As freelance linguists, we often focus on the quality of our work, the clients we collaborate with, or the rates we charge. But there’s another key factor that shapes our professional life: productivity.
In the language industry, productivity usually refers to the amount of work you can complete within a certain timeframe. For translators, this often means the number of words translated per hour or per day. For editors or subtitlers, it might be pages reviewed, minutes of video subtitled, or segments processed.
It’s not about rushing through tasks, but about understanding your own pace, workflow, and limits.
Knowing your productivity isn’t just a curiosity, it is a decision-making tool. It helps you:
Estimate earnings realistically: if you know your pace, you can better calculate how much you will make on a project.
Evaluate project feasibility: when a client asks if you can deliver by a certain date, you will know immediately if it’s realistic.
Plan your schedule: understanding your output allows you to balance work with personal time and avoid burnout.
Set fair rates: productivity insights can guide whether your current rates align with your working speed and income goals.
There are different ways to approach it:
Track word counts: divide the number of words in a project by the time it took you to complete it.
Use time tracking tools: applications can help you log how long you spend on translation versus research or admin tasks.
Average over time: productivity can vary depending on text type or subject matter, so calculating your average across several projects gives you a clearer picture.
To help with this, ProZ has recently introduced a Productivity Calculator designed to help freelance linguists estimate their productivity quickly and accurately.
If you are curious, you can give it a try and see where you stand:
Ultimately, productivity awareness helps freelancers work smarter, not harder, making informed decisions that align with their goals and well-being.