Selective translational control of gene expression is emerging as a principal mechanism for the regulation of protein abundance that determines a variety of functions in both the adaptive immune system and the innate immune system. The translation-initiation factor eIF4E acts as a node for such regulation, but non-eIF4E mechanisms are also prevalent. Studies of 'translatomes' (genome-wide pools of translated mRNA) have facilitated mechanistic discoveries by identifying key regulatory components, including transcription factors, that are under translational control. Here we review the current knowledge on mechanisms that regulate translation and thereby modulate immunological function. We further describe approaches for measuring and analyzing translatomes and how such powerful tools can facilitate future insights on the role of translational control in the immune system.