SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 43-9081.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $34,510 | $2,876 | $664 | $16.59 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $41,170 | $3,431 | $792 | $19.79 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $51,120 | $4,260 | $983 | $24.58 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $62,390 | $5,199 | $1,200 | $29.99 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $79,290 | $6,608 | $1,525 | $38.12 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Proofreaders and Copy Markers is $51,120, which is about the same. Among the 54 occupations of the field Office and Administrative Support, it ranks number 16 by median pay. With 4,580 jobs, it makes up about 0.3 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Proofreaders and Copy Markers pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($68,120), New York ($59,740) and California ($57,490). The lowest was in Michigan ($35,530), Florida ($35,610) and West Virginia ($36,730). The most jobs were in New York (1,030), California (300) and Illinois (300). The occupation is most concentrated in New York, where its share of all jobs is 3.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 50 | $68,120 | $69,220 | $32.75 |
| New York | 1,030 | $59,740 | $65,980 | $28.72 |
| California | 300 | $57,490 | $59,630 | $27.64 |
| Massachusetts | 190 | $57,160 | $61,230 | $27.48 |
| New Jersey | 160 | $56,700 | $59,790 | $27.26 |
| Ohio | 100 | $55,560 | $54,020 | $26.71 |
| Maryland | not published | $53,920 | $54,840 | $25.92 |
| Washington | 60 | $53,890 | $58,310 | $25.91 |
| Missouri | 110 | $52,920 | $50,590 | $25.44 |
| Kansas | 90 | $51,160 | $49,370 | $24.60 |
| Illinois | 300 | $50,060 | $52,010 | $24.07 |
| Minnesota | not published | $49,450 | $52,200 | $23.77 |
| Georgia | not published | $49,200 | $47,730 | $23.66 |
| Virginia | 90 | $48,090 | $49,850 | $23.12 |
| Pennsylvania | 230 | $47,510 | $55,170 | $22.84 |
| Kentucky | 70 | $46,380 | $53,480 | $22.30 |
| North Carolina | 70 | $46,140 | $47,740 | $22.18 |
| Iowa | 110 | $44,680 | $47,950 | $21.48 |
| Wisconsin | 60 | $43,630 | $42,590 | $20.98 |
| South Carolina | 40 | $42,900 | $44,830 | $20.63 |
| Utah | not published | $42,840 | $44,990 | $20.60 |
| Texas | 200 | $41,990 | $46,670 | $20.19 |
| Indiana | 80 | $40,920 | $41,250 | $19.67 |
| West Virginia | 50 | $36,730 | $41,650 | $17.66 |
| Florida | 200 | $35,610 | $52,090 | $17.12 |
| Michigan | 140 | $35,530 | $43,130 | $17.08 |
| Colorado | 120 | not published | not published | not published |
| Connecticut | 70 | not published | not published | not published |
| Oklahoma | 40 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Financial Clerks, All Other$53,830 a year
- Public Safety Telecommunicators$53,040 a year
- Cargo and Freight Agents$52,260 a year
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks$50,670 a year
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping$50,610 a year
- Procurement Clerks$50,580 a year
Common questions
How much do Proofreaders and Copy Markers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $51,120 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $34,510 and the highest-paid 10% more than $79,290.
How many people work as Proofreaders and Copy Markers?
About 4,580 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.