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.
Proofreader responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real proofreader resumes:
- 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.
- Proofread and copyedit documents from clients as directed.
- Utilize the InDesign program for editing and CMS.
- Maintain documents on an internal website using SharePoint.
- Proofread and copyedit all client and corporate marketing materials.
- Work with hard- and soft-copy materials, including PDF and web-base content.
- Perform the QA process for appeal letters and assemble documentation for client hospitals.
- Proofread abstracts of historical newspapers for on-line research, with the QA department.
- Assist customer service by providing PDF samples of client s art history files.
- Demonstrate writing and creative capabilities with regard to DVD sleeve synopses and DVD biographies.
Proofreader skills and personality traits
We calculated that 35% of Proofreaders are proficient in Proofreading, English Language, and PowerPoint. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Good judgment, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Proofreaders that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Proofreading, 35%
Assisted independent court reporter with the preparation of court hearing and deposition transcripts by proofreading and editing utilizing TurboCat computer program.
- English Language, 9%
Proofread a significant scientific research paper to ensure proper English language is utilized
- PowerPoint, 7%
Created graphs/charts and PowerPoint presentations for several projects including military, substance abuse and childcare information.
- Style Guides, 5%
Created customer-specific style guides for consistency.
- Adobe Acrobat, 3%
Lead meetings and gave presentations on topics including AMA style, the Abbott dictionary, and annotating in Adobe Acrobat.
- Press Releases, 3%
Updated and proofread inventory reports, library references, periodicals, press releases, and other correspondence forwarded by librarian.
"proofreading," "english language," and "powerpoint" are among the most common skills that proofreaders use at work. You can find even more proofreader responsibilities below, including:
Creativity. The most essential soft skill for a proofreader to carry out their responsibilities is creativity. This skill is important for the role because "editors must be imaginative, curious, and knowledgeable in a broad range of topics." Additionally, a proofreader resume shows how their duties depend on creativity: "proofread documents for grammatical errors, content, layout and creativity. "
Good judgment. Many proofreader duties rely on good judgment. "editors decide whether certain stories are ethical and whether there is enough evidence to publish them.," so a proofreader will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways proofreader responsibilities rely on good judgment: "displayed good command of the english language and careful attention to detail. "
Detail oriented. proofreaders are also known for detail oriented, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to proofreader responsibilities, because "editors must be meticulous to ensure that material is error free and matches the style of a publication." A proofreader resume example shows how detail oriented is used in the workplace: "reviewed and compared source and software-generated accounting documents for highly detailed client filings with the u.s. securities and exchange commission. "
Writing skills. A big part of what proofreaders do relies on "writing skills." You can see how essential it is to proofreader responsibilities because "editors ensure that all written content has correct grammar, punctuation, and syntax." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical proofreader tasks: "perform responsibilities of copywriting specific assignments as requested by internal clients. "
The three companies that hire the most proofreaders are:
- Uline16 proofreaders jobs
- ExamWorks4 proofreaders jobs
- Levi, Ray & Shoup2 proofreaders jobs
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Proofreader vs. Editorial assistant
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.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, proofreader responsibilities require skills like "proofreading," "english language," "style guides," and "adobe acrobat." Meanwhile a typical editorial assistant has skills in areas such as "fact check," "editor-in-chief," "twitter," and "administrative tasks." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Editorial assistants tend to make the most money working in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $45,038. In contrast, proofreaders make the biggest average salary, $56,676, in the education industry.editorial assistants tend to reach similar levels of education than proofreaders. In fact, editorial assistants are 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Proofreader vs. Service writer
A service writer is an employee who acts as an informative middleman between a business owner and its customers in the automotive sector. To develop this relationship, service writers must provide successful management of product or service delivery to their customers. Service writers must correctly manage their scheduled appointments to avoid overwhelming their mechanics with incoming vehicular repairs while monitoring the service progress to avoid delivery delays. They must also know how to encode customer profile information into the computer system.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, proofreader responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "proofreading," "english language," "powerpoint," and "style guides." Meanwhile, a service writer has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "repair orders," "warranty claims," and "cleanliness." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Service writers may earn a lower salary than proofreaders, but service writers earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $40,270. On the other hand, proofreaders receive higher pay in the education industry, where they earn an average salary of $56,676.service writers earn lower levels of education than proofreaders in general. They're 8.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Proofreader vs. Copy editor/proofreader
Copy editors and proofreaders make sure that any product text that involves writing doesn't have any mistakes while making sure that the pieces they are proofreading are still engaging and easy to understand. Publishers of magazines, books, or newspapers are the ones who usually employ them to read and edit their works before publishing them to the public. They must be knowledgeable about using the English language and correct any grammatical errors without changing the context of the article, sentence, paragraph, or phrase.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a proofreader is likely to be skilled in "english language," "style guides," "law firm," and "bluebook," while a typical copy editor/proofreader is skilled in "website copy," "journal articles," "news stories," and "adobe indesign."
Copy editor/proofreaders typically earn similar educational levels compared to proofreaders. Specifically, they're 1.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Proofreader vs. Editor/proofreader
Proofreaders are the frontliners of editing. They supervise in editing both written and digital content in fast-paced publishing environments, proofing, and reviewing. Proofreaders are natural perfectionists in editing. Their personalities lean toward thorough work and meticulousness. Companies from across industries employ proofreaders to ensure that the final work product is consistent, accurate, and error-free. These people enjoy flexibility in their work hours. They are expected to meet deadlines, manage to multitask at any given time, and work at nights and weekends.
Types of proofreader
Updated January 8, 2025











