Proofreaders and Copy Markers Career, Salary and Skills
Proofreaders and Copy Markers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $51,120 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 4,580. Wage data is published for 48 locations.
Occupation description
Read transcript or proof type setup to detect and mark for correction any grammatical, typographical, or compositional errors. Excludes workers whose primary duty is editing copy. Includes proofreaders of braille.
O*NET code
43-9081.00
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$51,120
Hourly median
$24.58
Employment
4,580
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.25 | 4.25 |
| Writing | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Speaking | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Active Listening | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Time Management | 2.75 | 2.50 |
| Active Learning | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.50 | 2.25 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.38 | 1.88 |
Typical tasks
- Mark copy to indicate and correct errors in type, arrangement, grammar, punctuation, or spelling, using standard printers' marks.
- Read corrected copies or proofs to ensure that all corrections have been made.
- Correct or record omissions, errors, or inconsistencies found.
- Compare information or figures on one record against same data on other records, or with original copy, to detect errors.
- Route proofs with marked corrections to authors, editors, typists, or typesetters for correction or reprinting.
- Consult reference books or secure aid of readers to check references with rules of grammar and composition.
- Consult with authors and editors regarding manuscript changes and suggestions.
- Archive documents, conduct research, and read copy, using the internet and various computer programs.
Technology
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Captivate
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Dreamweaver
- Adobe FrameMaker
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InCopy
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- After the Deadline
- Apple Final Cut Pro
- Apple iWork Keynote
- AutoCrit Editing Wizard
Proofreaders and Copy Markers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers Salary in NYMedian $59,740 · Employment 1,030
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers Salary in New York, NYMedian $59,740 · Employment 970
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers Salary in ILMedian $50,060 · Employment 300
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers Salary in CAMedian $57,490 · Employment 300
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $51,970 · Employment 260
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers Salary in PAMedian $47,510 · Employment 230
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers Salary in FLMedian $35,610 · Employment 200
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers Salary in TXMedian $41,990 · Employment 200
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers Salary in MAMedian $57,160 · Employment 190
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers Salary in Boston, MAMedian $57,840 · Employment 170
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers Salary in NJMedian $56,700 · Employment 160
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers Salary in MIMedian $35,530 · Employment 140
Related careers
- Correspondence ClerksNational median $46,800
- Office Machine Operators, Except ComputerNational median $40,960
- Medical TranscriptionistsNational median $40,410
- ArchivistsNational median $64,550
- Social Science Research AssistantsNational median $61,990
- Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsNational median $68,270
- Statistical AssistantsNational median $50,330
- Court Reporters and Simultaneous CaptionersNational median $72,420
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.