Healthcare

How to become a Medical Interpreter

From bilingual, no experience: every step, how long it takes, and the credential it earns.

Time to get there

2–6 months

Typical pay

$40k–$58k

Starting from

Bilingual, no experience

Pay is an estimate of typical US entry-level pay for this role and varies by state, employer and shift. The timeline assumes you are starting from bilingual, no experience and includes any licence or programme legally required — not just course length.

The route

1. 1

   2–4 weeks

   Confirm your language proficiency

   Fluent in both directions, including register. Most training programs test this on entry.

2. 2

   1–3 months

   Complete a 40+ hour medical interpreter course

   Terminology, ethics, and the discipline of interpreting without editing.

   Course that covers thisMedical Terminology A–Z: Learn the Language of HealthcareUdemy · around $19.99 →
3. 3

   Certify with CCHI or NBCMI

   Written plus oral exam. Hospitals increasingly require one of the two.

   ◆ CHI (CCHI) or CMI (NBCMI)

4. 4

   6–18 months

   Start on a hospital roster or agency panel

   Per-diem work first; staff posts follow in high-demand languages.

5. ✓

   Destination

   Medical Interpreter

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