Translation “checking” question and answers
Advice, Career, Translating/Interpreting 
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A Japanese native-speaker recently asked about rates for “checking” a translation. She was translating a resume and references for a client and her husband (an English native-speaker) was going to check her translation. The client asked how much she charges for checking, and she wasn’t quite sure how to respond.
JetWit put the “checking” question out to the Writers Interpreters Translators (WIT) Group and received the below responses. Feel free to post additional thoughts/advice in the comments section below:
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I wouldn’t charge less than 50% of my rate to translate the piece in the first place since, frankly, checking is a huge pain in the ass.
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Editing is typically 30-40% of your translating rate.
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Is the question about a Quality Manager or translation quality control type of position? Are they asking for one project or as a full-time job? Depending on that, the rates will be different. However, it is best to keep in mind that quality managers for translation companies usually don’t get paid very well, even though it’s a lot of tedious work!
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I usually charge 10 yen per word. This may seem like a lot, but the work usually involves a lot of retranslation. Checking can mean that you are supposed to confirm the contents. If the translation is poor, it can be a nightmare.
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