Professional interpreters’ job satisfaction and relevant factors A case study of trained interpreters in South Korea

Abstract

A study of the job satisfaction of professional interpreters may cast light on the current state of the profession and its prospects. Through a questionnaire-based survey of 150 professional interpreters in South Korea, this study examines various factors contributing to the job satisfaction of professional interpreters, including individual characteristics and job characteristics. Statistically significant correlations were confirmed between job satisfaction and marital status, the length of the interpreting career, average weekly working hours, and the dominant employment type of the respondents. While the respondents overwhelmingly chose income as the most important factor that determines their satisfaction, a multiple regression analysis revealed that job security was the most important factor, which was in turn strongly correlated with social recognition. This case study provides an analysis of the status quo of the profession in South Korea and has implications for the industry and for interpreter training. © John Benjamins Publishing Company.