June is Immigration Heritage Month, a month-long celebration of our shared heritage as a nation of immigrants. Established in 2014 by the I STAND WITH IMMIGRANTS initiative, Immigrant Heritage Month encourages people all over the United States to explore their heritage and celebrate the contributions that diversity of cultures and languages that exemplifies our nation today.
One area where immigrants excel is in knowing more than one language. A 2017 study by New American Economy found that in 2014, 84.2% of immigrants spoke a second language compared with 21.1% in the general population. With the demand for bilingual jobs rapidly increasing, being bilingual is quickly becoming one of the most in-demand skills in today’s job market. Between 2010 and 2015, demand for Spanish and Arabic language skills increased by about 150% and jumped more than 300% for individuals who can speak Chinese.
To honor immigrants and their specialized language skills this Immigration Heritage Month, Virtual Vocations has put together a list of the most popular remote bilingual jobs and the companies that hire for them.
1. Customer Service
A large segment of remote bilingual jobs is for customer service. According to the study cited above, 7.8% of all job postings in 2015 were for bilingual customer service. Customer service representatives communicate with customers to respond to questions, resolve complaints, and process orders. CSRs are represented in almost every industry. In most instances this position only requires a high school diploma or equivalent.
Job Outlook: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), customer service positions are expected to decline 2% overall between 2019 and 2029, however the outlook is good despite that due to the need to replace workers leaving the field.
Median Annual Wage: $35,830 in May 2020.
Examples of Companies That Hire Remote Bilingual Customer Service Personnel:
- Globe Life: insurance and financial services. Languages advertised include Spanish.
- Public Consulting Group: management consulting firm. Languages advertised include Arabic, Cambodian, Cantonese, Korean, Laotian, Mandarin, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian, or Vietnamese.
- Sykes Enterprises: demand generation and customer-engagement services company. Languages advertised include French.
- Wyndham Destinations: a global provider of vacation rentals and exchanges. Languages advertised include Spanish and Portuguese.
2. Sales Representative
Another large category of remote bilingual jobs is sales. Sales representatives are responsible for selling products and services which can include contacting customers, explaining the products or services, negotiating prices, and answering questions. There are different categories of sales representatives depending on what is being sold. According to the New American Economy report, the two largest categories for bilingual positions are wholesale/manufacturing and retail sales.
Job Outlook: Growth in this area is expected to be sluggish with no growth in retail sales (although the BLS may not be capturing online sales in this figure) and a less than average growth rate of 2% for wholesale and manufacturing sales between 2019 and 2029.
Median Annual Wage: $27,320 for retail sales in May 2020; $65,420 per year for wholesale and manufacturing in May 2020 (reflecting specialized knowledge and additional education requirements).
Examples of Companies That Hire Remote Bilingual Sales Representatives:
- Wayfair: online retailer of home goods, furniture, and décor. Languages advertised include Spanish.
- ServiceSource: provider of sales and business growth solutions. Languages advertised include French.
- YouNow: a social media company. Languages advertised include German, Turkish.
3. Technical Support
Technical support specialists assist computer users and organizations to resolve issues and optimize the functionality of software and hardware. The most important qualification for these remote bilingual jobs is knowledge and experience in the systems being used. This could include a bachelor’s degree, associate degree, or technical certifications.
Job Outlook: According to the BLS, jobs in this field are projected to grow 8% from 2019 to 2029, a much faster growth rate than other occupational areas.
Median Annual Wage: $55,510 per year in May 2020.
Examples of Companies That Hire Remote Bilingual Technical Support Specialists:
- Binance.com: a private cryptocurrency exchange technology company. Languages advertised include Italian.
- Samsara: software development company. Languages advertised include French.
- Veeva Systems: a cloud-based computing software firm. Languages advertised include Hebrew.
4. Foreign Language Instructor
Foreign language instruction affords plenty of remote opportunities for speakers of mulitiple languages. Choices will vary depending on education and experience. Options include K-12 or a postsecondary teacher specializing in language instruction, private tutoring working for an international service company, or providing specialized corporate language services.
Job Outlook: The BLS reports that most jobs for people who hold degrees in foreign languages are available in education, training, and library occupations which are projected to grow 5% from 2019 to 2029, faster than average for all occupations. Postsecondary instructors are experiencing a much greater growth ratee of 9%.
Median Annual Wage: Postsecondary Foreign Language Teachers median wage was $69,920, while education, training, and library occupations earned $52,380 in May 2020.
Examples of Companies That Hire Remote Foreign Language Instructors:
- Transparent Language: developer of language learning software. Languages advertised include Arabic (MSA), Arabic (Levantine dialect), Bosnian, Chinese (Mandarin), Croatian, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Persian Farsi, Serbian, Spanish, Thai, and Turkish.
- Yorktown Systems Group, Inc.: a professional services company that improves business processes. Languages advertised include Tagalog, Italian, Swahili, Serbo Croatian, Spanish, Urdu, Chinese-Mandarin, Ukrainian, and Lithuanian.
- Stride, Inc.: an online K-12 education company for homeschooling. Languages advertised include French and Spanish.
5. Translator/Interpreter
Interpreters and translators convert information from one language into another language, with interpreters focusing on translating language orally and translators focusing on written translations. While a bachelor’s degree is frequently required for these remote bilingual jobs, the most important qualification is language fluency.
Job Outlook: Growth is exceptionally high in this job category with a projected 20% growth between 2019 to 2020 according to the BLS. Opportunities are being driven by globalization and large increases in non-English-speaking people in the U.S.
Median Annual Wage: $52,330 in May 2020.
Examples of Companies That Hire Remote Translators and Interpreters:
- LanguageLine Solutions: a translation and interpretation company providing document translation, language interpretation, localization, and bilingual testing services. Languages advertised include Pohnpeian, Ekegusii, Gaddang, Gheg, Kyrgyz, Maay, Finnish, Dari, Quechua, Laotian, and Romanian.
- Pactera Technologies NA, Inc.: a digital technology company in the translation and localization industry. Languages advertised include German, Chinese, French (France), Italian, Japanese, and Spanish (Spain).
- CyraCom, LLC: an operator of large-scale interpreter call centers for healthcare organizations. Languages advertised include Vietnamese, Saraiki, Spanish, and American Sign Language.
6. Lawyer
Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies regarding legal issues and many areas of law may require a second language. In addition to being bilingual, lawyers must have a law degree and pass a state bar exam in order to practice.
Job Outlook: New positions are projected to increase 4% from 2019 to 2029, which is the average rate for all occupations. Competition is expected to be strong due to high enrollment in university law programs.
Median Annual Wage: $126,930 in May 2020.
Examples of Companies That Hire Remote Bilingual Lawyers:
- Dauntless Discovery: a legal services company that provides e-discovery services to clients in the legal industry. Languages advertised include Chinese-Mandarin.
- Legility, Inc.: a legal consulting and operations services firm providing technology, legal talent engagement, and managed solutions. Languages advertised include Japanese.
- KLDiscovery, LLC: a software and services company providing eDiscovery, information management, and data recovery solutions. Languages advertised include Spanish, French, Chinese, Portuguese, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Arabic, and Korean.
7. Writer
There is a growing demand for bilingual writers across a variety of industries and market sectors. Writers can find remote bilingual jobs to create a variety of language localized collateral including marketing content, technical manuals, social media, and blog articles. In addition to writing and language skills, writers may also need specialized education or experience.
Job Outlook: The BLS job outlook for writers is somewhat mixed with technical writers looking at a growth of 7%, while the more general category of writers and authors might see a decline of 2% between 2019 and 2029. They do note that those who have adapted to digital writing formats will have an advantage.
Median Annual Wage: $74,650 per year for technical writers and $67,120 per year for writers and authors.
Examples of Companies That Hire Remote Bilingual Writers:
- Mango Languages: a provider of online language learning resources and tools to aid learning. Languages advertised include German, Japanese, and Russian.
- Open Education LLC: an eLearning company specializing in English language instruction. Languages advertised include Portuguese.
- Bitso: a Latin American-based financial technology company that developed a mobile cryptocurrency application. Languages advertised include Spanish.
8. Speech Language Pathologists
Speech language pathologists assess, diagnose, treat, and help prevent communication and swallowing disorders. Working with both children and adults, professionals can find employment with schools as well as healthcare companies. To become a speech language pathologist, you will need a master’s degree and may need to be licensed by the state.
Job Outlook: This profession is projected to grow by 25% between 2019 to 2029. This large growth rate is attributed to the aging baby-boomer population needing more access to these services due to health conditions.
Median Annual Wage: $80,480 in May 2020.
Examples of Companies That Hire Remote Speech Language Pathologists:
- Sunbelt Staffing: a firm that provides staffing for healthcare positions in schools, clinical roles, and advanced practice jobs. Languages advertised include Spanish.
- TeleTeachers: provider of e-learning and speech-language teletherapy services for out-of-district students and homeschoolers. Languages advertised include Spanish.
- Soliant Health: a healthcare staffing company for specialized roles such as therapists, nurses, and pharmacy technicians. Languages advertised include Spanish.
Start Your Remote Bilingual Job Search Today
The jobs listed above are just a sample of remote bilingual jobs that require knowing two or more languages. Demand continues to grow for businesses to communicate across cultural and geographic boundaries, and more and more jobs will look for bilingual applicants. As the largest segment of society with second language skills, immigrants are benefiting from these new jobs while also contributing a valuable skill to the economy of their new country. Start your job search today to get a head-start on the competition.
Which of these remote bilingual jobs caught your eye? Are there any remote bilingual jobs you’ve always want to have? Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube to share your comments. We’d love to hear from you!
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