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Linguist

Also called slavist, arabist, anglist

Linguists study languages scientifically. They master languages and can interpret them in terms of their grammatical, semantic, and phonetic characteristics. They research the evolution of language and the way it is used by societies.

Will there be jobs?Average prospects33 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Legal, social and cultural professionalsWhat does it pay?Above averageFrom about €1,800 (Bulgaria) to €8,800 (Luxembourg) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Legal, social and cultural professionalsWhat do I need to study?Usually a degree9 in 10 have a degree.Legal, social and cultural professionalsWill AI change it?SignificantlyLevel 5 of 6. AI could take on part of most tasks, but none fully.Translators, interpreters and other linguists · ILO

What you'd do

Translators, interpreters and other linguists · ILO
  • Studying relationships between ancient parent languages and modern language groups, tracing the origin and evolution of words, grammar and language forms, and presenting findings
  • Advising on or preparing language classification systems, grammars, dictionaries and similar materials
  • Translating from one language into another and ensuring that the correct meaning of the original is retained, that legal, technical or scientific works are correctly rendered, and that the phraseology and terminology of the spirit and style of literary works are conveyed as far as possible
  • Developing methods for the use of computers and other instruments to improve productivity and quality of translation
  • Interpreting from a spoken or a signed language into another spoken or signed language , in particular at conferences, meetings and similar occasions, and ensuring that the correct meaning and, as far as possible, the spirit of the original are transmitted
  • Revising and correcting translated material
Write scientific publicationsSpeak different languagesStudy acquisition of languageDraft scientific or academic papers and technical documentationApply scientific methods+ 26 more essential skills

Will there be jobs?

Average prospects

A typical number of jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as legal, social and cultural professionals in the EU
5.41m6.54m7.02m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
354,000 new jobs 1,872,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Legal, social and cultural professionals33
All jobs29
Right now
3 of 27 countries report a shortage of translators, interpreters and other linguists, 13 a surplus.
Translators, interpreters and other linguists · EURES

What does it pay?

Above average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,800 a month (Bulgaria) to €8,800 (Luxembourg), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among professionals in the EU, women earn 21% less per hour than men. Professionals · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Usually a degree

A degree in literature and linguistics is the usual route.

Highest qualification of legal, social and cultural professionals (EU, 2025)
Degree 87%Vocational 6%General secondary 5%Basic schooling 2%
Field that teaches it
Literature and linguistics
Vocational route, EU
3 in 10 trainees in this field
Arts and humanities graduates in a matching job
52% in the EU

1,154 institutions in the EU offer arts and humanities bachelor's degrees. Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Significantly

AI could take on part of most tasks, but none fully.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.59 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 6 tasks
Revising and correcting translated material0.70
Developing methods for the use of computers and other instruments to improve productivity and quality of translation0.67
Translating from one language into another and ensuring that the correct meaning of the original is retained, that legal, technical or scientific works are correctly rendered, and that the phraseology and terminology of the spirit and style of literary works are conveyed as far as possible0.64
Advising on or preparing language classification systems, grammars, dictionaries and similar materials0.61
Interpreting from a spoken or a signed language into another spoken or signed language , in particular at conferences, meetings and similar occasions, and ensuring that the correct meaning and, as far as possible, the spirit of the original are transmitted0.54
Studying relationships between ancient parent languages and modern language groups, tracing the origin and evolution of words, grammar and language forms, and presenting findings0.40

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for translators, interpreters and other linguists. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).