by Jeffrey Nelson
Language skills can earn you a little extra money in the job market. Many jobs exist that actually require you to have in-depth knowledge of another language; interpreters, translators, and so on. There are, however, several jobs that exist where language skills will not only give you a leg up in the hiring process, but they are rewarded with actual cash. A lot of these jobs are with the government.
In the CIA for example, translators need to speak another language. There are, however, other positions in the CIA with salaries ranging from $74,000 to well over $100,000. These positions can be anything from an HR Analyst to a Litigation Attorney. While language skills may not directly play into those roles in all cases, the good news is this: the CIA pays a language bonus of up to $35,000 for anyone who has second languages skills regardless of their future roll.
Other government branches that offer bonuses for second language skills are the Army and the Air Force.
While language skills are not necessary to work for the CIA in all positions, they will give you an extra $35,000 depending on the level of your language skills in all positions.
Another interesting job where language skills can give you a tangible benefit is being a nanny. With bilingualism becoming more and more prevalent, and the various benefits becoming more well-known, affluent people now want their children to speak more than one language.
According to an article in the New York Times, "a nanny increases her market value if she speaks fluent French (or, increasingly, Mandarin)" The ability to command high salaries as a nanny, taking care of the offspring of the elite, requires them to have second language skills. The difference in salary is astounding. Bilingual nannies earn multiple times more than their monolingual counterparts.
This isn't to say, of course, that a bilingual nanny necessarily will earn more than a monolingual nanny, however a bilingual nanny can earn much more based almost solely on their language skills.
Another common career that pays a bonus, sometimes, for a bilingual employee is nursing. In some precincts, such as California in the US, the need for bilingual professionals is incredibly strong. People who speak Spanish as well as English can often times command higher salaries based completely on their language skills.
Northwest Territories, for example, pays a bonus to it's bilingual medical staff if they speak one of the old Native American languages to help with their Native American patients. The amount of examples are endless, but the bottom line is the same: language skills pay. And remember, when you're for a little extra motivation to learn that second language, keep this quote from Keepinspiring.me in mind:
"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work."
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