Skip to content
FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutubeInstagram
  • Join ATA
  • Renew
  • Shop ATAware
  • Contact Us
  • Log In Welcome, My Account
American Translators Association (ATA)
Find a Language Professional
  • Certification
    • Certification
      • Guide to ATA Certification
      • What is a Certified Translation?
      • How the Exam is Graded
      • Review and Appeal Process
      • Looking for more information?
    • Taking the Exam
      • About the Exam
      • How to Prepare
      • Practice Test
      • Exam Schedule
    • Already Certified?
      • Put Your Credentials To Work
      • Continuing Education Requirement
    • Register Buttons
      • Register for Exam
         
      • Order Practice Test
  • Career and Education
    • For Newcomers
      • Student Resources
      • Starting Your Career
      • The Savvy Newcomer Blog
    • For Professionals
      • Growing Your Career
      • Business Strategies
      • Next Level Blog
      • Client Outreach Kit
      • Mentoring
    • Resources
      • For Educators and Trainers
      • Tools and Technology
      • Publications
      • School Outreach
    • Event Buttons
      • Visit ATA66
      • Upcoming Webinars
  • Client Assistance
    • Client Resources
      • Why Should I Hire a Professional?
      • Translator vs. Interpreter
      • Buying Language Services
    • More Client Resources
      • Need a Certified Translation?
      • What is Machine Translation?
      • The ATA Compass Blog
    • Find a Translator Button
      • Find a Language Professional
  • Events
    • Events
      • Annual Conference
      • Free Events for ATA Members
      • Certification Exam Schedule
    • More Events
      • Virtual Workshops and Events
      • Live and On-Demand Webinars
      • Calendar of Events
    • Event Buttons
      • Visit ATA66
      • Upcoming Webinars
         
  • News
    • Industry News
    • Advocacy and Outreach
    • The ATA Chronicle
    • The ATA Podcast
    • ATA Newsbriefs
    • Press Releases
  • Member Center
    • Member Resources
      • Join ATA
      • Renew Your Membership
      • Benefits of Membership
      • Divisions & Special Interest Groups
      • Chapters, Affiliates, Partners, and Other Groups
      • Get Involved
      • Member Discounts
      • Shop ATAware
    • Already a Member?
      • Member Login
      • Connect with Members
      • Credentialed Interpreter Designation
      • Become a Voting Member
      • Submit Member News
      • Submit Your Event
      • Contact Us
    • Member Buttons
  • About Us
    • About ATA
      • Who We Are
      • Honors and Awards Program
      • Advertise with Us
      • Media Kit
    • How ATA Works
      • Board of Directors
      • Committees
      • Policies & Procedures
      • Code of Ethics
      • ATA Team
    • Contact Button
      • Contact ATA
  • Join ATA
  • Renew Your Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Log In
  • Find a Language Professional
August 18, 2023

ATA Proposes Novel Idea to Help South Carolina Court Interpreters Earn Fair Compensation

Advocacy & Outreach

When an ATA member contacted the Advocacy Committee in February 2023 to tell us that court interpreters in South Carolina hadn’t received any raises in almost two decades, we wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of the Palmetto State to express our concerns. Thanks to the advocacy efforts of the hardworking interpreters in South Carolina and the support of this letter, the Chief Justice ordered a 36% increase in wages for court interpreters in the Palmetto State.

Since then, we learned about South Carolina State Senate Bill 52 (S. 52), which aims to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws to fix judicial salaries in proportion to those received by federal district court judges. Last week, we wrote to the Chief Justice again to let him know that this is not only a good idea for judges, but for court interpreters as well. To our knowledge, no similar such arrangement exists.

Why Did We Do This?

The federal judiciary sets a benchmark for both quality and compensation, and the South Carolina judiciary is seeking to place itself on par. The proper adjustment of salaries has implications far beyond fairness to individual judges. For example, if salaries are too low, only those with means will be financially able to assume judicial posts. This will negatively impact the diversity of the judiciary and discriminate against those who are well qualified and interested in serving, but nonetheless unable to aspire to such a career because of financial hardship from unfair compensation. We believe these principles could also be applied to the compensation levels for court interpreters in South Carolina.

Why is This a Novel Idea?

While traditional wage comparisons are done for jobs in similar situations (in this case, state courts), we thought that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If federal court interpreter fees were applied in South Carolina ($320 for a half day and $566 for a full day), court interpreters in the Palmetto State would receive a $320 minimum, up from the current $130 minimum. By offering such rates, the federal courts provide fair compensation to interpreters who reserve blocks of time for them and are unable to accept other assignments. The South Carolina courts should do the same for their own.

What Can Interpreters in South Carolina Do?

We encourage all ATA members in South Carolina to contact their state senators now to tell them why this bill is good for equal pay practices, not only for judges in South Carolina, but also for court interpreters, perhaps the most diverse worker class in the courts. You can start with the following talking points and add your own, based on your experience working in South Carolina:

  • If federal pay parity applies for judges, it should also apply to court interpreters.
  • Funding language access properly will help ensure that Deaf and immigrant court users continue to receive highly skilled professional interpreters.
  • By doubling the $190,000 annual language access budget, the legislature could easily provide enough resources for language access to flourish in the courts.

First, contact the Senate Judiciary Committee to let them know that funding language access in the South Carolina courts is just as important as funding its judiciary. By adding court interpreters to the state–federal pay parity plan, the South Carolina Senate could help ensure a diverse working class is included in its appropriation practices—for just $190,000 a year!

Then, click here to find who represents you and write to their office, call their staffers, and set up a meeting to talk about amending S. 52, or drafting a new bill, to fix state court interpreter compensation to what is received by federal court interpreters. Let them know that their legislative support would help more Deaf, hard of hearing, and immigrant court users receive  language access from highly skilled interpreters working in the South Carolina courts.

Share this

Posts navigation

← ATA Advocacy at Work: Bill Threatening to Weaken Court Interpreting Standards Derailed
ATA Sends Letter Opposing AB 1032 to California Senate Appropriations Committee →

Latest Posts

  • ATA Statement on Artificial Intelligence May 20, 2025
  • Pennsylvania Recruiting Bilingual Workers with a Pay Incentive Pilot Program May 5, 2025
  • A County in Illinois Rolls Out “I Speak” Cards as Part of April’s “Language Access Month” May 5, 2025
  • Trump Administration Cuts Funding for Ukrainian Literature Translations at Harvard May 5, 2025
  • Washington State Senate Passes Bill Enhancing Court Interpreting Services for Non-English Speakers May 5, 2025

Topics

  • Advocacy & Outreach
  • Annual Conference
  • Book Reviews
  • Business Strategies
  • Certification Exam
  • Certification Program
  • Client Assistance
  • Educators and Trainers
  • Growing Your Career
  • Industry News
  • Interpreting
  • Member Benefits
  • Member News
  • Mentoring
  • Networking
  • Public Outreach
  • Publications
  • Resources
  • School Outreach
  • Specializations
  • Starting Your Career
  • Student Resources
  • Tools and Technology
  • Translation
Language Services Directory
ata_logo_footer

American Translators Association
211 N. Union Street, Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone +1-703-683-6100
Fax +1-703-778-7222

  • Certification
  • Career and Education
  • Client Assistance
  • Events
  • News
  • Member Center
  • About Us
  • Member Login
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Submit Feedback

© 2025 - American Translators Association

Find a Language Professional
Scroll To Top
By clicking accept or closing this message and continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies.I AcceptPrivacy Policy