How to become a Proofreader or Copy Marker

Official title: Proofreaders and Copy Markers

Also called: Copy Editor, Copyholder, Editorial Assistant, News Copy Editor, Proofer, Proofreader, Typesetter

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.

Main 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.

How to become one

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Ways in

• College: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US
• College: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $51,120 a year The middle half earn $41,170 to $62,390.
• About 8,500 people work in this job now, and about 8,500 are projected by 2035. (-0.9%)
• People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Related jobs

• Data Entry Keyers
• Word Processors and Typists
• Desktop Publishers
• Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks
• Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
• Office Clerks, General

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Proofreader or Copy Marker?

Ways in include: Arts & Humanities degrees; Business & Commerce degrees.

How much does a Proofreader or Copy Marker earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $51,120 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $41,170 to $62,390.

Is a Proofreader or Copy Marker a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 8,500 people now and 8,500 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Proofreader or Copy Marker?

Usually. 67% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Proofreader or Copy Marker?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.