As a guide, certified translation of short official documents in the US starts at around $24.95 per page, standard translation runs about $0.10 to $0.25 per source word, and on-site interpreting typically costs $45 to $95 per hour with a two-hour minimum. These are typical market ranges rather than a price list; Prism Language Solutions confirms the exact price in a written quote within 60 minutes during business hours, and that figure is the one on the invoice.
Last reviewed September 11, 2026 by Sarah J, Prism Language Solutions
Language companies mostly make you call for a number. We would rather show the ranges, explain what moves a job within them, and then confirm the price in writing. Three things set the price of almost everything on this page: the language pair, the subject matter, and the deadline. A clean Spanish birth certificate for USCIS sits at the bottom of every range below. A handwritten Tigrinya baptismal record needed by tomorrow morning does not, and we tell you so before you commit.
- Certified translations prepared to meet USCIS requirements
- Human linguists only, matched to the subject
- Fixed written quote within 60 minutes in business hours
- One office in New York, linguists in every state
Certified translation cost per page
Short official documents are priced per page rather than per word: birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates, diplomas, ID cards, driver’s licenses, police clearances. A page is up to about 250 words. The per-page price includes the signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy, PDF delivery and a second-linguist review. It does not include notarization, hard copies or rush delivery, which are itemized separately so you can see them.
| Document | Guide price | Usual turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Birth, marriage, divorce, death certificate (1 page) | from about $24.95 per page | 24 hours |
| Diploma or degree certificate | from about $24.95 per page | 24 hours |
| Academic transcript (dense, multi-page) | $30 to $45 per page, or per word | 2 to 3 business days |
| Passport, ID card, driver’s license | from about $24.95 per page | 24 hours |
| Police clearance, court record extract | from about $24.95 per page | 24 hours |
| Notarization of the certificate | about $15 to $25 per document | same day |
| Printed, signed hard copy by mail | about $10 to $20 plus postage | 2 to 5 business days |
Translation cost per word
Longer documents are priced on the source word count, fixed before work starts, so the price cannot drift. As a guide, general business content in a common language pair runs $0.10 to $0.16 per word; legal, medical, financial and technical material $0.14 to $0.20; rare languages and specialist subject matter $0.18 to $0.25 and occasionally more. Volume earns a discount and repeat clients get consistent rates from job to job.
| Type of work | Guide rate per source word | Typical turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| General business content, common language pairs | $0.10 to $0.16 | 3 to 7 business days |
| Legal, medical, financial, technical | $0.14 to $0.20 | 3 to 10 business days |
| Rare languages, specialist subject matter | $0.18 to $0.25 or more | 5 to 14 business days |
| Website and software content, with terminology management | $0.14 to $0.22 | by project |
Rush delivery is usually a 25 to 50 percent surcharge on the base rate, depending on how much work has to happen overnight or over a weekend. Same-day service on short documents is often available at no surcharge if the document arrives in the morning; ask.
Interpreting cost per hour
On-site interpreting is billed by the hour with a two-hour minimum, because the interpreter travels to you and blocks out the time whether the hearing runs long or is adjourned in ten minutes. Guide rates in the US market are $45 to $95 per hour for common languages in everyday settings; court-certified and medically certified interpreters, rare languages and after-hours assignments sit at the top of the range or above it. Travel is charged only outside the metro area. Phone and video interpreting is billed by the minute or the hour with no minimum and no travel, which is why we suggest it for anything under an hour.
| Setting | Guide rate | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| On-site, common language, business or community setting | $45 to $75 per hour | 2 hours |
| On-site court or medical, certified interpreter | $65 to $95 per hour | 2 hours |
| On-site, rare language | $75 to $120 per hour | 2 hours |
| Phone interpreting | about $1.50 to $3.50 per minute | none |
| Video remote interpreting (scheduled) | $55 to $95 per hour | 1 hour |
| Conference (simultaneous), per interpreter | $600 to $1,000 per day | half day |
What moves the price
- Language. Spanish, French, Portuguese and Chinese have deep translator pools and sit low. Languages with a handful of qualified translators in the country (Chuukese, Karen, Mam) sit high because the people who can do the work are scarce.
- Legibility. A document that has to be transcribed before it can be translated, because it is handwritten, faded or photographed at an angle, takes longer. A clean scan is the cheapest thing you can send us.
- Subject. A patent, a clinical protocol or a securities filing needs a translator who knows the field, and those translators charge more.
- Deadline. Overnight and weekend work costs more because someone is working overnight or at the weekend.
- Extras. Notarization, apostille handling, hard copies, sworn declarations for court, certified mail. Each is listed separately on the quote.
How to get an exact price
Send the document, or the date, city and setting of the assignment, through the quote form or by email, and say who will receive the translation or what the appointment is for. A project manager replies with a fixed price and a delivery date, usually within the hour on a business day. There is no charge until you confirm, and the price does not change after that unless you change the job.
Ready to start? Send the document or the booking details through the quote form, call +1 (833) 282 8883, or email info@prismlinguistics.com. You get a fixed written price within 60 minutes during business hours.