Hearing Loss/Deafness Sign Language Interpreting How to Find a Job as a Sign Language Interpreter By Jamie Berke facebook Jamie Berke is a deafness and hard of hearing expert. Learn about our editorial process Jamie Berke Fact checked by Fact checked by Lisa Sullivan, MS on June 24, 2020 Lisa Sullivan, MS, is a nutritionist and a corporate health and wellness educator with nearly 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Learn about our editorial process Lisa Sullivan, MS on June 24, 2020 Print Some people who learn sign language decide they want to become sign language interpreters. After completing interpreter training, they need to find jobs as interpreters. But where would one find such opportunities? If you are searching for a sign language interpreter job, these resources can help you find what you're looking for. lawcain / iStock / Getty Images Interpreting Agencies and Freelancing A trained interpreter can choose between working for an interpreting agency as an employee or being a freelancer. If you wish to work on staff at an interpreting agency, you can find agencies to contact about job openings by checking with statewide services for deaf and hard of hearing people. They often maintain listings of local interpreting service agencies. If you wish to be a freelance interpreter, these same statewide services can be of help. Licensed, qualified interpreters can have their names added to any databases of licensed interpreters used when making referrals to those in need. Contacting video relay services may also be helpful. Video relay services hire many sign language interpreters, as the employment demand for their services is increasing. Deaf Job Sites Deaf-related job sites often have some interpreting-related jobs listed. The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf may also be a useful resource for identifying employment opportunities. Government Agencies Federal government agencies will often list sign language interpreter jobs. For example, at the time this was written, a check of USAJobs.gov turned up three sign language interpreter jobs. Individual agency job sites and state government agencies may also list interpreting jobs. College Programs Contact major college programs for the deaf and hard of hearing that may be able to point you in the direction of employment, such as: California State University NorthridgeGallaudet University National Technical Institute for the Deaf To find interpreting jobs at other colleges, try conducting job searches on higher education-related websites such as Inside Higher Ed, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and HigherEdJobs. Don't forget community colleges either — they may have deaf services programs. Mainstream Job Sites Some large mainstream job sites may also list interpreting jobs. The best way to find them is to use the key phrase "sign language" in the sites' search boxes. You may also find interpreting jobs on the following mainstream employment sites: Monster.com, Indeed.com, or NationJob.com. Public Schools Last, but definitely not least, check your local public school system's job listings. Schools tend to have a chronic shortage of educational interpreters. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Interpreters and translators. Updated April 10, 2020.