Many people need French translations simply because the language is extremely widely used around the world. It is the official language of 29 different countries in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. The same applies to numerous international organizations including the European Union. The demand for such services is high while supply is certainly not limited. Still, it is natural to ask how much the service will cost you.
Let's take the simplest example of French to English translation and vice versa. The cost of the service is inevitably related to who does the job. The services based on software for automated translation are the cheapest. They are followed by those provided by non-certified professionals. These are usually people for whom French is a mother tongue, but they have no formal qualifications. The services provided by certified professionals are more expensive. This, however, does not mean that they will cost you an arm and a leg. The growing competition especially online has brought rates down.
If you require a specialist to translate French, this will most likely result in a higher rate. There are specialist translators in all sorts of fields from finance to legal and from science to marketing. It is worth pointing out that in some cases the rate may depend on how specific the text is.
The time frame that you set for the English to French translation of the opposite will also have an impact on the rate. If you want the job to be completed more quickly, you will have to pay more.