Get Started as a Medical Interpreter Today!

In order to work as a medical interpreter, you will need to at least complete a 40-hour training course, like this one.

You can apply for jobs and find work with just this 40-hour Certificate of Qualification.

If you want to be more competitive for the best jobs you may want to continue and get your national certification from either CCHI or NBCMI. But in order to apply to take either national certification exam, you must complete a qualifying 40-hour course first.

Absolutely. Our students come from all types of jobs— servers, educators, stay-at-home moms, and dozens of others. If you start with a bilingual foundation and you’re willing to put in the work, we’ll teach you all that you need to know.

According to Payscale.com, the average medical interpreter makes around $47,000 per year and many full-time interpreter positions also include valuable benefits, like healthcare and vacation time.

We don’t do job placement at ALTA, but we can tell you that medical interpreters are in demand across the United States. After you complete our 40-hour course and earn your certificate of completion, you’ll get access to our interpreter agency directory and our private Alumni Facebook group, where you can network with other graduates and learn about job opportunities.

A medical interpreter works to actively facilitate verbal communication between a patient and a healthcare provider. As an interpreter, it’s your role to make sure that the healthcare provider and patient communicate with each other, so that the proper care can be administered.

A medical translator, on the other hand, works almost exclusively with translating written documents. It is an entirely different skill that requires a different type of training.

To become a certified medical interpreter, follow these steps:

1. Meet eligibility requirements – a. Be at least 18 years old; b. Have a high school diploma or equivalent; c. Demonstrate fluency in both English and your target language
2. Complete a 40-Hour Medical Interpreter Training – Enroll in an accredited program like ALTA’s online medical interpreter course to learn interpretation techniques, medical terminology, and ethics.  
3. Complete the Course Exams – Take and pass written and oral exams provided by ALTA to earn your Certificate of Qualification.
4. Meet Certification Requirements – Use your certificate as proof of training and language proficiency to apply for national certification exams (NBCMI or CCHI).  
5. Pass the National Certification Exam – Take and pass the NBCMI or CCHI exam to become a nationally certified medical interpreter.
6. Maintain Your Certification – Certifications require renewal, often after a specific period (e.g., five years for NBCMI’s CMI certification).

Our training is provided on-demand and online. Students use a computer or tablet with internet access.

When you sign up for a 40-hour medical interpreter training course, think of it as a level 1 credential for interpreters. Graduating from a 40-hour training course will qualify you to work professionally as a medical interpreter. If you want to be officially “certified”, you will need to take national exams. Those exams are administered by either the CCHI or NBCMI. The first step toward working as an interpreter AND earning your national certification status is taking a 40-hour course.

Your ALTA certificate will satisfy not one, but three prerequisites in your application for national certification exams: proof of English proficiency, proof of other language proficiency, and proof of interpreter training.

A certificate from ALTA services will qualify you to apply for interpretation jobs all over the nation. However, we always encourage you to contact your local interpretation vendors to understand their employment requirements.

You can extend your course materials access for 16 more weeks for $100

Most entry-to-intermediate medical interpreter courses range from $400 to $1,000, depending on course length, whether it’s in-person or online, the reputation of the provider, and whether materials or exam fees are included. Advanced or specialty programs can cost more.

Becoming a medical interpreter requires strong bilingual fluency plus mastery of medical vocabulary, ethics, and interpreting techniques. It’s challenging in that it demands accuracy under pressure, but it’s very achievable with structured training, supervised practice (role-plays), and consistent vocabulary study.

Certification commonly involves: (1) a written/knowledge exam (testing terminology, ethics and theory), (2) an oral/performance exam (simulated interpreting encounters to assess active skills), and (3) a training credential (a documented certificate showing completion of an approved interpreter training program).

Yes. A college degree is not usually required; most training programs do not have previous educational requirements for enrollment. If they do, they generally accept a high school diploma or GED. That said, related degrees can make you more competitive for certain roles.

The standard introductory training is often 40 hours, which many providers offer as an intensive one-week course or as a series of shorter sessions spread over several weeks online. Advanced or specialty tracks take longer.

Strengthen your language skills, complete a trusted medical interpreter training program (like ALTA’s) , gain practical experience (volunteer or intern in hospitals/clinics), network with language service providers, and apply for staff or freelance interpreting roles.

Yes. Demand is strong and growing across U.S. healthcare systems due to legal language-access requirements, increasing linguistic diversity, and the expansion of telehealth—especially in urban and multilingual regions.

National Certification can be obtained through the NBCMI’s CMI (Certified Medical Interpreter) and CCHI’s CoreCHI/CHI. Employer preference or language coverage may determine which one is best for you. 40 hours medical interpretation training (like ALTA’s) is a prerequisite for for national certification exams.

Payment structures vary: interpreters may be hourly employees, salaried staff, or freelance/contract paid per assignment. Remote interpreters are often paid by the minute. Rates depend on location, employer type, language rarity, and certification/experience.