Disability services offices often need to make decisions about interpreting and speech-to-text services without clear, local data to guide them. Pay rates, staffing models, and expectations vary widely by region — making it difficult to know what is competitive or sustainable. When compensation falls below the local market, the result isn’t just a hiring challenge: it’s provider turnover, unfilled requests, and inconsistent access that directly affects deaf students’ full participation in campus life.
Our market analysis tool gives you the evidence to change that. While resources like the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and the Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI) Registry provide helpful context, local analysis is essential for making decisions that work in your specific setting — establishing competitive rates, identifying gaps, and making the case to your administration for the resources deaf students’ access requires.
How to use this page:
- Set your scope. Identify peer institutions and agencies within roughly 50–75 miles of your campus, or a comparable labor market.
- Reach out by email. Contact 3–5 peers and/or agencies using the question lists below — copy the tab that fits each contact. Disability services offices at nearby colleges are often willing to share; consider offering your summary findings in return, strengthening the regional network that benefits every campus.
Sample email opener: "Hello, I'm the [role] at [institution]. We're conducting a market analysis of interpreting and speech-to-text service rates in our region to ensure we can recruit and retain qualified providers for our deaf students. Would you be willing to share the following information? We're happy to share our summary findings in return."
- Analyze your data. Enter responses into the Market Analysis Tool at the bottom of this page — each question tab matches a section of the tool, so responses transfer directly. Compare rates, value your benefits, and build your budget justification.
[Tab 1] Nearby Institution Information
Institution - Staff Positions
Staff positions build consistency and long-term student relationships. These questions help you benchmark what nearby institutions pay and offer.
- Do you employ interpreters or speech-to-text providers (CART, C-Print, TypeWell, VRI, remote speech-to-text) as staff?
- What is the salary range for staff providers?
- For salaried positions, what is the contract length (9-month, 12-month), and are they full-time or part-time?
- How do you determine pay for entry-level, certified (e.g., RID, BEI, or state screening), and premium/specialized providers (STEM, graduate-level, legal/medical)?
- What certifications or licensure are required at hire, and what is preferred? How many years of higher education experience do you expect?
- Which benefits do staff providers receive: paid preparation time, paid equipment/set-up time (STT), shift differential pay, paid travel time/mileage, parking, professional development funds, certification maintenance, campus perks (gym access, tuition waiver), paid leave, health insurance, retirement?
- Are providers paid for cancelled assignments or no-show time?
Institution - Hourly Service Providers
Hourly service providers offer flexibility and specialized skill matching. These questions surface both rates and the conditions that keep qualified service providers coming back.
- Do you hire interpreters or speech-to-text providers directly as hourly employees?
- What credentials or licensure are required at hire, and what is preferred? How much higher education experience do you expect?
- What is the range of hourly pay for service providers, by service type and credential level (entry, certified, specialized)?
- Do you pay differential rates for evening, weekend, or last-minute assignments?
- Is there a minimum booking (e.g., 2-hour minimum)? What is your cancellation policy, and are providers compensated for cancelled assignments?
- Do you pay for preparation time, travel time/mileage, or parking?
- Do you offer hourly service providers any incentives — professional development, certification maintenance support, campus perks, guaranteed hours?
- Are you finding qualified providers at your current rates? What’s working for recruitment and retention in your area?
[Tab 2] Agencies
Agencies offer broader availability, especially for last-minute needs — but premiums and fees add up. These questions reveal the true cost of outsourcing and the quality you can expect.
- What is your hourly rate for each service type: interpreting, CART, C-Print, TypeWell, VRI, remote speech-to-text?
- How is billing structured — 15-minute increments, hourly? Is there a minimum booking (e.g., 2-hour minimum)?
- Is preparation time charged as a separate line item, or included in the base rate?
- Do you charge additional fees for evening, weekend, or rush/last-minute requests?
- When is a second provider (teaming) required — for example, assignments over one hour — and how is it billed?
- Which of the following are included in the base rate vs. billed as extras: cancellations, travel or mileage, equipment, technical support, remote platform costs?
- What is your cancellation policy and required lead time for requests?
- What certification and credential levels do you guarantee? Where state licensure law applies, how do you ensure providers remain compliant?
- Do you assign the same provider(s) to recurring classes to support consistency and rapport for deaf students?
- What experience do your providers have in postsecondary settings, including STEM and other technical or advanced coursework?
- Can you provide references from institutions of similar size or context?
[Tab 3] Strategic Summary
Know your true cost — and defend your budget. Enter responses into the Market Analysis Tool to calculate the true cost per service hour — including teaming requirements, billing minimums, and add-on fees — and compare it against what nearby institutions pay directly. The tool values your benefits package, highlights where outsourcing costs you most, and generates the talking points you need to make your case to administration. Download your analysis as a spreadsheet, Word document, or PDF.
Gathering data over several weeks? Download the blank spreadsheet template to track responses as they arrive.
Questions about conducting a market analysis on your campus? Contact the NDC team — we’re here to help.
