There was a quick poll published this week on the subject of rates. While a comprehensive survey on translator rates which takes into account factors such as language pair, field, client type, etc., is beyond the scope of a quick poll, the discussion this poll led to is an interesting one. Have a look at the discussion thread here.
Another quick poll, held at the end of 2010 asked, “Are you planning to raise your rates in 2011?” At least 24% of those who responded said yes, and nearly 39% were thinking about it, but not certain yet.
In response to a more recent quick poll, 18.8% of respondents stated they had raised their rates this year.
A different take on this topic might be to ask, “How’s your income?” Have you been able to sustain or raise your income from your translation-related work, and was an increase or decrease in your rates a factor, just one of various factors, or not a factor at all?
Regarding rates, there is a brief explanation of how price relates to quality published on ProZ.com, as well as data on standard and minimum rates reported by those in the community. View this explanation and data here.
Translator T.O. 