A Proofreader bears an important role in any project to do with written content, like social media copy, novels, essays, or even films. This role may differ from one job to another, as different content needs different treatment. Still, it generally requires a person to examine the document for any signs of grammatical or formatting errors.
More often, though, the Proofreader will be asked to make sure that the document's style is consistent and to see whether it lines up with the company's style guide. They may also be asked to check the work of other proofreaders. In terms of creative works, the Proofreader may even act a bit like an editor, noting what could and should be changed to make the work easier and more enjoyable to read.
A good grasp of the English language and an eye for details are important for this position, though there is no one set of requirements that a candidate must have. Some employers may ask for a college degree, while others will not. Either way, to begin one's career as a Proofreader, there's really no right way.
Proofreader Overview
Working as a Proofreader
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a proofreader. For example, did you know that they make an average of $21.23 an hour? That's $44,168 a year!
What Does a Proofreader Do
There are certain skills that many proofreaders have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed creativity, good judgment and detail oriented.
When it comes to the most important skills required to be a proofreader, we found that a lot of resumes listed 9.3% of proofreaders included legal documents, while 9.2% of resumes included powerpoint, and 6.8% of resumes included style guides. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.
When it comes to searching for a job, many search for a key term or phrase. Instead, it might be more helpful to search by industry, as you might be missing jobs that you never thought about in industries that you didn't even think offered positions related to the proofreader job title. But what industry to start with? Most proofreaders actually find jobs in the professional and media industries.
How To Become a Proofreader
If you're interested in becoming a proofreader, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 55.3% of proofreaders have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 20.5% of proofreaders have master's degrees. Even though most proofreaders have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a proofreader. When we researched the most common majors for a proofreader, we found that they most commonly earn bachelor's degree degrees or master's degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on proofreader resumes include associate degree degrees or high school diploma degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a proofreader. In fact, many proofreader jobs require experience in a role such as editor. Meanwhile, many proofreaders also have previous career experience in roles such as copy editor or administrative assistant.
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Proofreader Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a proofreader can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as editor, progress to a title such as technical writer and then eventually end up with the title marketing manager.
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Tell us your goals and we'll match you with the rights job to get there.
Average Salary for a Proofreader
Best Paying Cities
Recently Added Salaries
Job TitleCompany  | Company | Start Date | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
Avispa Technology Proofreader (L) Proofreader (L) | Avispa Technology Avispa Technology | 01/29/2021 01/29/2021 | $58,43601/29/2021 $58,436 |
Robert Half AMA Proofreader AMA Proofreader | Robert Half Robert Half | 01/26/2021 01/26/2021 | $49,56601/26/2021 $49,566 |
State of Washington Proofreader 1 Proofreader 1 | State of Washington State of Washington | 01/24/2021 01/24/2021 | $36,85201/24/2021 $36,852 |
Robert Half Proofreader Proofreader | Robert Half Robert Half | 01/21/2021 01/21/2021 | $45,91401/21/2021 $45,914 |
Robert Half Proofreader CV: Claire.Dehoet@Creativegroup.com Proofreader CV: Claire.Dehoet@Creativegroup.com | Robert Half Robert Half | 01/21/2021 01/21/2021 | $41,74001/21/2021 $41,740 |
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Proofreader Resumes
Designing and figuring out what to include on your resume can be tough, not to mention time-consuming. That's why we put together a guide that is designed to help you craft the perfect resume for becoming a Proofreader. If you're needing extra inspiration, take a look through our selection of templates that are specific to your job.
Learn How To Write a Proofreader Resume
At Zippia, we went through countless Proofreader resumes and compiled some information about how best to optimize them. Here are some suggestions based on what we found, divided by the individual sections of the resume itself.
View Detailed InformationTop Colleges for Proofreaders
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
5. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Public
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Public
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
8. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Public
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Public
10. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Public
Top Skills For a Proofreader
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 9.3% of proofreaders listed legal documents on their resume, but soft skills such as creativity and good judgment are important as well.
- Legal Documents, 9.3%
- Powerpoint, 9.2%
- Style Guides, 6.8%
- Financial Documents, 5.3%
- Adobe Acrobat, 4.0%
- Other Skills, 65.4% See All Proofreader Skills
Best States For a Proofreader
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a proofreader. The best states for people in this position are New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Delaware. Proofreaders make the most in New Jersey with an average salary of $79,560. Whereas in Rhode Island and Connecticut, they would average $68,571 and $68,497, respectively. While proofreaders would only make an average of $67,155 in Delaware, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. New Jersey
$79,560
Avg. Salary
2. Illinois
$65,072
Avg. Salary
3. Massachusetts
$66,360
Avg. Salary
How Do Proofreader Rate Their Jobs?
Top Proofreader Employers
We've made finding a great employer to work for easy by doing the hard work for you. We looked into employers that employ proofreaders and discovered their number of proofreader opportunities and average salary. Through our research, we concluded that RR Donnelley & Sons Company was the best, especially with an average salary of $46,492. Bowne & Co follows up with an average salary of $46,131, and then comes Robert Half International with an average of $41,927. In addition, we know most people would rather work from home. So instead of having to change careers, we identified the best employers for remote work as a proofreader. The employers include Integreon Managed Solutions, Quad, and Integreon
Proofreader Videos
