The desire to pursue better career opportunities is driving more and more people to relocate to foreign countries. Although the overall migration and brain drain patterns are different, the International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates the number of international migrants worldwide to be at least 272 million.
Moreover, the land of opportunities – America is known to be one the best countries for skilled migrants. With such promising numbers, it comes as no surprise that more than 1 million legal immigrants choose the US as their home every year.
Five years ago, when I moved from Mexico, I was surprised to learn that more than 43.4 million people in the US speak and understand Spanish. With such a vast Spanish-speaking population in the United States, fluency in Spanish is a highly sought-after skill in many industries.
Now, if you are a Spanish speaker curious about job opportunities in your or the US and are thinking of switching careers, here are some best industries where your bilingual skills can be a significant advantage.
Top 5 Industries Ideal for Spanish Bilinguals Living In US
1- Hospitality
If you like eating nachos, tacos, Patatas bravas, Gazpacho, Pimientos de Padrón, or you like working with food, the hospitality industry is perfect for you. Most of the big restaurants in states with large Hispanic populations look for Spanish-speaking hotel managers, on-site sommeliers, or communication managers, in general.
Moreover, the hospitality industry has a high scope of growth regardless of the career trajectory you choose. Most people start as servers, learn the basics of hospitality, and then start their own food business. However, if you are not interested in starting your own food business, the hospitality industry still offers a lot of room for growth and progress over the years.
Estimated Total Pay
$75,000 per year
Career Opportunities in Hospitality
Guest Services Representative, Restaurant Manager, Assistant Restaurant Manager, Head Waiter/Waitress, Group Sales Coordinator, Marketing Coordinator, Public Relations Specialist
2- Education
If you like sharing your knowledge, then seeking job opportunities in the education sector is your best bet.
As an educated bilingual Spanish speaker, teaching is one of the best industries to start your career. From kindergarten to the university level, there are endless opportunities for a Spanish speaker. Most educational institutes hire Spanish teachers and Spanish-speaking career guidance counselors to educate and guide their students directly.
These instructors are not just limited to communication; they also play a very important part as the role model for these students. Instructors are also hired to inspire positive change and support the educational journey so it is better to have a degree in education or educational psychology.
Estimated Total Pay
$45,000 per year
Career Opportunities in Education
Teaching, private tutor, Virtual Spanish teacher, adult Spanish instructor, Grade school teacher, University-level educator, Business Spanish teacher, virtual educator on Spanish learning app, etc.
3- Customer Care
Customer care is considered a core of any business, which is the reason most businesses have customer support teams. These teams offer over-the-phone technical guidance, help the user navigate through apps, websites, or services, and listen to their complaints.
With such a high Spanish-speaking population, most companies prefer recruiting bilingual customer care and help desk officers. These customer care agents are trained about the company history, product features, and the services offered by the company, so they can guide the customers accordingly.
However, their main strength lies in their communication and speaking skills. Companies like Spectrum do not just offer a huge Spanish TV channel lineup but also offer Spectrum servicio al cliente to cater to their Spanish audience.
Estimated Total Pay
$46,000 per year
4- Career Opportunities in Customer Care
Technical support agent, front desk helper, virtual assistant, customer complaint agent, Remote Service Desk Representative.
Business
As the number of Spanish immigrants is increasing in the US, the need for Spanish products is also increasing. From food to daily household products, the immigrants also contributed to a boom in trade.
Companies dealing with Spanish customers and trading with Spanish companies look for fluent Spanish-speaking employees who can effectively communicate with these people. Nearly all the big companies dealing in the US have Spanish representation, so they can understand the customers, companies, and requirements of their audience better.
Estimated Total Pay
$24.61 an hour
Career Opportunities in Business
Sales executive, company networking expert, Spanish account and trade handler, language facilitator, culture and language expert, cross-cultural communication specialist, global communication manager
5- Translation and Interpretation
One of the best ways to earn a living as a Spanish bilingual is to become a translator and interpreter. Some of the biggest tech, entertainment, and education companies recruit Spanish translators and interpreters. These individuals do not just get a handsome salary package but they also do not require any technical skills or degree apart from being fluent in Spanish.
For instance, content streaming sites like Netflix, publishing companies like Penguin, and government departments like immigration, security, etc. look for Spanish translators as well. Depending on the company policy, employees will get company benefits and good pay.
Estimated Total Pay
$69,427 per year
Career Opportunities in Customer Care
Spanish subtitle writer, Spanish book translator, Spanish Medical interpreter, Spanish copywriter and brand document translator
FAQ’s
1- How much more can I earn as a bilingual compared to a regular worker in the same industry?
As a bilingual, you have a chance of earning 5% to 20% more than your peers.
2- What jobs require no prior experience as a bilingual?
Content creation, customer care, marketing, business support, and translation.