How Translation and Localization Professionals Beat the Recession

New study from Common Sense Advisory shows steady pay increases, overall employm
ent stability, and high levels of job satisfaction for workers in the language s
ervices industry.
Boston, MA - October 21, 2010 -- Global business depends heavily on the translat
ion and localization services industry, which market research firm Common Sense
Advisory estimates will generate US$26 billion in 2010. And, as globalization in
creases, more content is created in more languages than ever before. These two f
actors help to explain the findings of “Language Services Industry Compensation,” th
e latest report from Common Sense Advisory.
The new research, based on a survey of 1,037 people in 64 countries, reveals tha
t individuals employed in the language services industry continued to see pay ra
ises and increased demand for their services throughout the economic downturn.
“On average, translation and localization workers expected to receive annual compe
nsation of US$63,130 in 2010, compared to US$60,673 in 2009,” observed report lead
analyst and Chief Research Officer Nataly Kelly. “The language services market gr
ew steadily throughout the recession, and salaries continued to increase through
out this period as well.”
Key research findings include:
* Compensation in emerging markets is rising at a faster pace. Translation profe
ssionals in China saw their income grow by 46.09%, while those workers living in
Russia, Brazil, Israel, and Romania also saw increase in excess of 25%.
* Job title and location determine pay grade. In North America, the most highly
paid individuals worked in executive management, sales, and content creation. In
Asia, those working in compliance, customer support, and human resources report
ed earning the most. In Europe, the workers with the highest compensation were f
ound in executive management, sales, and account management.
* Large companies have been giving better raises. Professionals experiencing the
largest increases in pay were those working at firms with US$100 billion or mor
e in revenue – those individuals saw their pay rise by 17.37% from 2008 to 2010.
* Gender disparities exist. Across the global sample, men earned an average of U
S$65,901 compared with women, who earned just US$55,790. However, in six countri
es – Denmark, France, India, Singapore, South Africa, and Switzerland – women earned
more than men during each of the three years analyzed.
“While most translation and localization professionals saw wage increases, earning
levels fell for workers located in some countries, such as Ireland and South Af
rica,” Kelly points out. “Still, on the whole, compensation on both the supply and t
he demand sides of the language services market grew steadily throughout the eco
nomic downtown, reinforcing our past findings that this is a recession-resistant
industry.”
For more on the firm’s research, visit www.commonsenseadvisory.com.
About Common Sense Advisory :
Common Sense Advisory, Inc. is an independent research and analysis firm special
izing in the on- and offline operations driving business globalization, internat
ionalization, localization, translation, and interpretation. Its research, consu
lting, and training help organizations improve the quality of their global busin
ess operations. For more information, visit:€www.commonsenseadvisory.com or€www.twit
ter.com/CSA_Research.
Contact:
Melissa C. Gillespie
Common Sense Advisory
Boston, MA
+1 760-643-9140
melissa@commonsenseadvisory.com
http://www.commonsenseadvisory.com