As of June 01, 2026, the average annual salary for Linguist in the US is $68,422, 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 San Jose, Santa Clara, and San Francisco.

Annually Salaries for Linguist in the US vary widely, spanning from $53,714 to $81,507. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($60,723) and 75th percentile ($75,271), while top earners (90th percentile) make $81,507 per year. This $14,548 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 $53,714 US June 01, 2026
25th Percentile Linguist Salary $60,723 US June 01, 2026
50th Percentile Linguist Salary $68,422 US June 01, 2026
75th Percentile Linguist Salary $75,271 US June 01, 2026
90th Percentile Linguist Salary $81,507 US June 01, 2026
25% $60,723 10% $53,714 90% $81,507 75% $75,271 $68,422 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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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

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Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
60723
75271
68422

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
63487
83903
72947
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 $60,723 to $75,271 with the average base salary of $68,422. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $63,487 to $83,903 with the average total cash compensation of $72,947.

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60723
75271

 

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