Proofreaders and Copy Markers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for proofreaders and copy markers in the U.S. is $51,120 ($24.58 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $51,120
- Mean annual wage
- $54,800
- Median hourly wage
- $24.58
- Employment
- 4,580
4,580 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,510 | $16.59 |
| 25th percentile | $41,170 | $19.79 |
| Median (50th) | $51,120 | $24.58 |
| 75th percentile | $62,390 | $29.99 |
| 90th percentile | $79,290 | $38.12 |
Highest-paying states for proofreaders and copy markers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $68,120 | 50 |
| New York | $59,740 | 1,030 |
| California | $57,490 | 300 |
| Massachusetts | $57,160 | 190 |
| New Jersey | $56,700 | 160 |
| Ohio | $55,560 | 100 |
| Maryland | $53,920 | — |
| Washington | $53,890 | 60 |
| Missouri | $52,920 | 110 |
| Kansas | $51,160 | 90 |
Lowest-paying states
- Michigan: $35,530 median annual wage
- Florida: $35,610 median annual wage
- West Virginia: $36,730 median annual wage
- Indiana: $40,920 median annual wage
- Texas: $41,990 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Read corrected copies or proofs to ensure that all corrections have been made.
- Consult with authors and editors regarding manuscript changes and suggestions.
- Correct or record omissions, errors, or inconsistencies found.
- Consult reference books or secure aid of readers to check references with rules of grammar and composition.
- Route proofs with marked corrections to authors, editors, typists, or typesetters for correction or reprinting.
- Mark copy to indicate and correct errors in type, arrangement, grammar, punctuation, or spelling, using standard printers' marks.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Bachelor's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 4.1% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 13.2% |
| Some college, no degree | 16.2% |
| Associate's degree | 9.3% |
| Bachelor's degree | 39.2% |
| Master's degree | 15.1% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 2.8% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.