As of April 01, 2026, the average annual salary for Linguist in the US is $68,426, equivalent to $33 per hour, $1,316 weekly, or $5,702 monthly. These figures, sourced from Salary.com’s real-time job posting scans, highlight competitive earning potential for Linguist in cities like Santa Clara, San Jose, and Fremont.

Annually Salaries for Linguist in the US vary widely, spanning from $53,998 to $81,801. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($60,874) and 75th percentile ($75,427), while top earners (90th percentile) make $81,801 per year. This $14,553 pay gap underscores opportunities for salary growth through certifications, specialized skills like Customer Service or Customer Retention, or targeting high-paying regions like District of Columbia or California.

Location and experience significantly influence earnings. For example, District of Columbia Linguist often earn 10.7% above national averages due to demand from Fortune 42 companies and industry startups. Professionals are advised to focus on high-growth sectors like to offset market challenges.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Linguist Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Linguist Salary $53,998 US April 01, 2026
25th Percentile Linguist Salary $60,874 US April 01, 2026
50th Percentile Linguist Salary $68,426 US April 01, 2026
75th Percentile Linguist Salary $75,427 US April 01, 2026
90th Percentile Linguist Salary $81,801 US April 01, 2026
25% $60,874 10% $53,998 90% $81,801 75% $75,427 $68,426 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
Change Search Criteria
Check out Linguist jobs in Columbus, Ohio
Search More Linguist Jobs in Columbus, Ohio

What is a Linguist ?

Linguistics is the scientific study of language. It involves analysing language form, language meaning, and language in context. The earliest activities in the documentation and description of language have been attributed to the 6th-century-BC Indian grammarian Pāṇini who wrote a formal description of the Sanskrit language in his Aṣṭādhyāyī. Linguists traditionally analyse human language by observing an interplay between sound and meaning. Phonetics is the study of speech and non-speech sounds, and delves into their acoustic and articulatory properties. The study of language meaning, on the ...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/25/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

See user submitted job responsibilities for Linguist.

Job Openings for Linguist

Understand the total compensation opportunity for a Linguist, base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
60874
75427
68426

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
63189
83511
72606
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Linguist in the United States. The base salary for Linguist ranges from $60,874 to $75,427 with the average base salary of $68,426. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $63,189 to $83,511 with the average total cash compensation of $72,606.

Discover how your pay is adjusted for skills, experience, and other factors

How much should you be paid?

For a real-time salary target, tell us more about your role in the four categories below.

60874
75427

 

Jobs with a similar salary range to Linguist : Crypto Linguist, Japanese Interpreter, Bilingual Teacher