Is 300RMB per day for a local translator correct?

[studymandrn]

I did a search and the only thread I found was one brief comment of 100RMB and another of 800RMB, but it wasn't exactly for the same thing.

I have been quoted 300RMB per day for a local translator in a small city, not one of the larger expensive metropolitan areas.

I am not complaining about the price. If it is the going rate great, but I will be depending on them for a few important suggestions and I want to be sure they are on the level.

[lilongyue]

300 RMB sounds like way too much to me. The average person in a small city will make around 1,000 RMB a month, so 300 RMB a day would be about 10 days wages for most people. Also, this person is not going to be doing simultaneous conference interpreting, just helping you ask simple questions and understand simple answers. The quality of English you're likely to encounter in a small town will also be poor, so I would think somewhere in the 100 RMB range would be more reasonable, but ultimately it will depend on your bargaining skills.

[gougou]

The average person in a small city will make around 1,000 RMB

But the average person can't translate.

[roddy]

And the average person has a job and isn't available to follow you about all day.

You're still not being specific about locations (is it a secret) so it's hard to say. A small city in China could mean a lot of things. But RMB 300 sounds ok to me for a short term contract. Eg if I had friends coming and needed someone to help them get around and translate for a day, I'd pay that for someone I knew was competent.

Edit. Changed my mind. Too expensive. But still depends on your location.

[lilongyue]

But the average person can't translate.

But chances are what you're going to get is someone's 42nd cousin who studied English in High School, but hasn't used it much in the last several years. If you were negotiating an important business contract I'd say go for it, but otherwise you're getting riped off, in my opinion. However, if you're traveling and it fits into your budget, then go for it. As I live here and think in terms of RMB, not how many U.S. dollars something converts to, I tend to see things differently. I won't pay 10 RMB for fried rice, when I know I can get it for 3. Depends on our budget.

[flameproof]

I hired interpreters a few times and going rate seem to be around RMB600/day, plus cover their expenses for travel, hotel etc.

Once a customer complained "but workers get 1000 per month yada yada yada". My reply was: "Then get your own next time".

[studymandrn]

Thanks Flame, that helps. It sounds fair enough then.

Hello Roddy,

I apologize regarding the location issue, I thought I replied in another thread.

My answer is that I have no specific place to tell you because I don't know. I have been trying for so long to apply and get responses from schools that there are at least 6 provinces that if any school in any one of them gives me a satisfactory reply to acquire the visa (JW101), that is where I will go.

The reason I say smaller city is because I know the expense is usually higher in the large cities like Beijing and very large cities are the one place I will not go.

I am not the one hiding my location, China is, I wish someone would tell me

[lilongyue]

I hired interpreters a few times and going rate seem to be around RMB600/day, plus cover their expenses for travel, hotel etc.

Damn, looks like I'm in the wrong business.

Once a customer complained "but workers get 1000 per month yada yada yada". My reply was: "Then get your own next time".

For someone new to China, and unaware of the cost of living here and how that impacts costs of services, the average monthly salary of locals is a good measuring stick for certain things, in the same way that one would ask about the cost of an average meal to figure how much they would spend on food per month (as is often done on this forum). Looks like I was way off the mark for interpreters though.

[roddy]

Genuinely competent interpreters - as opposed to the kind who translate your question, discuss the issue with the other party for five minutes and then tell you what they've decided you should do - can pretty much write their own pay-checks. Flameproof, what kind of quality of service do you get for your RMB 600?

[lilongyue]

. . . can pretty much write their own pay-checks.

Which side of the equation are we talking about here? I'm assuming it's the foreigner looking for an interpreter, and not the other way around, right? Based on what I've seen of the Chinese perspective of doing business (which is limited, I'll admit), the value placed on a product or service's quality isn't as important as the overall cost of the service/good, if you know what I mean.

[BrandeX]

as opposed to the kind who translate your question, discuss the issue with the other party for five minutes and then tell you what they've decided you should do

Hah! I know exactly what you mean. But, since my interpreter is my wife, at least I don't have to pay for this level of quality service.

Oh, and it depends on your location and length of "day". English speaking chinese assistant teachers here in Guangzhou get 50rmb an hour/class.

[imron]

Which side of the equation are we talking about here?

The side of the interpreter. Skilled interpreters capable of conducting simultaneous or consecutive interpreting at a high level, can command high salaries.

[flameproof]

Flameproof, what kind of quality of service do you get for your RMB 600?

I want quality. And I want somebody that not only know the language, I want somebody that also can TALK.

Many Chinese know English, but can't talk. You ask them "how are you?" Ant there reply "good", followed by silence till you ask the next question, which is again answered with a single word. The only questions those people can think of is: you like China? You like Chinese food? Nope, I don't those.

I want really good people and don't mind to pay for it.

PS: You can't really divide a workers salary by 30 the get a days pay for an interpreter. They don't work every day. They may just work a few days a month.

PPS: Salary depends also on location, language and for how long. If you need one for 10 days you can negotiate a better deal. But I like deals that make both happy.