Proofreader vs editorial assistant

The differences between proofreaders and editorial assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a proofreader, becoming an editorial assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a proofreader has an average salary of $49,392, which is higher than the $43,141 average annual salary of an editorial assistant.

The top three skills for a proofreader include proofreading, english language and powerpoint. The most important skills for an editorial assistant are fact check, fiction, and press releases.

Proofreader vs editorial assistant overview

	Proofreader	Editorial Assistant
Yearly salary	$49,392	$43,141
Hourly rate	$23.75	$20.74
Growth rate	-5%	-8%
Number of jobs	574	26,839
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Average age	47	50
Years of experience	4	2

What does a proofreader do?

A proofreader is an individual who is responsible for carefully checking simple and complex errors in a document before it is published or shared. As a member of the publishing team, proofreaders must make sure that errors such as spelling mistakes and grammar errors are checked to avoid bad publications. They are required to work closely with writers and other proofreaders to ensure that every word and paragraph is formatted correctly and free of errors. Proofreaders are usually self-employed, however, some are employed by publishers and are required to work standard office hours.

What does an editorial assistant do?

An editorial assistant is primarily responsible for performing support-related tasks for an editor or editing staff. Most of the duties will be clerical such as writing content for print and media, answering calls and correspondence, responding to inquiries, running errands, and following directives from the editor. There are also instances when an editorial assistant must perform fact-checking or proofreading tasks, arrange appointments and travel documents, process paperwork, greet visitors, and even attend meetings and other work-related events.

Proofreader vs editorial assistant salary

Proofreaders and editorial assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Proofreader	Editorial Assistant
Average salary	$49,392	$43,141
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $78,000	Between $35,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	San Mateo, CA	Denver, CO
Highest paying state	Alaska	Colorado
Best paying company	WLRK	Columbia University in the City of New York
Best paying industry	Education	Government

Differences between proofreader and editorial assistant education

There are a few differences between a proofreader and an editorial assistant in terms of educational background:

	Proofreader	Editorial Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common major	English	English
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Proofreader vs editorial assistant demographics

Here are the differences between proofreaders' and editorial assistants' demographics:

	Proofreader	Editorial Assistant
Average age	47	50
Gender ratio	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%	Male, 27.7% Female, 72.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 3.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	18%	6%

Differences between proofreader and editorial assistant duties and responsibilities

Proofreader example responsibilities.

Create and manage BNA's corporate income taxation evaluators.
Edit academic papers for grammar, consistency, and clarity according to academic writing conventions and customer preferences.
Implement changes in proofreading house style through collaboration with other department members, thus maximizing efficiency and increasing productivity.
Use of APA style format.
Style guides: AMA, AP, Chicago, CSE, MLA, in-house.
Work are created with QuarkXpress & PhotoShop.

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Editorial assistant example responsibilities.

Manage social media content using Hootsuite.
Manage Instagram account and promote content on all social media pages.
Manage resources of more than 30 CNN bureaus around the world.
Produce content for a locally known lifestyle blog, edit, and manage social media accounts such as Pinterest and Google+.
Contribute through blogging, copy editing, participating in weekly editorial meetings, and managing social channels
Lead editorial oversight of web and television viewer-submit text, email and online messages according to company and industry guidelines.

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Proofreader vs editorial assistant skills

Common proofreader skills

Proofreading, 35%
English Language, 9%
PowerPoint, 7%
Style Guides, 5%
Adobe Acrobat, 3%
Press Releases, 3%

Common editorial assistant skills

Fact Check, 7%
Fiction, 6%
Press Releases, 6%
Web Content, 5%
Editor-In-Chief, 5%
Twitter, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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