Translator

Turning books, reports, contracts, manuals, subtitles and websites into another language while keeping the meaning and tone. Checking terms against glossaries, revising drafts, and working with editors, publishers, agencies or film teams.

A day in the work
A translator usually starts by reading the whole source text before typing a single line. They work in a Word file or a translation tool, checking terms against a glossary and noting lines that need the client's view. The afternoon may go on revising a chapter for a publisher or timing subtitles for a short film. The day often ends with a check of new project requests from agencies.

1. Step 1 · Class 10–12Read widely in your languages and practise writing in them. Try short translations between English and Hindi or your mother tongue. Good writing in the target language is the base of this work.
2. Step 2 · After Class 12Take a three-year BA with a language as a main subject, or a language course at a university. Government reports note that universities such as JNU and the University of Pune offer graduate and postgraduate courses in several foreign languages.
3. Step 3 · Graduation or MAOptionally, do an MA in translation studies or applied linguistics. A government list of translation courses names universities such as Annamalai and Visva-Bharati, but that list is older, so check current offers. (reported — check with the official body)
4. Step 4 · After any degreeA one-year PG Diploma in Translation. IGNOU's PGDT is open to graduates in any discipline and is taught through distance learning, mainly for English to Hindi and back. Check the fee and session dates on the IGNOU portal before you apply.
5. Step 5 · Early careerBuild a portfolio with small jobs from import-export firms, publishers or translation agencies. Later, many translators go freelance or specialise in one field such as legal, medical or technical text.

• In-house or agency workfull-time roles at publishers, newspapers, translation firms, multinational companies or film and OTT teams.
• Government translator postsrecruited through SSC exams for Hindi and other translator posts. Eligibility usually asks for a Master's degree and a translation qualification or experience.
• Freelanceyou find your own clients or work for several agencies on a per-project or per-word basis.

Fees from: IGNOU admission portal: PGDT programme page · Brainware University MA English fees 2026. Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Earnings vary a lot. Beginners usually earn less than experienced translators, and specialised work such as legal, medical or technical translation tends to pay more than general work. Freelancers' income can be uneven, and big cities usually offer more paid work than small towns.

• Class 7–9Take a short paragraph from an English story or news piece, translate it into Hindi or your mother tongue, then compare your version with a published one. Note where meaning changed.
• Class 10–12Look through Anukriti, a free translation database run by CIIL with Sahitya Akademi and the National Book Trust. Pick one passage and see how two published versions handle it.Open link ↗
• College or afterRead the course structure of IGNOU's PG Diploma in Translation to see what the one-year course covers, including its practical project.Open link ↗

• No government licence or registration is needed to call yourself a translator. Court, embassy or certified document work may need specific authorisation from the body that asks for it.
• Government translator posts exist. SSC's Combined Hindi Translators Examination 2026 was reported at about 84 posts at Pay Level 6, with the application window closing in May 2026. This is reported, not confirmed on ssc.gov.in, so check ssc.gov.in before you plan around it.
• Formal translation courses are still few in India, so check each course's teaching staff, fees and placement record before joining.
• Interested in languages but not sure about translation? Look at interpreting, which is spoken rather than written, and at teaching languages.