Is it just me or there’s extremely low rates out there? Thread poster: Youjin Lee
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Youjin Lee
Australia
Local time: 08:52
English to Japanese
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I see lots of post saying “Rates are $0.025/pw, $0.03/pw, send me your CV if you’re interested!”
But is it just me that sounds extremely low or are these the rates translators work nowadays?
According to Proz.com rates guide Minimum rates are $0.07-0.09/pw.
Let me know what you think.
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Yes, they are extremely low, but the problem lies as much on the agencies that propose those ridiculous rates as on the translators that are willing to accept them. The rates I SET depend on the language combination, degree of difficulty, turnaround time, format, etc., and might be negotiable (within reason). Negotiation is our bread and butter and at times there is some room for bartering, but otherwise I’m confident to just say "No" if I can't reach a satisfying agreement.
| | | | Thayenga 
Germany
Local time: 01:52
Member (2009)
English to German
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| As a business entity.. | Jun 11, 2024 |
... your are the one who sets the rates and not the agencies. If they are unwilling to accept and/or offer a decent rate, then just walk away from these peanuts... or end up working extremely long hours without being able to make ends meet.
As I stated before, go tell your mechanic or grocery store owner how much - rather how little - you are willing to pay for their service or product. Surely there's no need for me to describe in detail their reaction to your imprudent "proposal". ... See more ... your are the one who sets the rates and not the agencies. If they are unwilling to accept and/or offer a decent rate, then just walk away from these peanuts... or end up working extremely long hours without being able to make ends meet.
As I stated before, go tell your mechanic or grocery store owner how much - rather how little - you are willing to pay for their service or product. Surely there's no need for me to describe in detail their reaction to your imprudent "proposal". So why should language providers give in to shameless offers? ▲ Collapse
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I found that the culprits are mainly companies in Indian and Arab countries. They often do not even know what the language is that they tender for, or where the speakers live, but they tender for any language at ridiculously low prices, and then try to re-outsource the job at rates that do not even warrant switching on your computer. This drives down the price as well as the quality and gives their counries a bad reputation as third-world, VERY poor, or low-standard countries. As far as possi... See more I found that the culprits are mainly companies in Indian and Arab countries. They often do not even know what the language is that they tender for, or where the speakers live, but they tender for any language at ridiculously low prices, and then try to re-outsource the job at rates that do not even warrant switching on your computer. This drives down the price as well as the quality and gives their counries a bad reputation as third-world, VERY poor, or low-standard countries. As far as possible, I try to avoid outsourcers from these countries, but often they have addresses in first-world countries, and masquerade as American or European companies.
LET US SAY NO TO THESE BULLIES. ▲ Collapse
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Peter Motte
Belgium
Local time: 01:52
Member (2009)
English to Dutch
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| Extremely low | Jun 12, 2024 |
Yes, those rates are extremely low. I doubt whether they will find lots of people working for it, except for some who think it might be possible, then use ChatGPT, then notice they still have a lof of PEMT to do, and then finally find out it's no way to make a living and give up.
Unfortunately, the internet has abused work very often, like making people write for free for encyclopedia's, making people make video's for free, and so on.
And finally abusing all that work to train AI.
| | | | | It’s just you | Jun 12, 2024 |
Yes, it’s just you. I’ve never heard mention of low rates before, either here or anywhere else (-:
| | | | | At least the OP knows something's wrong, but... | Jun 15, 2024 |
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:
Yes, they are extremely low, but the problem lies as much on the agencies that propose those ridiculous rates as on the translators that are willing to accept them. The rates I SET depend on the language combination, degree of difficulty, turnaround time, format, etc., and might be negotiable (within reason). Negotiation is our bread and butter and at times there is some room for bartering, but otherwise I’m confident to just say "No" if I can't reach a satisfying agreement.
Every time I read a similar thread like this one, it always surprises me that not all translators consider them as business owners but 'freelance employees' who wait for some employer to find them and set the rates, payment terms, etc. and blindly accept them.
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 01:52
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
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Yasutomo Kanazawa wrote:
Every time I read a similar thread like this one, it always surprises me that not all translators consider them as business owners but 'freelance employees' who wait for some employer to find them and set the rates, payment terms, etc. and blindly accept them.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: it's because half of the freelance translators is clueless and shouldn't be a freelance translator in the first place.
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tekom
Netherlands
Local time: 01:52
English
| translators accepting low rates effect rates and margins across the industry | Jun 17, 2024 |
I don't normally respond to posts like this, but I want to respond as a LSP. We try to pay our translators a rate that is fair and comes down to a minimum of about 30 euros. We do have to compete with agencies that offer certified translation work at much lower rates because they find translators willing to work for such low rates. So if translators do accept these kinds of rates, it also affects rates and margins across the industry. This can only be stopped if translators refuse to work for su... See more I don't normally respond to posts like this, but I want to respond as a LSP. We try to pay our translators a rate that is fair and comes down to a minimum of about 30 euros. We do have to compete with agencies that offer certified translation work at much lower rates because they find translators willing to work for such low rates. So if translators do accept these kinds of rates, it also affects rates and margins across the industry. This can only be stopped if translators refuse to work for such low rates.
[Bijgewerkt op 2024-06-17 10:42 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Not just that | Jun 17, 2024 |
tekom wrote:
This can only be stopped if translators refuse to work for such low rates.
[Bijgewerkt op 2024-06-17 10:42 GMT]
Agencies also have to stop forcing those rates. And I use the word "forcing" here because they simply reject everyone refusing their peanuts rates.
While I do agree professionals shouldn't accept such rates, it's not always a matter of choice. For some translators, those meager rates are their only means of survival. I think it would be more efficient (and healthier for this industry) to prevent agencies from preying on them in the first place (but I'm not naive, I know this is easier said than done).
| | | | Ildiko Santana
United States
Local time: 16:52
Member (2002)
Hungarian to English
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MODERATOR | "ProZ.com rates guide"? | Jun 25, 2024 |
Youjin Lee wrote:
I see lots of post saying “Rates are $0.025/pw, $0.03/pw, send me your CV if you’re interested!”
But is it just me that sounds extremely low or are these the rates translators work nowadays?
According to Proz.com rates guide Minimum rates are $0.07-0.09/pw.
Let me know what you think.
I would be curious to see this ProZ.com rates guide you refer to. While it is palpable that bottom-feeders have been taking over the job area of the site with their so-called "offers" (to me, they are insults), I have never seen a section in my 22 years as a paying ProZ.com member where they specify any minimum rates.
Occasionally, I report extremely low rates offered in a job posting, as I did this May.
I opened a ticket ("Alert about classic job") and commented on the job posting,
"ONE CENT per word?!
These types of "job" posts should NOT be permitted here."
The next day, I received the email response that the ticket was closed:
Reply title: "Each member should be entitled to set their minimum rates."
I agree with the colleagues who believe that as long as there are desperate translators (?) out there who are willing to accept jobs under such surreal terms, these jobs (?) will not cease to exist. I also agree that ProZ.com (happy 25th anniversary!) should not allow/promote this horrible trend unless they aspire to rebrand from being a marketplace for language professionals to become a flee market style platform for anything-goes deals.
My wish for our world is an economy where no one will be forced to work for peanuts. Until then, each member is entitled to NOT accept rates under their own set minimum. For the rest, you have my sympathy.
[Edited at 2024-06-25 18:20 GMT]
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tekom wrote:
I don't normally respond to posts like this, but I want to respond as a LSP. We try to pay our translators a rate that is fair and comes down to a minimum of about 30 euros. We do have to compete with agencies that offer certified translation work at much lower rates because they find translators willing to work for such low rates. So if translators do accept these kinds of rates, it also affects rates and margins across the industry. This can only be stopped if translators refuse to work for such low rates.
[Bijgewerkt op 2024-06-17 10:42 GMT]
Well, I normally don't react to posts like this either, but what exactly is meant here with 30 euros? Is this a price/hour? In that case, I cannot possibly imagine there is any professional translator in Belgium who would work at this rate. The legal minimum wage in Belgium for a self employed package deliverer is 32.77 euros. Simple maths: 30 euros x 8 hours x 20 working days = 4800 euros gross income (without taking holidays). Impossible to live off. So 30 euros is not a fair rate, it is an insult.
[Bearbeitet am 2024-07-03 16:37 GMT]
[Bearbeitet am 2024-07-03 17:33 GMT]
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MagnusRubens (X)
Local time: 00:52
| Rates are low and I'm packing up after 28 years | Jul 4, 2024 |
Joop Debrabandere wrote:
tekom wrote:
I don't normally respond to posts like this, but I want to respond as a LSP. We try to pay our translators a rate that is fair and comes down to a minimum of about 30 euros. We do have to compete with agencies that offer certified translation work at much lower rates because they find translators willing to work for such low rates. So if translators do accept these kinds of rates, it also affects rates and margins across the industry. This can only be stopped if translators refuse to work for such low rates.
[Bijgewerkt op 2024-06-17 10:42 GMT]
Well, I normally don't react to posts like this either, but what exactly is meant here with 30 euros? Is this a price/hour? In that case, I cannot possibly imagine there is any professional translator in Belgium who would work at this rate. The legal minimum wage in Belgium for a self employed package deliverer is 32.77 euros. Simple maths: 30 euros x 8 hours x 20 working days = 4800 euros gross income (without taking holidays). Impossible to live off. So 30 euros is not a fair rate, it is an insult.
[Bearbeitet am 2024-07-03 16:37 GMT] [Bearbeitet am 2024-07-03 17:33 GMT]
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4800 EUR gross income impossible to live off in Belgium?
I know the cost of living in Western Europe is high but wow...
But, good to know. There is zero hope for me then.
Since February 2024 I'm not even close to those numbers.
After 28 years full time in this industry, I have just begun closing down my little limited company.
I shall look forward to not pretend to run a company anymore just so global LSP conglomerates can continue to cheat on the employer taxes they should be paying from the very second they force a contractor to work via their "proprietary" online CAT tools. Do I tell a car mechanic or a plumber that they are only allowed to use MY set of spanners & wrenches? Well? If we are running businesses then we ARE using our own tools, thank you very much. Otherwise, large LSP's: you start paying employer taxes.
I told one of my (best) agencies the following as I sent them my resignation recently:
"Since my work is obviously not worth anything anymore, I shall now stop doing it!"
Cheers all, I shall very shortly close down my Proz account and disappear out the door.
Onwards and upwards. Because "upwards" is really the only way from this point. 
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PS. I can thoroughly recommend the song "Have We Reached The Bottom Yet" by Johnny Brady (Ireland). I sense some of you will like that.
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