How Much Proofreaders Make

Working from home (or on the beach) is super appealing. There are so many great reasons to find a job that allows you to work remotely. Proofreading is a popular way to work remotely. Anyone who loved grammar class in high school will probably enjoy this job!

But how much do proofreaders make? Could you make a living proofreading? It sounds too good to be true, but keep reading to see if it will work for you!

How Much Do Proofreaders Make?

Several sources state that freelance proofreaders make $53,000 annually on average. However, freelancers do not receive insurance, a retirement plan, or other benefits.

Beginner proofreaders will make an annual salary of $43,000 a year.

However, many full-time proofreaders might work for agencies that don’t allow much flexibility. Agencies may offer employee benefits that balance out the stricter schedules.

Per Word

A lot of proofreaders charge by the word. Average freelance proofreading rates are $.02-$.39 per word. This is great because you’ll get a set amount of money per document. It doesn’t matter if it takes you all day or 30 minutes.

If you can work quickly, then you can earn a full day’s wage in just a few hours!

Per Hour

Many proofreaders charge hourly rates. The average hourly pay is anywhere between $11-$35. According to Indeed, the average rate for proofreaders is $22.39 per hour.

However, some experienced proofreaders in niche fields make even more than that. Charging hourly is nice because you can keep track of the time and get to work! For some people, that might not work well.

What Determines A Proofreader’s Pay?

Experience

The more experience you have, the more you can charge. Entry-level proofreaders will not make as much money as veteran proofreaders. Clients might be nervous to let a beginner proofread their documents. Therefore, they won’t want to pay you too much.

However, if you have years of experience, clients will be confident in your abilities. They will be comfortable paying you higher prices.

Education And Training

While you don’t need a college education to proofread, it can increase your pay. This is especially true if you have a college degree related to the field you want to proofread for. With a computer science degree, you’ll be very qualified to proofread related documents!

Taking a proofreading training course will also strengthen your qualifications. Potential clients will trust that you understand what’s expected of you.

Location

Different locations tend to have different going rates. Proofreaders in New York and California often make more money than those in other states. However, the cost of living in those states may be so high that it won’t feel like you’re making a lot of money.

Duties And Turnaround

Some clients will expect more than just basic proofreading services. Instead of correcting grammar and typos, they may also want you to do some basic copy editing. You can increase your rates when you have these duties because copy editors charge more.

The quicker your turnaround, the more you can charge. This is because clients appreciate receiving their work promptly.

Type Of Document

The type of documents you proofread will influence your pay rates. There is a wide range of documents that you can proofread. Medical proofreaders get paid an average of $87,000 annually. It’s not uncommon to reach a 6-digit salary by proofreading documents in the medical field.

Whenever you’re proofreading STEM documents, you will make more money. This is because the industry requires a base of knowledge for proofreaders. While proofreading blog posts and emails will pay less, it’s still a great and easy way to make money.

What Does A Proofreader Do?

Proofreaders will read different written documents and check for errors. They’ll read business documents, academic papers, and social media posts. Then they’ll fix any typos or grammatical errors they find. They may even change the wording of a sentence to create a polished paper with good readability.

Freelance editors will do a little bit more. However, many proofreaders will offer editing services. This includes fact-checking, ensuring that the entire document flows well, and more.

As your level of experience increases, you may consider adding extra services. This will also increase your rates! This is a great way to ensure that your freelance career will be able to support your lifestyle.

Some people will also do developmental editing. This is especially pertinent to long documents. Developmental editors will look at big-picture issues. They check for plot holes, examine the structure and style, and make sure the content makes sense. 

How Can A Proofreader Increase Their Pay?

Improve Skills

By improving your proofreading skills, you can increase your average salary. The fewer mistakes you make, the higher the quality of your work. This is important for potential clients who want to pay you what they think you’re worth.

You will also decrease your turnaround time with better skills. This will allow you to charge more for your freelance proofreading jobs.

Expand Experience

The more experience you have, the more you can charge. When clients are confident in your ability to proofread, they won’t mind paying you more.

Market Themselves

With good marketing, you will get high-paying clients. It especially helps if you know where to find that type of client. By confidently portraying yourself, you will convince clients to hire you. They’ll think you stand out above the rest of the competition!

How To Become A Proofreader

Proofreader Requirements

Professional proofreaders must understand the English language and its rules. You should also understand several types of writing styles. You must be detail-oriented and able to research information.

Proofreading requires flexibility for different clients, tasks, schedules, and readers. Being independent, meeting deadlines, and communicating with clients are essential skills.

How To Get Clients

There are plenty of online platforms to connect proofreaders with clients. Search job boards, freelance platforms, and networking sites. LinkedIn, Fiverr, and Upwork are great places to look! It isn’t hard to find proofreading tasks and legitimate proofreading jobs.

It is especially easy to find beginner proofreading jobs. The hard part is that you’ll have to work your way up to higher-paying clients. You can also use word of mouth to get clients. If you impress one client, they may tell other potential clients about you.

Starting A Freelance Proofreading Business

To start your online proofreading job, you should learn how to properly proofread. Find an online course to learn the basics! Then decide what freelance proofreading services you will offer. A lot of freelance proofreaders will also offer editing services at an extra cost.

That’s a great way to get more freelance jobs and increase your rates.

Why Should You Become A Proofreader?

Proofreaders will always be in demand as long as people are writing. There are so many types of documents to proofread! Professionals pay people to proofread emails, books, grants, and more.

If you enjoy noticing mistakes when you read, you’ll enjoy an online proofreading job. If you don’t mind adding editing services, you could even get some editing jobs and make extra cash!

The best part about an online proofreading business is the flexibility! You’ll be able to work remotely and set your own goals. Remote proofreading jobs make it possible to work wherever you desire.

It can be hard to get established as a proofreader, but well worth it if you have the stamina to do so!

Will Artificial Intelligence Make Proofreading Obsolete?

While there are a lot of popular apps that will proofread documents for authors, AI isn’t taking over yet. Many of these apps still make plenty of mistakes. And they’re reading documents with robot eyes instead of human eyes.

This makes it hard for apps to replace actual proofreaders. For many people, these apps are good enough. But a lot of people have high standards for their work.

People who don’t trust artificial intelligence also want humans to check their work. Fortunately, that means the demand for proofreaders isn’t going anywhere anytime soon!