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Proofreader Salary in the United States

Proofreader Salary

How much does a Proofreader make in the United States? The average Proofreader salary in the United States is $58,681 as of August 27, 2024, but the range typically falls between $51,494 and $67,021 . Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education , certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target. 

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What skills does a Proofreader need?

Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.

Attention to Detail: Executing and completing a task with a high level of accuracy.

Adobe: A mixture of wet earth and grass made into bricks and dried in the sun, used to build houses. It originated from the oral form of Arabic al-tob, meaning "brick," It is the first materials used to create buildings in the 8th century B.C

Adobe Acrobat: Adobe Acrobat is a family of application software and Web services developed by Adobe Inc. to view, create, manipulate, print and manage Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

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What Should I Pay?

Job Description for Proofreader

Proofreader proofreads, reviews and edits documents for accurate use of grammar and content. Corrects any grammatical, spelling, typographical, or compositional errors in original copy. Being a Proofreader typically requires an associate degree. Typically reports to a supervisor or manager. The Proofreader works independently within established procedures associated with the specific job function. Has gained proficiency in multiple competencies relevant to the job. To be a Proofreader typically requires 3-5 years of related experience. (Copyright 2024 Salary.com)... View full job description

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Search Job Openings

Salary.com job board provides millions of Proofreader information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Proofreader job openings or enter a new job title here.

• Manager Trainee - Indianola Tower Loan - Indianola, MS Manager Development Program. At Tower Loan, we believe in developing leaders. In 10-12 months, our full-time Manager Development Program will give you the ... - 1 Day Ago
• Medical Lab Technician MLee Healthcare - Fayetteville, AR Medical Lab Technician. MLee Healthcare is partnering with a respected local hospital to recruit a Full-Time, Permanent, Direct Hire Laboratory Medical Lab... - 1 Day Ago
• ARRT X - Ray | CT Tech MLee Healthcare - Alexandria, LA X-Ray / CT Tech - ARRT. Exciting Opportunity for New Graduates and Experienced Professionals. We're seeking Radiologic Technicians—whether you're experienc... - 1 Day Ago
• Regional Nurse Coordinator Nye Health Services - Fremont, NE Nye Health Services is seeking an experienced clinical leader to join our home office team as Regional Nurse Coordinator, reporting directly to the VP of C... - 1 Day Ago

Career Path for Proofreader

A career path is a sequence of jobs that leads to your short- and long-term career goals. Some follow a linear career path within one field, while others change fields periodically to achieve career or personal goals.

For Proofreader, the first career path typically progresses to Editorial Manager.

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Company description, what does a proofreader do, are you an hr manager or compensation specialist.

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Proofreader Pay Difference by Location

Proofreader salary varies from city to city. Compared with national average salary of Proofreader, the highest Proofreader salary is in San Francisco, CA, where the Proofreader salary is 25.0% above. The lowest Proofreader salary is in Miami, FL, where the Proofreader salary is 3.5% lower than national average salary.

Level of Education for Proofreader

Jobs with different levels of education may pay very differently. Check the Proofreader salary of your education level.

• Proofreader Salaries with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate
• Proofreader Salaries with an Associate's Degree
• Proofreader Salaries with a Bachelor's Degree
• Proofreader Salaries with a Master's Degree or MBA
• Proofreader Salaries with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent

Proofreader Salary by Global Country

Proofreader salary varies from country to country. There are several factors that mainly impact the Proofreader salary, including cost of living, economic conditions, market rates and legal differences. Click below to Proofreader salary of the other country.

• United States

Proofreader Salary by State

Geographic variations impact Proofreader salary levels, due to various factors, such as cost of living, industries, market demand and company budgets. Click below to see pay differences between states.

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Skills associated with Proofreader: Document Preparation , Proofreading

Recently searched related titles: Senior Editorial Assistant , Project Liaison

Jobs with a similar salary range to Proofreader : Interim Director

Salary estimation for Proofreader at companies like : Dickinson School , Vermont DMV , Alabama Department of Revenue-Personal Property

Jobs with a similar salary range to Proofreader : Medical Proofreader

Average Proofreader Hourly Pay

The average hourly pay for a Proofreader is $20.10 in 2024

Featured Content

What is the pay by experience level for proofreaders .

An entry-level Proofreader with less than 1 year experience can expect to earn an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of $17.37 based on 46 salaries. An early career Proofreader with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $18.55 based on 153 salaries. A mid-career …Read more

What Do Proofreaders Do?

Proofreaders check the quality and consistency of a written work. They monitor the accuracy in both the text and images, such as with grammar, spelling, page numbers, consistency in typeface, and the table of contents. Proofreaders receive the proofs of a publication just before they are to be published. There should be few errors in the final proof, so if a proofreader spots too many mistakes, they may refer back to the client and copyeditor.

Proofreaders may work with a variety of materials, …Read more

• Verify correct word breaks and that elements are set according to design specifications.
• Ensure that all editorial changes have been input properly.
• Assist in light copyediting.
• Proof new and existing materials to ensure accurate use of grammar and correct spelling.

How do Proofreaders Rate Their Jobs?

Common health benefits for a proofreader, gender breakdown for proofreaders.

FAQs About Proofreaders

What is the highest pay for proofreaders.

Our data indicates that the highest pay for a Proofreader is $34.22 / hour

What is the lowest pay for Proofreaders?

Our data indicates that the lowest pay for a Proofreader is $14.08 / hour

How can Proofreaders increase their salary?

Increasing your pay as a Proofreader is possible in different ways. Change of employer: Consider a career move to a new employer that is willing to pay higher for your skills. Level of Education: Gaining advanced degrees may allow this role to increase their income potential and qualify for promotions. Managing Experience: If you are a Proofreader that oversees more junior Proofreaders, this experience can increase the likelihood to earn more.

How Much Do Proofreaders Get Paid? (+ 10 Pay Factors)

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If you want to become a proofreader, I’m sure you’re wondering how much proofreaders get paid. When I was contemplating becoming a proofreader, this was one of the main questions on my mind.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics , proofreaders get paid an average hourly wage of $24.57, or $51,000 annually. However, rates vary widely depending on proofreader-related factors (e.g., training, experience) and document-related factors (genre, complexity, etc.).

Let’s see how much proofreaders—employees and freelancers—make annually and hourly. We’ll also look at the factors that influence how much freelance proofreaders earn, including one that’s often overlooked.

Table of Contents

How Much Do Proofreaders Get Paid? (Employees & Freelancers)

Let’s see the average earnings of proofreaders in the United States as reported by some of the most reputable sources.

All the data is from 2024, except for the US Bureau of Labor Statistics data from May 2023.

A few of the websites below update their numbers daily. You can click on the links to find the most up-to-date information.

Average Pay for Proofreaders in the United States

It’s unclear whether the data in the table above includes salary estimates for employees, freelancers, or both.

This quote from Indeed demonstrates why:

“Salary estimates are based on 311 salaries submitted anonymously to Indeed by proofreader employees, users, and collected from past and present job posts on Indeed in the past 36 months.” – Indeed

We don’t know whether the “users” are freelancers or if the “job posts on Indeed” were for freelance positions.

Fortunately, Salary.com separates its income estimates for employed proofreaders and freelance proofreaders. We’ll look at those specific numbers a bit later.

Mean vs. Median Salary and Why It Matters for Proofreading

We see a wide range of salaries when looking at how much proofreaders earn.

The most accurate measure of how much proofreaders get paid is the median salary, not the mean salary.

We get the mean (average) salary by adding all the salaries in a data set and then dividing by the total number of salaries.

We arrive at the median salary by lining up all the salaries from lowest to highest (or vice versa) and selecting the middle data point.

The distribution for proofreading salaries usually represents a bell curve with a long tail on the right side. The long tail represents proofreaders who make much more money than is typical.

With a skewed data set like this, the median is a more accurate representation of what proofreaders get paid because it’s less affected by outliers—data points that differ significantly from the other points in a set.

Generally speaking, the median proofreading salary is slightly lower than the mean (average).

Top-Notch Tip: When looking at data for how much proofreaders earn, try to find the median salary.

The table you saw at the beginning of this article contains average salaries because median salaries are hard to find. Furthermore, knowing whether the median or mean salary is being reported can be challenging because some websites use these two terms synonymously.

Let’s look at the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data since we can see both the median and mean salaries and wages.

The Data from the BLS

Below you can see the mean (average) and median proofreader salaries.

According to the BLS, the median yearly salary for proofreaders is $48,790. That’s $2,310 less than the mean yearly salary of $51,100. And the median hourly wage is $23.46, which is $1.11 less than the mean hourly wage of $24.57.

Let’s see data that separates employees from freelancers.

Average Pay for Employed Proofreaders in the US

Here’s the pay (reported by Salary.com) for employed proofreaders in the United States.

Average Pay for Employed Proofreaders in the United States

Below, we can see that, per Salary.com, half of employed proofreaders make between $51,378 and $66,870 annually.

Average Pay for Freelance Proofreaders in the US

Now let’s check out numbers specifically for freelance proofreaders in the United States.

Average Pay for Freelance Proofreaders in the United States

Below, we can see that freelance proofreaders make between $34,070 and $45,725 annually.

It’s important to note how much salary estimates fluctuate from one website to the next.

Salaries Are Only Estimates Based on a Collection of Data

We have to remember that no site has all the data.

Sites can only calculate averages and draw conclusions from the data they gather.

That’s why we see such variability in rates.

Let’s address the high highs and low lows of proofreaders’ earnings.

As the BLS shows, yearly median proofreader salaries range from $31,730 to $75,510.

Holy smoke! Why such a vast range?

10 Factors Influencing How Much Freelance Proofrea ders Make

Let’s discover the primary variables that account for such a wide range of freelance proofreader salaries!

1) The Proofreader’s Job-Specific Training

One of the most important considerations is how much job-specific training a proofreader has received.

Did they participate in a one-day seminar, a class that provided minimal training, or a well-respected, comprehensive course?

Did they need to pass a test at the end of the class, or did they get a certificate just for participating?

I wrote a post that outlines reputable proofreading courses if you’d like to know more. 

Well-trained proofreaders make more money because they have higher client retention rates and can command higher prices from the start.

2) The Proofreader’s Experience

As with any career, experience matters. Proofreaders can charge higher rates as they gain more experience.

If you’re concerned about landing proofreading jobs as a newbie, please see this section of my article about the skills you need to be a proofreader .

3) The Proofreader’s Speed

With more experience comes the ability to proofread faster while still maintaining accuracy. Of course, the more prose you polish, the more money you make.

I authored an article discussing the average duration for proofreading documents if you’d like to explore this topic further.

4) Whether the Proofreader Gets Clients Directly

If you acquire your own clients, you’ll keep 100% of the profits. However, you’ll share your earnings in other arrangements.

For example, if you work on a freelance marketplace like Fiverr or for an online proofreading and editing company like Proofed, you’ll make a bit less.

5) The Proofreader’s Education

A proofreader’s level of education is another factor to bear in mind. Although plenty of freelance proofreading jobs are available to those without a degree, having one can allow you to apply to higher-paying positions.

However, it always comes down to what you can do for the client, regardless of your education.

If you’re a skilled proofreader who can polish a client’s document to near perfection, whether you have a degree will be beside the point. It could just take a bit more effort to prove yourself initially.

6) The Proofreader’s Expertise

A proofreader can charge more when working on documents within their area of expertise.

Proofreaders without expertise can become experts by establishing a proofreading niche at some point.

They’ll eventually become an expert in that niche by proofing so many subject-specific texts.

7) How They Charge Clients (by the Word, Page, or Hour)

Proofreaders charge their clients based on word count, page count, or the number of hours required to complete the job.

Charging by the word is the most common method, although some proofreaders charge by the hour.

Charging by the page isn’t as popular because it requires setting parameters for what constitutes a page. Why not just charge by the word?

As a new proofreader, you may overcharge your clients if you charge by the hour. You’ll become a much faster proofreader with time. And you could undercharge clients if you’re an efficient proofreader with substantial experience.

Charging by the word is what I would recommend.

It’s what most of my colleagues do and what I do too. This way, both parties are clear on the price from the get-go. 

If you’d like more information about proofreading rates, I wrote a comprehensive article: “How to Set Your Proofreading Rates: A Helpful Guide.”

8) The Kinds of Documents They Work On

Each document a proofreader receives is a bit different; however, accounting for the specifics of every text is crucial when determining the price.

Let’s see the primary elements to consider with each piece of writing.

The Document’s Complexity

A proofreader can charge more if the material is highly technical or requires expertise in some area (e.g., medicine, science, technology). But a document containing simple language would be tagged with a lower price.

The Quality of the Writing

Another essential consideration is how much work a document needs. A text riddled with errors will command a higher price than a well-written document that requires less polishing. 

The Turnaround Time (TAT) for a Text

The faster a client needs a project back, the more money the proofreader can charge.

TAT can make quite a difference! If you look at the proofreading prices that online proofreading and editing companies charge, you’ll see that the fees increase considerably with tighter TATs.

9) The Proofreader’s Location

Where a proofreader lives can affect their earnings—especially when working with local clients.

Editorial Rates Vary by Country

The suggested rates given by editorial societies fluctuate from one country to the next.

The Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) in the US shows that the minimum pay rate for proofreaders is $35 per hour. This rate isn’t a suggestion from the EFA—it’s based on a survey given to EFA members.

However, it’s important to reiterate that rates depend on other factors, too, including the text’s complexity, the quality of the writing, and the expected TAT.

We’ll see more specific proofreading rates from the EFA soon.

The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) in the UK recommends a minimum hourly rate of £29.85 (about $39).

And the Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders and Indexers (AFEPI) suggests a minimum hourly rate of €34 (about $38).

Here’s a summary of the recommended minimum rates from these three editorial organizations.

Recommended Minimum Hourly Proofreading Rates

We can again turn to the EFA to see how much proofreaders make depending on several factors.

2024 Median   Proofreading Rates from the EFA

Source: The EFA

Please refer to the appropriate editorial society in your country to better understand standard rates.

If this option isn’t available, you can consult proofreaders near you.

The Cost of Living Also Varies

Another factor related to a proofreader’s location is the cost of living.

For example, in the United States, the cost of living varies substantially depending on which of the fifty nifty United States you reside in. 😉

A proofreader living in New York City will need to charge more than one residing in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

10) The Proofreader’s Clients

With so many factors influencing prices, it’s easy to forget one essential question: Who are the proofreader’s clients?

If their customers work in high-paying industries, they’re more likely to have an adequate budget for proofreading.

Also, are they working with clients who recognize the value of proofreading?

In the same way the words please and thank you go a long way in helping us get what we need, a polished text goes a long way in meeting the writer’s needs.

A refined piece of writing portrays the writer as credible and conscientious; however, a document full of errors undermines their professionalism and authority, leaving them unable to connect well with readers or communicate their message effectively.

Top-Notch Tip: Try to find clients who understand the importance of proofreading instead of ones who treat it as an afterthought.

Also, consider where you can find this kind of client.

If you work on sites like Fiverr and Freelancer, you may or may not come across customers who value proofreading and will pay you accordingly.

People often think of these sites as places where they can get relatively inexpensive services.

Nevertheless, starting on one of these sites can be a wonderful way to get experience and collect positive reviews.

I started on Fiverr to build my confidence, gain experience, and earn reviews; I’m grateful for everything I learned while working there.

However, after honing your skills, you should look for clients in other places so you can earn more money.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is proofreading well paid?

Whether proofreading is well paid is subjective. Your lifestyle and income expectations will likely determine whether you consider proofreading a well-paid job.

How much can a beginner proofreader make?

A novice proofreader can expect to make about $12–$18 per hour. However, this depends on various factors, including the genre of documents you handle, your proofreading speed, and whether you work for yourself or someone else.

For example, you’ll earn more correcting business documents you receive through your own clients than by proofing straightforward blog articles from customers on Fiverr.

As you gain experience and testimonials, you can increase your rates.

How can I make more money as a proofreader?

Starting your own online proofreading business, cold emailing clients in your niche, and joining the membership directory of an editorial society in your country are all ways to earn more money.

You can also work on your marketing game and expand your skill set so you can offer more services.

If you’d like to learn more, I wrote an article discussing opportunities for proofreaders to bring in more bucks .

How do you become a proofreader?

To become a proofreader, you need to choose what kind of proofreading you want to do. After deciding, you’ll want to enroll in a comprehensive course to acquire the necessary knowledge and skill set.

Taking a class that provides plenty of real-life practice will behoove you.

After getting sufficient practice and feedback, you can market your services and look for beginner-friendly proofreading gigs.

You may want to choose a niche eventually, and you’ll always want to continue honing your skills.

I wrote an in-depth post about how to start working on error patrol if you’d like to learn more! 😊

I hope this article has given you a good idea of how much proofreaders get paid and the factors determining how much they make.

Best wishes to you!

“The beauty you see in me is a reflection of you.” – Rumi

Lindsay Babcock

Lindsay is the creator of Om Proofreading. She has a BA in psychology and earned a certificate in proofreading by passing the final exam in Proofread Anywhere’s general proofreading course. She shares what she’s learning in the field and through research to inform and inspire her readers.

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| Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. She’s been an International and USA TODAY Bestselling Author for over a decade. And she’s worked as an Editor for several mid-sized publications. Candace has a keen eye for content editing and a high degree of expertise in Fiction.

What is the average proofreader salary? How much do freelance and company proofreaders get paid? These are just a few questions you might have before applying for a proofreading job.

Keep reading to learn how much a proofreader makes hourly and yearly. Find out if you can make a living out of this freelance career and the factors that affect your salary.

Can You Make a Living Proofreading?

You bet you can make a living out of proofreading! Primarily if you’re employed in a book publishing house or any other company. They offer stable job opportunities that pay an extraordinary amount enough to fulfill your needs and wants.

Many freelance jobs also allow you to make sufficient income at a full-time proofreader’s salary. If you’re willing to work at least six hours a day, you can succeed in your career and earn enough. 

Enhancing your skills is the best way to start making a living out of proofreading. Enroll in an online course like Knowadays to learn different techniques in the editing process. 

Take your grammar skills to the next level

Take Our Copyediting Course

Are Proofreaders in High Demand?

Yes, proofreaders are in high demand because all industries produce written documents that require professionalism and accuracy. You can get paid to correct their spelling mistakes, grammar inaccuracies, and punctuation errors.

Proofreading is also in demand now that businesses are trying to build their online presence, and book writers can self-publish. The same is true for freelance editors. Some types of editors include developmental, structural, and line editors.

How Do Proofreaders Get Clients?

Proofreaders get clients after acquiring enough language and technical skills for the job. Usually, they enroll in an online proofreading training program , then find professional writers on different platforms. These include Upwork, Freelancer, Reedsy, ProofreadingPal, etc.

It’s also possible to get clients at in-person networking events. You’ll find many fellow proofreaders who can refer you to different companies and clients. Indie authors may also be present at these events to look for skilled proofreaders with whom they can work. 

Publishing houses hire freelance proofreaders as they publish dozens of books yearly. If they add you to their freelancer pool, then you finally have a stable job for the next few months or years. 

Average Hourly Rates

PayScale states that the rates for proofreading can cost anywhere between $12.02 to $34.08 per hour. The median in this range is $19.39 per hour, but a seasoned freelance proofreader can earn more on the higher end of the spectrum.

If you’re a part-time proofreader who works three hours daily, your salary may range from $36.06 to $102.24 daily. Meanwhile, full-time proofreaders earn an average of $155.12 daily.

There’s also a considerable chance that the job has an extra cost if you do plenty of proofreading work. Many writers and book publishers prefer freelance proofreading job s that also include editing. That means the scope of proofreading goes beyond catching typos.

Specialized proofreading can also cost above $19.39. A scientific or novel proofreader may earn more than a blog content proofreader.

Average Per Word Rates

The average proofreader salary per word is $0.013-$0.016 per word, depending on the standards for proofreading. That means a 1000-word essay can cost up to $16. 

If you proofread quickly, you might be able to complete an entire book within a week to earn more. Skilled proofreaders can also proofread dozens of books in months to increase their per-word salary.

Many clients prefer to pay based on word count rather than hourly rates because they are more structured and reliable. Such a method applies to a freelance or full-time employed proofreader. 

No matter what document you’re working on, always set your proofreading prices to industry standards. Consider the minimum per-word rate if you’re a beginner.

Statistics on the Average Pay of Proofreader Jobs

Payscale.com.

PayScale.com notes that the hourly wage for a freelancer in the proofreading industry is around $19.39. That means salaried, full-time proofreaders can earn an income of $155.12 daily. 

The yearly full-time income of successful proofreaders can reach up to $70,000, excluding bonuses and profit sharing. But the median proofreading rate is $47,000 per year. Aside from the average proofreader salary, you can also earn a bonus from $300 to $5000.

These pieces of information are not entirely accurate. Your salary may still depend on the type of freelance proofreading services you offer and your level of experience.

Salary.com states that a full-time proofreader gets around $54,956 per year as of June 2022. However, the rates for freelance proofreading range between $48,000 to $62,000. These annual salaries will likely increase as you gain more experience in the industry.

The website doesn’t provide information on hourly rates. That’s why it’s difficult to estimate the salaries for part-time proofreaders. 

The annual pay for full-time employees depends on the type of editing they do and their skills. It also depends on whether they found a job on freelance websites or in the publishing industry.

ZipRecruiter

According to ZipRecruiter , the average proofreader salary in the United States is $49,002 yearly, equivalent to an hourly rate of $24. This information gathered by PayScale is based on the majority of proofreaders in the country.

Some may earn higher or lower, depending on the experience of freelance proofreaders. The type of client and additional editorial costs may also influence the pay of the proofreader.

ZipRecruiter’s annual estimate is also based on full-time hours. That means you can make a reliable income from a proofreading company.

Factors Affecting How Much You Earn as a Proofreader

Now let’s go in-depth on what you should consider when you’re getting paid as a proofreader. 

The salary of a proofreader depends on the tasks their employer assigns them. Among freelance proofreading jobs, the most basic task of an entry-level proofreader includes correcting mechanical issues in a piece of writing. 

But your salary can be higher if the client asks you to fact-check, fix the writing style, and correct the flow issues in the text. 

The salary may also depend on the type of content you’re proofreading. Technical writing usually costs more than casual blog content and captions. You’ll also earn more working with self-publishing authors for books than shorter content.

A salaried position in a company pays an extra cost for administrative tasks. The salary for proofreaders in these firms can be higher if they also invoice or do diary management.

The Present Demand

High-paying proofreading jobs are more common if the job is in demand. Currently, the majority of proofreading jobs can be found on the internet. Online proofreading is hot now that there are more independent authors who self-publish their works on Amazon and more.

A blogger or small business may also seek an entry-level proofreader to help them with their blog posts, captions, and email copies. All you need to do is acquire English grammar skills and have a sharp eye for simple typos.

Many people take online proofreading courses to fulfill the high demand for proofreaders. Others also learn developmental editing and other types of editing jobs to get a proofreading career.

Cost of Living

Another factor that affects the average salaries for proofreading jobs aside from the demand for proofreaders is the cost of living in the area. Every industry needs to consider this factor so that they may retain their employees despite massive economic crises.

For example, corporate and freelance careers in the United States usually have higher salaries than those in the Southeast. That’s because the products and services in the US are more expensive. 

Even within the US, there are disparities among people’s primary income. For instance, the costs to proofread books in New York City are higher than in Ithaca.

Level of Experience

Experience is a huge indicator of any employee’s salary. Clients tend to pay freelancers with better proofreading ability because of their years of experience over an inexperienced proofreader. 

There’s also a benefit for proofreaders who previously worked on the same type of content. For example, if you edit a health magazine’s content, you will likely get high-paying online proofreading jobs in health blogs and books. 

You can also get a higher salary if your previous experience required you to do more than just proofreading. If you could analyze big-picture issues in writing, that makes you fit to be an editor and proofreader in one.

But don’t lose hope if you have zero experience. It’s easy to get a proofreading gig for beginners. In fact, many successful students in college have thriving side hustles as proofreaders.

Become a Successful Proofreader

The average proofreader’s salary is enough to pay for an individual’s lifestyle. You can start a freelance career if you have excellent English and technical skills. Just look for a job on Upwork, Fiverr, and other platforms.

You may look for a salaried position in companies if you have a solid academic background and lots of experience. That way, you’ll be able to make more money and get benefits. 

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20 Online Proofreading Jobs for Beginners (2024 Guide)

by Joanna Kneller

on May 27, 2024

Searching for ways to work from home and considering online proofreading jobs?

It could be a perfect fit if you have an eye for detail and enjoy polishing other writers’ prose.

But how do you get started?

This post has all the answers you need to become a professional proofreader, whether you want to work online, remotely, be an employee, or freelancer — it’s your choice.

Since proofreading is a major part of the writing process, proofreaders are always in demand.

Ready to learn how to become a proofreader, how much proofreading jobs pay, and the top 20 sites for finding legitimate online proofreading jobs?

Great, let’s go!

What is Proofreading?

Proofreading is the process of reading and examining a piece of written work to find errors and mark them for correction. A proofreader is generally the last person to read through a document before publication. Proofreaders scour text for errors missed during the editing process.

They look for:

• Improper grammar
• Misspelled words
• Incorrect punctuation
• Inconsistent spellings of words
• Formatting errors
• Incorrect capitalization
• Typesetting issues

Proofreaders work on all kinds of documents for:

• Academic and student clients
• Business and professional clients
• Creative writers, authors, and publishers
• English as a second language (ESL) writers

Now that we have a better understanding of what proofreading entails, let’s see how it compares to editing.

Proofreading vs. Copyediting

It’s easy to confuse proofreading and editing, as the lines between the two are sometimes blurry. However, they are different.

Copy editing involves correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice, inconsistencies, and syntax ( the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences ).

Overall, a copyeditor’s main concern is to ensure their documents are clear, coherent, consistent, and correct. Copy editors often have the responsibility of proofreading, as well.

Proofreading and copyediting do involve some of the same tasks; however, a copy editor is more likely to change the phrasing or structure of a document , while a proofreader is less likely to significantly alter text before it’s published.

In addition, proofreading is considered the final stage of the editing process, so the proofreader can pick up any errors the copy editor may have missed.

The Top 20 Sites for Finding Proofreading Jobs

Before searching for proofreading jobs, consider your interests and what type of documents you’d enjoy proofreading. This will narrow your options and ensure you find suitable jobs.

Some sites listed below include job boards with search bars. Here’s a short list of search terms to start with:

• Remote proofreading jobs
• Freelance proofreading jobs
• Proofreader
• Copyediting
• Editing jobs

Fiverr is a freelance marketplace that connects buyers and sellers while offering high-quality services at every price point, including proofreading services.

It’s different from other marketplaces in this post because buyers seek you out, instead of you bidding or applying for jobs.

Fiverr is a great place to make money as a beginner because it’s totally acceptable to only charge $5 for your services. And as you gain experience, you can increase your prices.

Simply sign up, set up your “Gig,” and offer your services to a worldwide audience.

2. FlexJobs

FlexJobs is a job site that offers high-quality remote proofreading jobs (amongst others) for freelancers and employees.

You can easily search jobs by keyword, category, or title.

Rest assured, all job listings are legitimate since FlexJobs takes extra precautions to protect job seekers from scams. That’s why, in order to view full job details, FlexJobs charges a small (satisfaction guaranteed) membership fee.

Don’t hesitate to check their listings first — it may be well worth it!

Gramlee is a copyediting site that also provides proofreading services done by independent contractors who work from home.

Their website says they are always looking for exceptional editors, which could mean you!

Applying is simple: fill out the Gramlee Employment Application, and if they like your application, they’ll contact you.

Upwork is one of the largest online job marketplaces.

Clients post projects and jobs, ranging from entry-level to expert, for freelancers to choose from. This is beneficial for beginners looking to get started.

Sign up for a free account, create your profile, and search for proofreading jobs via the search bar or by selecting the Editing & Proofreading category. Once you find a fun project or remote job, submit a proposal and bid for the job.

Just know that Upwork can be highly competitive, so you may initially need to accept low wages and submit multiple proposals before getting hired.

5. ProofreadingPal

ProofreadingPal is a proofreading website that offers a variety of professional proofreading services and utilizes a unique two-editor approach, wherein every document is proofread by two skilled proofreaders. This is a benefit for job seekers since it means a higher demand for proofreaders.

ProofreadingPal editors can earn between $500 and $3,000 per month, but you must be enrolled as a graduate or postgraduate student (with at least a 3.5 GPA) in an accredited US college/university OR have a graduate degree and five years of experience as a proofreader.

6. Wordvice

Wordvice is a global leader in providing editing and proofreading services to academic, admissions, and business customers.

They offer remote part-time editing and proofreading jobs to freelancers who are enrolled in or have completed a graduate degree program and have some previous editing experience.

To apply, submit an application (include expected pay rate) and resume, complete an editing sample, and then wait for notification of results.

7. American Journal Experts

American Journal Experts is a team of former academics and publishing professionals who provide manuscript preparation services.

Current proofreader job openings and available freelance job opportunities are listed on the Careers page (scroll down to view contractor opportunities).

American Journal Experts is currently looking to hire independent contractors who are affiliated with specific US research institutions.

8. Domainite

Domainite is a platform that provides marketing services to business owners, including website design, social media marketing, and reputation management.

Before applying to proofread for Domainite, be aware that they may offer low pay. However, if you’re brand new to proofreading, this could be a good opportunity to gain some experience.

The application process is simple: Fill out the short Freelance Editing Job Hire Form and edit the sample text provided.

9. EditFast

EditFast is a platform where freelancers and clients connect to provide and receive services, including editing and proofreading.

Freelancers create their own Web pages (profiles) to promote their skills and talents for clients to view. Clients can either select a freelancer or submit their documents for EditFast to assign an appropriate freelancer for their project.

Complete the registration process to get started, and once EditFast approves your information, your Web page will be activated.

To be hired, EditFast requires a degree from a recognized university and past proofreading experience.

EditFast receives 40% of the project price.

10. ProofreadingServices.com

ProofreadingServices.com provides proofreading, translation, publishing, and professional services.

When you work with them, you’ll proofread “just about everything under the sun” and have access to part-time and full-time online proofreading jobs that pay between $19 and $46 per hour, depending on turnaround time.

To be considered for hire, you’ll need to successfully complete a 20-question proofreading test within 20 minutes and score 95% or above on it.

11. Scribbr

Scribbr provides academic proofreading and editing services to help students earn their degrees.

They look for editors with a passion for language and a bachelor’s degree.

For an editor role, you’ll need to pass Scribbr’s quiz and have your resume reviewed to determine if you’re a good fit. Next, complete an editing assignment, and if you pass, you’ll be invited to join Scribbr Academy to receive training.

After successfully completing two to five simulation orders, you’ll be officially welcomed to the Scribbr editor team.

12. Scribe Media

Scribe Media helps authors write, publish, and market their own books, which includes proofreading services. Scribe Media offers full-time careers as well as freelance and part-time roles.

Full-time employees enjoy plenty of time off, flexible hours, the option to work from home, as well as health and financial benefits.

Check Scribe Media’s “Careers” page for a list of available full-time and freelance opportunities. If there are no open proofreading jobs, simply join the Careers List to receive notification of new roles.

13. Scribendi

Scribendi provides editing and proofreading services to a variety of clients, including those in business, academia, and publishing fields.

They hire both freelancers and in-house employees for editor/proofreader positions.

Freelancers make their own schedules, choose interesting assignments, and interact with in-house staff and other freelancers via an online forum.

Scribendi looks for experienced proofreaders and editors with a bachelor’s degree or higher who are also native-level English speakers (since much of their work is from ESL students and clients).

Simply click on the “Apply Now” button on Scribendi’s Jobs page.

14. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is an online business platform for professional networking where you can connect with other professionals to either market your services or find employment.

Open an account, create your profile, and start connecting with everyone you know .

Search for online proofreading jobs by clicking on the “Jobs” icon. When using the search bar, click on the “City, state, or zip code” bar and select “Remote” from the dropdown menu.

If you plan to offer freelance proofreading services to those in your network, be sure to indicate on your profile that you’re providing these services.

15. Polished Paper

Polished Paper offers “world-class” proofreading and editing services to business, academic, personal, author, and ESL clients.

They look for exceptional editors with diverse educational backgrounds, experiences, and skills.

To apply, register for a user account, upload your resume, and take a 35-question editor test. The good news is that Polished Paper encourages the use of outside resources to help you complete this test.

16. Freelancer

Freelancer is an online marketplace that connects employers and freelancers worldwide.

Employers post projects, receive bids from freelancers, and select the best freelancer to complete the job.

Set up your profile and browse proofreading jobs (you can save job searches and get notified when relevant new jobs are posted).

Once you find a job opportunity, write your best pitch , get hired, and deliver high-quality work.

Guru is a platform where freelancers and employers work together.

Employers post a variety of jobs for freelancers to browse and to submit quotes for.

You can easily find proofreading jobs by either selecting the Editing & Proofreading subcategory (under the Writing & Translation category) or by simply entering relevant terms into the search bar.

Sign up on the website, build your profile, view job listings, and submit quotes for proofreading jobs.

Employers evaluate all quotes and choose the best freelancer for the job.

18. Clickworker

Clickworker is an online platform that hires independent contractors called Clickworkers to perform small tasks for clients.

Clickworker takes large, complex jobs and breaks them down into microtasks that include proofreading and copyediting. These tiny tasks are then completed by Clickworkers on a piece-rate basis.

To become a freelance Clickworker, simply sign up on the website, create a user profile, complete some assessments, and then get to work.

19. Get Editing Jobs

Get Editing Jobs is an online community of job seekers and employers that includes a job directory with writing, editing, and proofreading positions.

To find a list of proofreading jobs, start with search terms like “proofreader,” “proofreading,” and “editor.”

It may also be beneficial to create a job seeker account so you can manage your resume, create custom alerts, and receive job notifications.

20. Lionbridge

Lionbridge is a global communications platform with a community of talented, remote workers who help customers with their content.

They outsource various tasks to their workers and often have online proofreading jobs available.

If no proofreading jobs are listed, be sure to join the community , register for proofreading tasks, and take the relevant evaluation tests. Lionbridge will then contact you when proofreading work is available.

How Much Do Proofreading Jobs Pay?

Can you make decent money proofreading?

Salary.com reports that, as of March 29, 2021, the average proofreader salary in the United States was $53,226, with ranges typically falling between $46,709 and $60,779, depending on education, certifications, skills, and number of years in the profession.

For hourly rates, as of April 4, 2021, Payscale.com reports the average proofreader hourly pay to be $18.53, with individual pay ranging from $11.84 to $30.17.

These numbers are likely for full-time proofreading jobs.

When it comes to freelance work, it’s possible to be paid per word, per page, per project, or by the hour. And, as a freelancer, you have the ability to set your own rates .

According to the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), freelance proofreaders can charge between $31 and $45 per hour, OR between $0.02 and $0.039 per word, depending on experience level and type of proofreading job.

This gives you an idea of what to expect, but ultimately your pay depends on your experience and skills, who you’re working for, and how you’re being paid .

Let’s look at the skills and qualifications needed to be a proofreader.

Proofreader Skills & Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree in English or a related field is sometimes required, but it’s not necessary to find proofreading work.

Prior proofreading experience may also be required.

If you’re a beginner proofreader, think about your schooling or past employment. For example, did you do any academic editing while attending college?

Or, how about friends and family? Did you ever proofread correspondence, resumes, or creative writing for them?

Include these experiences in your application or resume.

You’ll also need these proofreading skills:

• Strong language skills to correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Attention to detail  to spot small errors and inconsistencies, which also requires patience and concentration.
• Communication skills to work directly with clients and be able to understand and follow instructions.
• Ability to meet deadlines to submit completed work within specific turnaround times.
• Computer skills  to learn formatting, use software, and utilize the Internet.

You should also become familiar with style guides, like The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) and The Associated Press Stylebook (AP).

How to Become a Proofreader

If you have a natural tendency for finding errors and noticing inconsistencies while reading, this is a great start. And if you enjoyed English class and scored well, this is good too.

But if you have no prior proofreading experience, it would serve you well to get some training before applying for jobs.

While you don’t necessarily need a college degree, it’d be wise to brush up on those skills you learned in English class.

A multitude of online training courses are available, and most are reasonably priced. A simple Google search for “online proofreading courses” will provide a list of high-quality options.

Two popular courses are Proofread Anywhere ’s General Proofreading and Proofreading Academy ’s Becoming a Proofreader.

Another option is Udemy.com , which offers many inexpensive editing and proofreading courses-some as little as $11.99 during sales.

Once you take a course or two, start updating your resume.

As you find jobs, create a portfolio to show prospective employers or clients your work.

Next, let’s find out what tools you’ll need to do proofreading work from home.

What Tools Do You Need for Remote Proofreading Jobs?

Besides a computer and internet access, some other tools are useful for completing remote proofreading jobs.

Microsoft Word may be the most common word processing program used for online proofreading jobs. Newer versions of Word include a “Review” menu with useful features for proofreading and editing, such as Editor, New Comment, Track Changes, and Compare.

Google Docs works with Google Drive. Drive is like a filing cabinet that stores files, while Docs is the word processing program where you open and work on your files/documents. Drive and Docs allow you to share files (and your work) with your employer or client.

Dropbox is similar to Google Drive and can also be used to share files with your employer or client.

Spell-check is a feature included with your word processing program. Use it! However, don’t fully rely on this as it’s incapable of picking up every error due to homophones and context, etc.

Grammarly (affiliate link) scans your work, points out spelling and grammatical errors , and offers options for correction. ProWritingAid (affiliate link) is another great option, and it comes with a 20% discount. But don’t fully depend on Grammarly or other tools — they’ll miss some errors, depending on context, type of document, etc.

Ready to Do Proofreading Jobs from Home?

So you’ve found a way to work from home AND make money doing what you love.

You’ve also learned how to finally go after and get your dream job.

If you’re new to the idea of proofreading, don’t hesitate. Get some training to build your confidence.

Then, update your resume and search the sites above for interesting proofreading jobs.

If you already have education and experience proofreading, then begin by examining which new skills you can either acquire or improve.

Now, get out there and be the best dang proofreader you can be!

Joanna Kneller

The ultimate toolkit for becoming one of the highest-paid writers online. Premium training. Yours for free.

Written by Joanna Kneller

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Get Paid To Proofread – 10+ Best Proofreading Jobs

Proofreading jobs offer a flexible way to earn money online. And you can find both part-time side hustles and full-time online jobs in this industry if you know where to look.

This gig is also a great fit if you have a high level of attention to detail, have excellent grammar, and want to earn upwards of $20 per hour.

The team at WebMonkey has worked with proofreaders for years. And today, we're sharing how to get paid to proofread and where to begin your job search.

Want more legit online hustles to make money while proofreading? Checkout :

• Bookkeepers.com : Get 3 free classes and launch your own profitable bookkeeping business!
• Freecash : Play games, download apps, and answer surveys to earn rewards!

How To Get Paid To Proofread – The Best Proofreading Jobs

Table of Contents

1. FlexJobs

FlexJobs is a popular remote job board where you can find a range of freelancing opportunities. This includes many proofreading gigs, and we like FlexJobs since it offers part-time and full-time opportunities.

Once you create your account, you can browse available proofreading gigs and apply via the company's website.

We like FlexJobs since its team hand-picks jobs, so you won't find spammy listings or fake gigs. And it also has a $2.95 14-day trial for you to try out the platform.

Plus, FlexJobs is great for finding similar gigs to proofreading. For example, freelance writing and editing jobs are quite common.

👉 Get started with FlexJobs!

Upwork is another excellent resource for finding legit proofreading jobs and part-time gigs. After all, it's one of the largest and most reputable freelancing platforms in the world.

Clients post proofreading gigs on Upwork all the time. As a freelancer, you can apply for these gigs and essentially bid to get the job. If your client accepts, you do the work and get paid.

Many proofreading jobs on Upwork pay $20 to $30 per hour. You can also find some fixed-term projects paying $100 to $1,000+ depending on what's involved.

The main downside of Upwork is that it charges freelancers a 10% service fee. But you can use it to find your first proofreading clients and eventually move off the platform.

Like Upwork, Fiverr is a massive gig marketplace where freelancers can market their gigs. And it's how many people begin making money online since it's so beginner-friendly.

Proofreading jobs are popular on Fiverr. Many sellers offer proofreading services for $15 to $25 per hour. But we like Fiverr since you can create tiers for your gigs with upsells like faster delivery or additional content proofreading.

The main downside of Fiverr is that it charges a 20% fee for freelancers. But it handles everything , from getting paid to marketing your services. Overall, it's a popular way to earn money online as a beginner and is full of proofreading gigs.

4. Proofreading Services

Proofreading Services provides proofreading services for businesses, authors, and academics (e.g. PhD students publishing a dissertation).

If you have a background in copywriting , editing, or teaching , this might be a better site for you than Upwork or Fiverr.

Proofreaders can get paid $19 to $46 per hour depending on their experience and expertise. This makes Proofreading Services a great choice if you have previous experience, especially with proofreading papers and academic material.

5. Polished Paper

Polished Paper offers some business editing, but it's largely geared toward academic and literary proofreading services.

If the idea of proofreading a novel, play, or master’s thesis is more appealing to you than reading business proposals, Polished Paper could be a great fit.

Polished Paper doesn't disclose its hourly pay. But you can expect $20 to $30+ per hour, with pay depending on word count and turnaround time.

👉 The 35 Best Remote Side Hustles .

Looking to edit papers for money? Scribbr is your platform.

This service is for students who want someone to proofread their essays, papers, and dissertations. If you have a BA, prior proofreading experience, and can work at least 10 hours per week, you could get hired.

To be clear, this isn't the same as getting paid to do homework . You're not writing essays for people. Rather, Scribbr pays you to double-check grammer, spelling, and to give some pointers.

7. Scribendi

Scribendi is a bit more of an exclusive proofreading job, requiring 3 years of proofreading or editing experience. In fact, its website says it has under 300 proofreaders who are current contractors.

However, this is a legit proofreading job that's worth applying to if you have previous experience. Salary review websites like Indeed and Glassdoor estimate you can earn $17 to $30+ per hour with this website.

Gramlee hires content editors, proofreaders, and dissertation editors for academic work. Payment is rumored to be $0.03 per word for projects up to 3,000 words. Projects beyond that may pay more, but are only assigned to senior proofreaders.

Gramlee's main selling point is that it offers 24-hour turnaround time for many projects. If you want quick money and are willing to hustle, this could be a great fit.

👉 The Best Online Jobs Paying Weekly .

9. Babbletype

Babbletype actually specializes in transcribing marketing research. However, the company may hire proofreaders to make sure whatever their typists and transcribers have done is spot-on.

If you want a mix of transcription work and proofreading gigs, you can reach out. Otherwise, you’re better off searching for proofreading jobs with the other websites and companies we've mentioned.

10. Facebook Groups

Facebook groups are a great way for freelancers to make money proofreading. And we like this route because you don't get stuck paying service fees like you do with Upwork or Fiverr.

To get started, join copywriting, editing, blogging , and proofreading groups to get word of new gigs and jobs. You can set alerts for these groups on your phone, or just check their home feeds periodically to see if any relevant proofreading opportunities have been posted.

Business owners and bloggers post gigs all the time and always need proofreading help. So, don't be afraid to network and hustle to land your first proofreading client.

👉 The Best Digital Marketing Side Hustles .

11. CACTUS Global

CACTUS focuses on scholarly and medical writing. If detailed subjects like engineering or healthcare don’t scare you, this could be your chance to make money proofreading.

Experience, subject matter expertise, and where you fall into the editing process (e.g. initial editor or final proofreader) impact pricing. But expect to earn $20 to $35+ per hour depending on what's involved.

Keep in mind: technical writing, editing, and/or proofreading can be very difficult, as an understanding of the topic might hinge on mastery of industry-specific vocabulary. It’s far different from the rapid-fire, one-off gig work of sites. But if you want to make a solid career out of a very specific, demanding niche, CACTUS could be for you.

👉 How To Get Paid To Type .

How Much Do Proofreaders Make?

Proofreaders earn $22 per hour on average and $52,800 per year in the United States according to 2024 Indeed salary data. However, you can make more than this if you have several years of experience and work with more technical or advanced work. Proofreading books, essays, and papers can also pay more .

Here are several other data sources to highlight proofreader pay and salary expectations:

Again, the highest-paying proofreading jobs require previous experience and more technical work. The best money can be made proofreading scientific writing like research papers. Scholarly dissertations (like that for a PhD) might be a little bit below that. These types of writing are intellectually demanding and require some familiarity with the subject matter and the vocabulary.

Lesser-paying projects might include student writing (like essays) and business copy (like blogs and website content). This type of content is intellectually lighter, the stakes are lower, and the volume is higher.

Then there are personal projects, which could really be a mixed bag. Someone self-publishing a memoir on Amazon Kindle might pay $10 for you to read the whole thing and share your thoughts, or they might pay $500. It really depends on what you can find posted on sites like Upwork or Fiverr.

👉 How To Make $5,000 A Month .

Editing vs Proofreading – What's The Difference?

Editors are responsible for changing content to improve clarity, sentence structure, and phrasing. Some editors are also responsible for making SEO changes or even monetizing content. In contrast, proofreaders are only responsible for fixing typos, grammatical errors, and inconsistencies within content.

These days, many editorial roles require proofreading as well since companies don't want to pay for both roles. However, many media companies and blogs still hire individual proofreaders.

👉 The Top Side Hustles For Women .

What Skills & Tools Do You Need As A Proofreader?

Here are some necessary skills and useful tools to have under your belt if you want to make money proofreading:

• Attention to detail
• Proficiency in grammar and spelling
• Grammar-checking tools like Grammarly
• Ability to meet client deadlines and time management skills
• Research abilities
• Ability to create and stick to various style guides
• Knowledge of citation styles like APA, MLA, etc
• Ability to work independently

Of course, you also need a computer or laptop and decent internet connection. But that's a given if you want to sell your skills as a freelancer these days.

👉 The Best Work From Home Jobs That Provide Equipment .

Pros & Cons Of Proofreading Jobs

• Low barrier to entry and no startup costs
• Lets you work remotely or from home
• Flexible hours
• Hourly pay is competitive
• More technical roles can pay very well
• Finding your first clients can take time
• AI is slowly replacing many proofreading jobs
• Some proofreading gigs require a degree
• Beginner proofreaders generally earn under $25 per hour

Final Thoughts

If you want to get paid to proofread, we hope this list of sites and resources helps you get started.

There are even more websites out there you can consider. And if you find clients on your own through LinkedIn or social media, you can launch your own proofreading business without forking over freelance service fees.

Ultimately, this side hustle idea has a ton of potential. So, pick a couple of ideas to find your first clients and get your name out there!

Want even more ideas to make money? Checkout :

• How To Make Money Selling Notes .
• How To Get Paid To Read Books .
• The Best Jobs Paying $5K A Month .

Tom is a full-time blogger and freelance writer with a passion for side hustling, passive income, and making money online. His work has appeared on dozens of personal finance websites like Money Crashers, The College Investor, Forbes, and more.

Tom also founded the blog This Online World - a finance site dedicated to helping people make money online - in 2018. After 6 years, that site merged with WebMonkey, with the goal of helping even more people earn their first dollar of online income.

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How Much Do Proofreaders Make?

This content may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. However, I only recommend products or services that I genuinely like and trust.

Thanks to the rise in the number of people wanting to work from home, freelance proofreading has become a popular career choice. A lot of people worry about the earning potential though and wonder how much do proofreaders make?

As a seasoned freelance proofreader, I’m going to break down how much a proofreader can earn per year, per hour, and per word and how you can increase your income. 

Table of Contents

How Much Do Proofreaders Make per Year?

When people ask, “How much money can you make proofreading?” they’re usually looking for an annual salary figure rather than a per hour or per word. 

According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report from May 2020, the mean annual wage for a proofreader is $44,670. When you look at the percentile wage, it varies quite a bit, with the lowest 10% earning $26,340 and the 90th percentile earning $65,840. 

Salary.com reports a higher average proofreader salary in the United States of $53,419 as of May 27, 2021, but the range typically falls between $46,875 and $60,996.

ZipRecruiter lists the national average salary of a freelance proofreader as $51, 391, with annual salaries as high as $91,500 and as low as $20,000. 

Indeed reports an average base salary of $53,951 as at June 7, 2021. 

Payscale reports an average base salary of $46,113 as at May 29, 2021.  

As you can see, the average salary varies across each job site. It’s important to note that these sites rely on algorithms and anonymous submissions to calculate their average salaries.  

How Much Do Proofreaders Make per Hour?

Average hourly rates for proofreaders vary widely across the various job sites as well. 

Salary.com states that the average hourly wage for a proofreader in the United States is $26 as of May 27, 2021, but the range typically falls between $23 and $29.

ZipRecruiter reports that the average hourly rate works out to be $24.71. 

According to Indeed , the average hourly rate for a proofreader is $22.74 as at June 5, 2021. 

Payscale lists the median hourly rate as $18.39, with $11.79 on the lower end and $30.12 on the higher end.

According to Proofreading Academy ( whose graduates get guaranteed work with Proofed ), an entry-level proofreader can earn $15–$20 per hour with Proofed once they have proofread their first few documents. This can rise to $25–$50 once they have more experience and become more efficient. 

Read my review of the Proofreading Academy course here.

Freelance Proofreading Rates

It’s important to note that it’s not entirely clear from many of the above websites whether these average salaries and per hour rates apply to salaried employees or freelance proofreaders. 

As such, I researched the main editorial societies to find out what they suggest proofreaders should charge based on surveys they have done of their members. 

Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) median rates as at January 2024: $35–65 per hour depending on complexity.

The EFA is the only editing society that breaks down how much proofreaders charge per word. As you can see from the image above, it varies depending on the niche and complexity of the document, as does the average page speed. If you are proofreading fiction or nonfiction, you might charge around $.02–$.03/wd. Medical and business documents are more complex, so you might charge around $.05/wd and $.02–$.04/wd respectively for those. 

Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders (CIEP) suggested minimum rates as at 1 March 2024: £29.85 per hour (approx. $37.79)

Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders, and Indexers of Ireland (AFEPI) recommended minimum rates as at April 2023: Proofreading or light copy-editing: €32–€37 per hour (approx. $34.76–$40.19)

I PEd in Australia provides average figures based on experience level, but it doesn’t mention proofreading specifically; instead stating that the figures are for self-employed editors.

Editors Canada also provides some interesting guidance on what editors charge but stops short of providing actual figures.  

How Much Money Can You Make Proofreading?

I’ve thrown a lot of figures at you now, so let’s put this information into a table so we can get an overview of how much proofreaders get paid: 

*The CIEP and AFEPI figures were in sterling and euro respectively, so I have converted them into USD for ease of comparison.

**The rate depends on level of experience and efficiency.  

Should I Charge per Word, per Page, or per Hour?

It’s completely up to you how you decide to charge, and if you choose not to show your rates on your website, you can decide on a case-by-case basis which one suits the job. 

Personally, I prefer to charge a per word rate for book-length projects or documents with more than 1,000 or 2,000 words because it’s the most straightforward. However, I find a per hour rate works better for very short documents; otherwise you can end up being paid pennies. 

One of the downsides to charging a per hour rate for proofreading is that you have to be pretty good at estimating how long a job will take you so you can give the client an idea of how much it will cost them overall. Otherwise, you may have to renegotiate with your client halfway through the job and that might not go down well!

Per page can work well if you’re proofreading in the traditional sense where pages have already been typeset to the standard length of around 250 words per page. 

The Hidden Costs of Freelancing

Don’t forget that, as a freelancer, you need to make sure that you’re earning enough to cover your expenses. When you’re a salaried employee, you typically get benefits like healthcare, sick pay, vacation pay, etc. Your employer also typically takes care of making sure your taxes are paid to the government. 

As a freelancer, you need to set up and fund all of these things yourself, so you need to make sure that you factor those things in when setting your rates. 

It’s also worth noting that editors can typically only edit between four and six hours per day before they start to experience fatigue. As such, they only bill for twenty to thirty hours per week. 

You also need to set aside time for admin, marketing, networking, continuous professional development, etc . This time will not be paid. Some editors and proofreaders add 30% when setting their rates to account for the costs of running a business.

Factors That Affect How Much You Earn as a Proofreader

There are several reasons why some proofreaders earn more or less than their colleagues. 

Experience Level

If you’re just starting out as a proofreader, you may not have any experience built up yet. As a result, you may wish to charge a slightly lower price in order to get your first few clients. Clients with a lower budget may be happy to work with an inexperienced proofreader.

However, as soon as you have a few jobs under your belt, I recommend raising your prices to industry standard as you deserve to be paid appropriately for your work. 

Type of Client

The type of client you work with can have a big effect on how much you earn. If you choose to find work on freelancer websites like Fiverr and Upwork, you can expect to earn a bit less because these clients typically have a smaller budget. 

You may also earn less from working with publishing houses compared with self-publishing clients. However, publishing houses will offer more regular work, so it’s about finding the right combination of clients for you. 

How Difficult the Subject Matter Is/How Bad the Writing Is

Many editors ask to see a sample of the writing before they provide a quote for the job because it will take longer to edit something that’s badly written, includes a lot of technical jargon, or has a lot of footnotes. 

Specialized Subject

If you have any technical expertise or advanced qualifications like a PhD, you can charge more for the types of jobs that require that. 

How to Make More Money Proofreading

Get retainer clients.

One way to increase your income is to get retainer clients. These are clients who will pay you a set amount of money each month to proofread their content. The benefit of this is that you will have regular work and income and won’t have to market your business as much. One drawback of this arrangement is that you may start to feel more like an employee than a business owner. 

Some potential clients who may need to hire you on a monthly basis include full-time bloggers and any business that has a blog or email newsletter that gets published regularly.

Get More Repeat Business

One way to get repeat business is to attract clients that you know publish often. 

Publishing houses publish dozens of books every year and hire freelance proofreaders as well as other types of editors. If you can get added to their freelancer pool, you’re almost guaranteed to have a steady stream of work. 

However, the pay tends to be slightly lower when you work with book publishers because they put their books through so many rounds of editing, formatting, etc. and need to keep their costs low. 

Consider working with self-publishing authors who write a series of books or write in a niche that requires publishing frequently like romance. 

Get Referrals from Your Existing Clients

Word of mouth is one of the best ways to get more proofreading clients. People trust their friends and colleagues to only recommend service providers that they like and trust. 

To encourage your existing clients to refer you to their writer friends, you could offer a discount on their next proofreading job in return for a referral.

Avoid Freelancer Websites

While freelancer websites like Fiverr and Upwork can be a good place to get some experience, they shouldn’t be the only place you look for proofreading jobs. These websites usually take a large percentage of the fee as their commission. Working with clients directly like self-publishing authors, bloggers, and businesses will allow you to set your own rates and keep all of the profits. 

Offer More Services

You may wish to add additional services to increase the number of clients you can work with. 

Copyediting

Proofreading and copyediting are similar but there is a distinct difference between them . Copyediting involves editing content at sentence level.  Copyeditors check for correctness, accuracy, consistency, and completeness, focusing on fixing mechanical issues like grammar, spelling, and punctuation so readers don’t trip over typos.

Developmental Editing

Another type of editing you can add to your service offering is developmental editing. Developmental editing involves looking at the big-picture issues like plot, flow, tense, structure, characterization, pace, and point of view rather than details like grammar and punctuation.

If you’re not sure what the difference is, this blog post explains the different types of editing . 

To be a good editor, you need to understand good writing, so working as a freelance writer could be a great way to make extra money. There are lots of ways to make money as a writer including the following:

• Writing for newspapers and magazines
• Freelance blogging
• Copywriting
• Ghostwriting

If you want to learn more about becoming a freelance writer, check out this free 6-day email course called Get Paid to Write .

Virtual Assisting

Virtual assistants help businesses with a wide variety of tasks including proofreading and writing. As a virtual assistant you can also carry out tasks like the following:

• Handling customer complaints and refund requests
• Writing blog posts
• Proofreading posts
• Formatting and scheduling posts
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Setting up and monitoring social media accounts
• Replying to comments and questions
• Designing graphics

If you want to add virtual assisting to your service offering, check out this Jumpstart Your Virtual Assistant Business guide .

Choose a Different Niche

Your income can vary depending on which niche you choose to work in. Proofreading scientific, technical, or medical writing is more lucrative than other types of writing because of the level of expertise required, so if you have a background in any of these areas, it may be worth highlighting that on your website. 

For example, in the table below, ZipRecruiter lists the average proofreader salary as $65,377 for a scientific proofreader. Take note of the other job titles used below when searching for high-paying online proofreading jobs. 

Another way to make more money is to proofread longer documents as the word count will obviously be higher and it will take you more hours to complete. For example, you could proofread books instead of blog posts.

How to Find Proofreading Clients

Finding proofreading clients is one of the most daunting things about starting a proofreading business. Very few of us are equipped with the knowledge and confidence to find clients without having to do research first. 

If you want to cut your research time in half, check out this course from The Proofreading Business Coach. Elizabeth Wiegner’s Learn How to Get Proofreading Clients course will show you exactly how she gets (and keeps!) her proofreading clients and how you can do the same.

Proofreader salary

The average wage for a proofreader in the United States is around $13.69 per hour.

Proofreaders earn an average hourly wage of $ 13.69 . Salaries typically start from $ 8.90 per hour and go up to $ 21.05 per hour .

54 % below national average ● Updated in 2023

Proofreader earnings by seniority

Top-level proofreader earnings begin at :.

$ 21.05 per hour

$ 43,778 per year

Senior-level proofreader earnings begin at :

$ 17.17 per hour

$ 35,706 per year

Mid-level proofreader earnings begin at :

$ 13.69 per hour

$ 28,471 per year

Junior-level proofreader earnings begin at :

$ 10.91 per hour

$ 22,701 per year

Starting level proofreader earnings begin at :

$ 8.90 per hour

$ 18,516 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Proofreader salary by state

How do proofreader salaries compare to similar careers?

Proofreaders earn 20% less than similar careers in the United States. On average, they make less than copywriters but more than writers.

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)