subtitler
Subtitlers can work intralingually, within the same language, or interlingually, across languages. Intralingual subtitlers create the subtitles for hearing-impaired viewers, whereas interlingual subtitlers create the subtitles for movies or television programmes in a different language to the one heard in the audiovisual production. They both ensure that the captions and subtitles are synchronised with the sound, images and dialogue of the audiovisual work.
subtitler subtitlers can work intralingually, within the same language, or interlingually, across languages. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include captioning software, computer equipment, ICT software specifications, multimedia systems, spelling.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £39,459 a year for Authors, writers and translators (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 3412). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only subtitler, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- English Language
- Foreign Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Administrative
- Public Safety and Security
- Law and Government
- Computers and Electronics
What you'd actually do
- Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information.
- Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible.
- Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary.
- Compile terminology and information to be used in translations, including technical terms such as those for legal or medical material.
- Refer to reference materials, such as dictionaries, lexicons, encyclopedias, and computerized terminology banks, as needed to ensure translation accuracy.
- Check translations of technical terms and terminology to ensure that they are accurate and remain consistent throughout translation revisions.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does subtitler do?
Subtitlers can work intralingually, within the same language, or interlingually, across languages. Intralingual subtitlers create the subtitles for hearing-impaired viewers, whereas interlingual subtitlers create the subtitles for movies or television programmes in a different language to the one heard in the audiovisual production. They both ensure that the captions and subtitles are synchronised with the sound, images and dialogue of the audiovisual work.
What skills does subtitler need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include captioning software, computer equipment, ICT software specifications, multimedia systems, spelling, grammar. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace subtitler?
Our AI-durability model gives subtitler a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.