If you speak multiple languages, you can make money from it by providing language services to companies developing and publishing content in different languages.
Amazingly, there is a vast and ready market for your services because about seven million blog posts are published daily, new podcasts are released by the hour, and more than 300 hours of video are uploaded on YouTube every minute. All of this information must be transcribed, proofread, subtitled, and translated.
Worth noting is that, most linguistic organizations that create and edit content use a combination of in-house staff and freelancers, and you could be one of those freelancers.
The language industry is one of the world’s fastest expanding industries, with a projected value of $52 billion in 2021.
Let’s look at the top three easy and lucrative side hustles you can do if you speak multiple languages.
Transcription
Transcription and time-coding of videos, interviews, and speeches are paying jobs. If you’re an excellent listener with a rapid typing speed, this could be the perfect side hustle for you if you speak multiple languages.
An English transcriptionist earns $15-$20 per hour, depending on how quickly they can transcribe. You may earn more than $35 per hour if you speak Danish, Japanese, Swedish, or Dutch.
If you have a background in law, health, or physics, you could earn more depending on the technicality of the content.
To get started, you can take introductory transcription courses online to learn the ropes, and you can begin with short and simple tasks. And then make your way up to more extensive and complicated tasks.
Proofreading
Proofreading is a more specialized job for those who speak multiple languages, and it pays more. You should consider proofreading jobs if you’re meticulous, patient, careful, and have a talent for catching typos, grammatical errors, and punctuation problems.
Proofreading can pay anywhere from $6 to $12 per page, depending on the language and intricacy of the text.
Subtitling
If you enjoy watching TV, subtitling TV shows and videos could be both fun and profitable side income for you.
Subtitling can pay anywhere from $20 to $60 per hour, depending on languages you’re good at, your level of experience, and your familiarity with a genre.
You will make more money if you can subtitle Korean, Japanese, and Nordic language shows. With a few short training classes, you should be up and running in a matter of weeks. These classes are easily accessible online.
In conclusion, being able to speak multiple languages opens up the door to several opportunities for you to make money, as freelancing companies such as Fiverr, Up work and Freelancer offer short-term language-related jobs. Also, you can register with translation agencies and apply to work with linguistic companies if you’re interested in long-term, consistent work.
What other easy gigs do you think people who speak multiple languages can do? Please mention them in the comment section.
