What does that rate actually pay?
Per-minute looks high until idle time shows up. See annual earnings at your utilization.
Earnings calculator
Pay type
Estimated annual
$31,200
$15.00 / hour·$600 / week·$2,600 / month
At different utilization
- 40%$12,480
- 60%$18,720
- 80%$24,960
- 100%$31,200
How OPI pay works
Per-minute pay
You earn a set rate for every minute you're actively on a call. You don't earn during idle time. Utilization is what turns that rate into real income.
Hourly pay
A fixed rate per hour, regardless of call volume. More predictable than per-minute, usually lower than what top per-minute interpreters earn when it's busy.
Utilization rate
The share of scheduled time spent on active calls. Most OPI interpreters see 50–70%. That gap is why a high per-minute rate can still mean modest annual pay.
Questions about pay
How much do OPI interpreters make?
OPI interpreter earnings vary widely by company and pay structure. Per-minute interpreters typically earn $0.10–$0.50/min, while hourly interpreters earn $10–$28/hr. Actual annual income depends on utilization rate — the percentage of scheduled time you're actively on calls.
What is a good per-minute rate for OPI?
Per-minute rates range from $0.10/min (entry-level at high-volume agencies) to $0.50+/min (experienced interpreters at premium agencies like LanguageLine). The industry average is around $0.25–$0.35/min. Rare language pairs often command higher rates.
What is interpreter utilization rate?
Utilization rate is the percentage of your scheduled time that you're actively on calls. Most OPI interpreters have a utilization rate of 50–70%. The rest is idle time between calls. This is critical for per-minute interpreters because you only earn during active calls.
Per-minute vs hourly: which pays better?
It depends on your utilization rate. Hourly pay is predictable regardless of call volume. Per-minute pay can be higher during busy periods but drops during slow times. Use the calculator above to compare your effective hourly rate at different utilization levels.