How To Become A Copy Reader: What It Is and Career Path

What is a copy reader and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a copy reader. For example, did you know that they make an average of $34.52 an hour? That's $71,796 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -5% and produce -5,500 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreCopy ReaderUS Average

Salary

5.6

Avg. Salary $71,796

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.7

Growth Rate -5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.27%

Asian 5.82%

Black or African American 3.80%

Hispanic or Latino 8.72%

Unknown 4.67%

White 76.73%

Gender

female 56.60%

male 43.40%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress Level

6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.3

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a copy reader

Explore copy reader education requirements

Most common copy reader degrees

Bachelor's

88.9 %

High School Diploma

4.4 %

Master's

4.4 %

Start to develop specific copy reader skills

Skills	Percentages
Proofreading	100.00%

Complete relevant copy reader training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New copy readers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a copy reader based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real copy reader resumes.

Research copy reader duties and responsibilities

Collaborate with managing editor and editor-in-chief to develop and post news coverage and multimedia projects.
Manage copy editing and proofreading responsibilities of weekly business newspaper and special supplements.
Work available at: http: //www.sanriku-oysters.com/en/index.html base upon: http: //www.sanriku-oysters.com/index.html
Demonstrate leadership, organization and attention to detail as final editorial authority over stories in the weekly entertainment magazine.

Prepare your copy reader resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your copy reader resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a copy reader resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Copy Reader Resume templates

Build a professional Copy Reader resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Copy Reader resume.

Apply for copy reader jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a copy reader job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do copy readers rate their job?