The bilingual bonus

Why bilingual jobs pay more

Many employers looking for bilingual job candidates are willing to shell out extra cash for employees who speak certain languages. Bilingual jobs commonly pay about five to twenty percent more than their non-bilingual counterparts… But why?

Bilingual employees can reach new customers.

Specific areas of the country have different foreign-language speaking populations. Employees in sales positions who can speak the local languages of choice can offer services and products to more customers, increasing their potential for making their company money. A sales person who speaks Cantonese in an area with a large number of Asian immigrants will probably be more successful than one who can’t communicate easily with prospective clients.

Service-oriented employees are able to address complaints, concerns and compliments more easily when they are fluent in the languages of their customers. These bilingual employees have a unique opportunity to form closer bonds with customers and improve the image of the company they work for. Putting in the extra effort to hire employees who speak Spanish in areas with a high Spanish-speaking population shows that the business cares about those customers and is paying attention to their specific needs.

Bilingual employees can supervise a diverse staff.

In industries with large numbers of employees who speak a language besides English, supervisors need to be prepared to interact with their staff members in the language that will best communicate instructions, safety warnings and other relevant information.

The language that will lead to promotions varies based on your location. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States, so being bilingual in Spanish and English is a safe bet for almost any industry. In other parts of the country, Chinese, Cantonese and other languages are the key to making yourself more managerial.

Bilingual employees eliminate the need for translators and interpreters.

In medical, legal and business settings interpreters are often hired to enable communication with individuals and audiences, and there are many other employers that have to hire translators or interpreters to cover duties that a bilingual employee could handle instead. Hiring a bilingual employee can eliminate the need for an interpreter, and the employee’s comprehension of the language as it applies to specific job is often greater than that of an outside language professional.

The world’s markets and communities continue to mingle, and being able to speak two (or more) languages is growing more important, both personally and professionally. As long as bilingual employees are able to communicate with new consumers, more staff members and diverse audiences, knowing the right languages will spell higher earnings.