As of July 01, 2026, the average annual salary for Linguist in the US is $68,420, 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 $53,764 to $81,323. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($60,748) and 75th percentile ($75,174), while top earners (90th percentile) make $81,323 per year. This $14,426 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 $53,764 US July 01, 2026
25th Percentile Linguist Salary $60,748 US July 01, 2026
50th Percentile Linguist Salary $68,420 US July 01, 2026
75th Percentile Linguist Salary $75,174 US July 01, 2026
90th Percentile Linguist Salary $81,323 US July 01, 2026
25% $60,748 10% $53,764 90% $81,323 75% $75,174 $68,420 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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United Health Services - JOHNSON CITY, NY

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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

 
 
 
60748
75174
68420

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
63658
84126
73142
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 $60,748 to $75,174 with the average base salary of $68,420. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $63,658 to $84,126 with the average total cash compensation of $73,142.

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60748
75174

 

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