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Job outlook for editor/proofreaders in the United States
Editor/proofreader job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected editor/proofreader job growth rate is -5% from 2018-2028.
About -5,500 new jobs for editor/proofreaders are projected over the next decade.
Editor/proofreader salaries have increased 11% for editor/proofreaders in the last 5 years.
There are over 5,327 editor/proofreaders currently employed in the United States.
There are 4,902 active editor/proofreader job openings in the US.
The average editor/proofreader salary is $54,450.
Are editor/proofreader jobs in demand?
Editor/proofreader job and salary trends over time
Editor/proofreader jobs over time
Editor/proofreader job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,327 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 6,593 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 7,711 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 9,796 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 11,392 | 0.00% |
Average editor/proofreader salary over time
Editor/proofreader salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $54,450 | $26.18 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | $53,775 | $25.85 | +3.8% |
| 2023 | $51,803 | $24.91 | +4.2% |
| 2022 | $49,699 | $23.89 | +1.6% |
| 2021 | $48,918 | $23.52 | +3.7% |
Editor/proofreader jobs by state
Most common states for editor/proofreaders
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 84 | 12% |
| 2 | New York | 19,849,399 | 482 | 2% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 15 | 2% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 13 | 2% |
| 5 | California | 39,536,653 | 247 | 1% |
| 6 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 127 | 1% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 81 | 1% |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 67 | 1% |
| 9 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 65 | 1% |
| 10 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 57 | 1% |
| 11 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 55 | 1% |
| 12 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 54 | 1% |
| 13 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 49 | 1% |
| 14 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 40 | 1% |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 30 | 1% |
| 16 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 25 | 1% |
| 17 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 16 | 1% |
| 18 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 12 | 1% |
| 19 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 11 | 1% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 5 | 1% |
Most common cities for editor/proofreaders
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 1 | 0% | $54,910 |
Editor/Proofreader job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of editor/proofreader experts
California State University - Sacramento
Furman University
University of Wisconsin - Madison
California University of Pennsylvania
University of Minnesota
Bucknell University
University of Oregon
Independence Community College
Viola Ardeni
Assistant Professor & Italian Language Area HeadCalifornia State University - Sacramento
Romance Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
What general advice would you give to an Editor/Proofreader?
Viola Ardeni: To recent graduates in any field, I would recommend making sure they are doing two things: 'Ask questions' and 'Show up.' In the Romance languages, literatures, and linguistics field, asking questions may mean asking for a long of informational interviews, even in places where there are no current jobs openings. You never know what you will learn from talking to someone who is working and has your same degree. Asking questions also means to be present, aware, and critical. Showing up may instead mean trying different things. Besides teaching, there is no clear job following degrees in Romance languages etc. (and even 'teaching' includes a variety of jobs), so taking advantage of different opportunities may come in handy.
What Editor/Proofreader skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Viola Ardeni: The editing of texts produced by others, above all. Being good editors will be crucial. In addition, to the ability to summarize in short, easy bit very large and complex amounts of information, possibly coming from different linguistic sources. Diplomacy seems also increasingly useful, however you interpret it and wherever you stand politically. Because of the world's areas where Romance languages are mainly used, the political issues associated with those areas, and the lack of institutional support for studies in Romance languages, literatures, and linguistics in the United States, the ability of being diplomatic in navigating people, committees, donors, stakeholders, speakers, etc. is and will be important.
Professor Margaret Oakes
Professor of EnglishFurman University
English Language And Literature
What will help Editor/Proofreaders increase their earning potential?
Professor Margaret Oakes: Our graduates have such a variety of careers with an English major that this is hard to answer. But perhaps this is the answer - English majors have such widely applicable skills that they need to be alert to how they can be applied almost anywhere, and be prepared to sell their skills to a potential employer.
What general advice would you give to an Editor/Proofreader?
Catherine Wilbur: The best way to maximize salary earnings is to complete the highest level of education in your chosen field. The average salary for someone with a bachelor's degree in English is around $59,124 per year, while someone with a master's degree in English can expect to earn around $69,732 per year.
What Editor/Proofreader skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Catherine Wilbur: Even with the advancement of AI, among the most essential competencies are the ability to think critically and solve problems, to effectively both orally and in writing, to assess and analyze information, and to exercise curiosity and imagination. One recent study showed that college graduates spend, on average, 44% of their time writing, including letters, memos, short reports, instructional materials, and professional articles and essays. Additionally, even as people use generative AI to draft documents, they still need to be edited and proofread by a person to ensure that they are accurate and contain no biased information.
What will help Editor/Proofreaders increase their earning potential?
Catherine Wilbur: For advice, find something you're passionate about. Not all English majors want to be teachers, and that's ok. There are 100s of other career paths for English majors. Such as lawyers, copyeditors, speechwriters, journalists, politicians, business, etc. Explore the different jobs out there that you may be qualified for with an English degree.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Editor/Proofreaders?
Patricia Hastings: I think there will be some enduring impacts on graduating journalism students in a number of ways. Right now, there are some obstacles to negotiate. The first is the jobs situation. First, many newsrooms don't have internships right now, and so students can't get that extra experience that will ultimately help them land a job. I see seniors who have some, but not enough experience and they need that last push outside of the classroom and campus media. Without that, it makes job hunting more difficult. Of course, there are the economic issues. So many places have downsized their newsrooms and that is a problem. Graduates have to be nimble, too, in terms of having a good toolbox of skills. Now, if you want a job, go into TV news producing. You can't find enough people to fill what is out there. There are TV news reporting jobs out there as well. It comes down to networking and having a "reel" or examples of your work to show.
And then there are the impacts we don't know. Many staffers are working from home. Will jobs change so more reporters work from home? How do you balance that with the fact that reporters should be out covering stories? The pandemic is causing a rethink on the office of the future-space, risk and other areas that we can only guess at right now.
What type of skills will young Editor/Proofreaders need?
Dr. Christina Fisanick: College graduates in 2021 and beyond, need all of the skills that English programs have to offer: critical thinking, effective communication, creativity, and flexibility. New hires need to be able to adapt to workplace changes quickly and with aplomb, which requires critical thinking and problem solving and the ability to communicate those solutions to a diverse audience clearly and effectively. Those skills are refined and practiced regularly in English programs.
How do you envision technology impacting Editor/Proofreaders in the next 5 years?
Dr. Christina Fisanick: Given that English majors are placed in a broad range of fields after graduation, it is difficult to identify which specific technologies will be used most, which is why critical thinking and adaptability are key skills. I can imagine that editing and word processing software will remain in heavy use by our graduates in the workplace, along with social media and other communication applications. Exposing students to the many possibilities of how technology changes the production and consumption of texts is vital to what English programs do best.
What general advice would you give to an Editor/Proofreader?
Thomas Reynolds: I think there will be a lasting impact of this pandemic on graduates. The nature of the field is that others in the industry (scientists, engineers, for ex.) often take on tech writing and communication tasks in tight economic conditions, or even just as a matter of a particular culture in a particular business. However, the field of technical communication has been predicted to have a strong future (see Bureau of Labor Statistics, which predicts growth in jobs in this field).
Technical writing and communication require that students are comfortable with technology and communication and that they adapt to changing situations. I think there are also opportunities for savvy graduates who can offer certain skills and experiences that are unique to the changing situation. This field has a long history of resilience for its graduates seeking jobs in tough circumstances.
Sarah Bell
Senior Associate Director, CounselingBucknell University
Center for Career Advancement
How do you envision technology impacting Editor/Proofreaders in the next 5 years?
Sarah Bell: As mentioned in #2, English majors go into many fields, and technology is affecting most of them now. We will likely always need creators, editors, and researchers of content, which will certainly make English majors useful in a variety of fields, due to (or in spite of) the technology advances. Experience in learning and utilizing a variety of software, platforms, and social media tools will only enhance their ability to complete their work in an effective and efficient manner in a variety of work settings.
Cristina Calhoon
Senior Career Instructor, Undergraduate AdvisorUniversity of Oregon
Department of Classics
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Editor/Proofreaders to find work opportunities?
Cristina Calhoon: The skills that Classics graduates learn (good communication skills; careful, clear, and well-organized oral and written presentation; research, comparison, and analysis of ancient sources; linguistic proficiency in more than one language) make them flexible and adaptable. Graduate school is the goal of many of our graduates, who complete law and medical degrees in prestigious programs throughout the nation.
Some also do very well in business school, where the breadth of their academic background, the adaptability of their skills, and their analytical and communication proficiency make them highly competitive with respect to graduates from strictly pre-professional programs.
In addition to occupations in all levels of education, academic research, and archeology, some Classics graduates have also established careers in management, public relations, fundraising, administration, as well as a library, archival, and museum work, while some have also created opportunities for themselves in computer occupations, arts, and media.
Bridget Carson
Associate Professor of Developmental EnglishIndependence Community College
History
What general advice would you give to an Editor/Proofreader?
Bridget Carson: Show up. Listen and keep learning. Be a part of the broader community.
I know these seem simple, but they require time. It isn't just about the hours on the clock, although they are that for which you are paid. Go to the meet and greet. Chip into the water cooler fund. Join a softball league, a book club, or a game night. When somebody invites you to a company picnic - go. Join the volunteer opportunities in which the organization participates. Relationships need nurturing so that you can have empathy and resilience during difficult discussions within an organization or when it needs to pull together and get through something.
Our shiny new degrees are just the beginning of what we know. You'll be stepping into situations where people will need your fresh perspective, and you will need their experience. Keep reading, not just things in your content area. This isn't just a "respect your elders" or "know your place" statement. They don't know everything, and neither do you, but they've been there longer.
Be a visible part of the broader community. This is especially important if you choose to work in the Public Sector where people want to see their tax dollars pay people who are invested in their community. Go to the concerts in the park, the local community theater, the parades. Join some organization and chip in. Work the polls, join the park committee, be active in a philanthropic or faith community, show up for events celebrating local history. Support local businesses where you find them in alignment with your values.
Don't do any of this for the show. People can spot a fake-Esse quad videre: to be rather than to seem.