NZSTI Rates Survey
The New Zealand Society of Translators & Interpreters (NZSTI) is conducting its first national survey to better understand current rates charged by translators and interpreters and working conditions in Aotearoa New Zealand. The survey is open to all translators and interpreters working in Aotearoa New Zealand, regardless of NZSTI membership.
By running this survey and publishing the results, NZSTI aims to provide accurate information regarding rates and working conditions and address the following aspects:
- Fairness & transparency: This research can help translators and interpreters – the majority of whom are freelance – establish what they consider to be fair compensation, and inform clients about expected costs.
- Informed decisions: While prices cannot legally be fixed in New Zealand, this research can help both new and established translators and interpreters to make informed business decisions and set their rates more confidently.
- Benchmarking & trends: Collecting this data will create a baseline for future comparisons and identify industry trends.
- Raising awareness: This research provides a platform for translators and interpreters in Aotearoa to voice their challenges and concerns, leading to a better understanding of the industry and allowing more effective support by NZSTI.
The survey is now live and will close on Monday, 16 September 2024, with the final report being published in Spring 2024.
Ethical and Competition Aspects
Participation in this survey is voluntary, confidential, and anonymous. No email address or direct identifier (e.g. name or mailing address) is collected. Data is held confidentially and stored securely, and is not directly reviewed by members of the NZSTI Council or the rates survey project group, to ensure respondents’ anonymity. NZSTI has contracted an independent research consultant, Dr Thanos Kyritsis, to handle and analyse the raw data, ensuring the scientific validity of the survey and reports. Data is collected solely for the above research purposes and not shared with other third parties.
A report summarising overall data trends and aggregated findings will be published by NZSTI. Similar languages will be grouped together, whenever necessary, and no individuals will be identified in the report. NZSTI has taken legal advice to ensure that this survey is in line with Commerce Commission requirements. It is similar to surveys undertaken by the New Zealand Law Society and other professional associations.
The report generated from this survey will be exclusively used for the research purposes outlined above and made publicly accessible on the NZSTI website.
How to take part in the survey
The survey takes about 10–20 minutes to complete. The survey is open to all translators and interpreters working in Aotearoa New Zealand. Simply click the link below to access the survey.
If you have questions about any aspect of this, please get in touch by emailing us at info@nzsti.org with the subject line: ‘Survey question’.
Please share the this page as widely as possible with all your colleagues and contacts!