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Proofreader salary
Average proofreader salary
$49,392
How much does a proofreader make?
The average proofreader salary in the United States is $49,392. Proofreader salaries typically range between $31,000 and $78,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for proofreaders is $23.75 per hour.
Proofreader salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Proofreaders earn the highest average salary in Alaska.
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Where can a Proofreader earn more?
Proofreader Salaries By Experience Level
Experience Level  | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level proofreader | $44,000 | $21.13 |
| Mid-level proofreader | $53,300 | $25.64 |
| Senior-level proofreader | $62,700 | $30.15 |
Proofreader salary estimates from across the web
Average proofreader salary by state
The average proofreader salary in Alaska, California, and North Dakota are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average proofreader salary states are Vermont, Alabama, and Louisiana.
- State View
- County View
Highest paying states for proofreaders
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $67,718 | $32.56 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $59,071 | $28.40 |
| 3 | New York | $56,710 | $27.26 |
| 4 | West Virginia | $57,780 | $27.78 |
| 5 | Nebraska | $54,636 | $26.27 |
| 6 | California | $64,308 | $30.92 |
| 7 | Utah | $56,094 | $26.97 |
| 8 | Illinois | $53,436 | $25.69 |
| 9 | Colorado | $54,060 | $25.99 |
| 10 | Missouri | $52,571 | $25.27 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $51,974 | $24.99 |
| 12 | Michigan | $52,721 | $25.35 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $55,306 | $26.59 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $52,796 | $25.38 |
| 15 | Arizona | $48,765 | $23.44 |
| 16 | Mississippi | $50,903 | $24.47 |
| 17 | Delaware | $47,856 | $23.01 |
| 18 | Virginia | $49,942 | $24.01 |
| 19 | Kansas | $49,280 | $23.69 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $50,453 | $24.26 |
| 21 | Texas | $48,486 | $23.31 |
| 22 | Washington | $48,453 | $23.29 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $44,700 | $21.49 |
| 24 | Nevada | $45,758 | $22.00 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $46,805 | $22.50 |
| 26 | Idaho | $45,800 | $22.02 |
| 27 | Oregon | $45,055 | $21.66 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $41,976 | $20.18 |
| 29 | Montana | $42,848 | $20.60 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $46,378 | $22.30 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $45,374 | $21.81 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $47,536 | $22.85 |
| 33 | Maryland | $47,142 | $22.66 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $42,934 | $20.64 |
| 35 | Maine | $43,554 | $20.94 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $43,745 | $21.03 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $44,800 | $21.54 |
| 38 | Ohio | $43,028 | $20.69 |
| 39 | Massachusetts | $44,458 | $21.37 |
| 40 | Indiana | $44,050 | $21.18 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $46,881 | $22.54 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $44,705 | $21.49 |
| 43 | Rhode Island | $45,601 | $21.92 |
| 44 | Georgia | $44,429 | $21.36 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $44,753 | $21.52 |
| 46 | Alabama | $40,835 | $19.63 |
| 47 | Vermont | $41,590 | $20.00 |
| 48 | Iowa | $37,629 | $18.09 |
| 49 | Florida | $37,985 | $18.26 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $39,388 | $18.94 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $37,935 | $18.24 |
Highest paying cities for proofreaders
The highest-paying cities for proofreaders are San Mateo, CA, Wheeling, WV, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Mateo, CA | $66,356 | $31.90 |
| 2 | Wheeling, WV | $59,768 | $28.73 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $57,090 | $27.45 |
| 4 | Gurnee, IL | $54,308 | $26.11 |
| 5 | Denver, CO | $54,132 | $26.02 |
| 6 | Saint Louis, MO | $52,769 | $25.37 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $52,640 | $25.31 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $51,265 | $24.65 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $49,297 | $23.70 |
| 10 | Olympia, WA | $49,079 | $23.60 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $48,936 | $23.53 |
| 12 | Baltimore, MD | $47,389 | $22.78 |
| 13 | Washington, DC | $46,887 | $22.54 |
| 14 | Madison, WI | $46,086 | $22.16 |
| 15 | Hartford, CT | $46,052 | $22.14 |
| 16 | Little Rock, AR | $44,547 | $21.42 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $44,356 | $21.32 |
| 18 | Boston, MA | $44,243 | $21.27 |
| 19 | Indianapolis, IN | $43,528 | $20.93 |
| 20 | Columbus, OH | $42,633 | $20.50 |
Proofreader salary details
A proofreader's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $78,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a proofreader's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $78,000 | $6,500 | $38 |
| 75th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| Average | $49,392 | $4,116 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
Highest paying proofreader jobs
The highest paying types of proofreaders are copy editor/proofreader, editor/proofreader, and editorial assistant.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Writer | $39,016 | $3,251 | $18.76 | 163,441 |
| Copy Editor/Proofreader | $72,246 | $6,020 | $34.73 | 5,290 |
| Editor/Proofreader | $54,450 | $4,538 | $26.18 | 4,902 |
Top companies hiring proofreaders now:
Which companies pay proofreaders the most?
Proofreader salaries at WLRK and Havas Worldwide are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average proofreader salary at companies like Wpp Us Holdings Inc and VIVA USA are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WLRK | $93,236 | $44.83 |
| 2 | Havas Worldwide | $77,986 | $37.49 |
| 3 | Wpp Us Holdings Inc | $77,059 | $37.05 |
| 4 | VIVA USA | $73,275 | $35.23 |
| 5 | Goldbelt Falcon | $70,936 | $34.10 |
| 6 | Epiq | $69,874 | $33.59 |
| 7 | Dahl Consulting | $63,297 | $30.43 |
| 8 | EisnerAmper | $61,847 | $29.73 |
| 9 | ExamWorks | $61,818 | $29.72 |
| 10 | Vinson & Elkins | $59,426 | $28.57 |
| 11 | TalentBurst | $57,925 | $27.85 |
| 12 | MES Solutions | $57,843 | $27.81 |
| 13 | Workiva | $52,939 | $25.45 |
| 14 | Washington State University | $52,595 | $25.29 |
| 15 | SiriusXM | $52,086 | $25.04 |
| 16 | ALDI USA | $51,951 | $24.98 |
| 17 | Burkhart Dental Supply | $49,878 | $23.98 |
| 18 | John McNeil Studio | $49,790 | $23.94 |
| 19 | Avila Therapeutics | $49,410 | $23.75 |
| 20 | Main Industries | $49,024 | $23.57 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Proofreader salary by industry
The average proofreader salary varies across industries:
- The average proofreader salary in the education industry is $56,676, the highest of any industry.
- The average proofreader salary in the finance industry is $56,643.
- Proofreaders in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $43,130, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for proofreaders
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education | $56,676 | $27.25 |
| 2 | Finance | $56,643 | $27.23 |
| 3 | Insurance | $51,715 | $24.86 |
| 4 | Professional | $51,024 | $24.53 |
| 5 | Media | $49,465 | $23.78 |
| 6 | Technology | $49,095 | $23.60 |
| 7 | Retail | $43,235 | $20.79 |
| 8 | Manufacturing | $43,130 | $20.74 |
High Paying Proofreader Jobs
Proofreader salary trends
The average proofreader salary has risen by $11,046 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average proofreader earned $38,346 annually, but today, they earn $49,392 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for proofreaders over the last decade.
Compare proofreader salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average proofreader salary over time
Compare proofreader salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Proofreader salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,400 | $23.75 | +1.2% |
| 2024 | $48,800 | $23.45 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $47,000 | $22.59 | +4.1% |
| 2022 | $45,100 | $21.67 | +1.6% |
| 2021 | $44,400 | $21.33 | +3.6% |
Recently added proofreader salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oliver Inc. | Preflight-Proofreader | Hauppauge, NY | 12/10/2024 | $104,350 |
| Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz | Proofreader | New York, NY | 12/09/2024 | $75,500 |
| Deentek Solutions, LLC | Proofreader | Canutillo, TX | 12/06/2024 | $114,785 |
| Exlservice Holdings, Inc. | Proofreader | Pittsburgh, PA | 12/04/2024 | $36,520 |
| ILIA Beauty | Copywriter & Proofreader | Los Angeles, CA | 10/24/2024 | $65,000 |
| Pfizer, Inc. | Alim Proofreader | Lake Forest, IL | 10/23/2024 | $52,175 |
| RRD | Legal Proofreader | Phoenix, AZ | 10/23/2024 | $36,836 |
| The Goodkind Group | Legal Proofreader | New York, NY | 10/23/2024 | $65,000 |
| Broadridge | Proofreader (Overnights)-Contract (Remote) | Alabama | 10/22/2024 | $45,914 |
| Broadridge | Proofreader (Overnights)-Contract (Remote) | New York, NY | 10/22/2024 | $45,914 |
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