.
Arizona State Government is an EOE/ADA Reasonable Accommodation Employer.