So in terms of raw output, translators rule. No other profession produces as much, most others not nearly as much. That translators burn out, develop repetitive strain injuries, or find themselves looking for a position that involves some translation and something else is not at all surprising, given the number of words they produce.
I recall in high school while writing a report about J.R.R. Tolkien and his work that he wrote over 5 million words in his lifetime. I was incredibly impressed back then. Now I realize that at half a million words per year, any translator who has been in the business for a decade has equaled Tolkien’s output, and in a four-decade career will translate 20 million words, the equivalent of 200 novels, which is more than most people read in a lifetime.