Proofreaders and Copy Markers Salary: $65,092 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 5,160 proofreaders and copy markers nationally earn a mean of $65,092. Employment in the series shown fell about 23% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 9.4% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Proofreaders and Copy Markers: what the data shows
Common questions about proofreaders and copy markers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a proofreaders and copy markers?
Proofreaders and Copy Markers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 43-9081.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 5,160 workers.
What does a proofreaders and copy markers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Working with Computers, Processing Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a proofreaders and copy markers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $49,210 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $65,092 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,622 |
| 25th percentile | $44,897 |
| Median (50th) | $65,194 |
| 75th percentile | $79,302 |
| 90th percentile | $92,899 |
What education do you need?
For Proofreaders and Copy Markers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Reading Comprehension, Writing, Speaking, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including English Language, Communications and Media, Computers and Electronics, Administrative. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is proofreaders and copy markers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 9.4% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -38.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -62.7%.
Current U.S. headcount: 5,160.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do proofreaders and copy markerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 5,160 | 21.8% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 4,960 | 20.9% |
| Information | 1,520 | 6.4% |
| Publishing Industries | 1,260 | 5.3% |
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers | 1,220 | 5.1% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1,040 | 4.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Proofreaders and Copy Markers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Proofreaders and Copy Markers workforce.
Employment Over Time
5,160 Workforce in 2023
The Proofreaders and Copy Markers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$65,092 Average Wage
In 2023, Proofreaders and Copy Markers earned an average of $65,092.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Salary distribution for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Employment Growth Projections
-9.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
708 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -38.9%
432 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -62.7%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Proofreaders and Copy Markers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Proofreaders and Copy Markers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Wage Trends by Industry
-5.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -5.1% growth (Current: $70,074)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- NY: 1,230 employees, $60,830 avg wage
- CA: 340 employees, $63,720 avg wage
- PA: 270 employees, $47,540 avg wage
- FL: 220 employees, $44,970 avg wage
- IL: 220 employees, $48,520 avg wage
- TX: 200 employees, $49,510 avg wage
- GA: 180 employees, $45,740 avg wage
- VA: 170 employees, $49,910 avg wage
- MI: 160 employees, $48,610 avg wage
- IA: 160 employees, $44,080 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 1,170 employees, $62,820 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 190 employees, $50,260 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 170 employees, $52,330 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 160 employees, $58,620 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 150 employees, $64,460 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 120 employees, $44,100 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 70 employees, $66,770 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 70 employees, $51,810 avg wage
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: 60 employees, $39,140 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 60 employees, $51,940 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Proofreaders and Copy Markers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Proofreaders and Copy Markers in 2023 was 5,160 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Proofreaders and Copy Markers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Proofreaders and Copy Markers workers.
Education level distribution for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Skills
Proofreaders and Copy Markers need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Writing, Speaking, Active Listening, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Proofreaders and Copy Markers include English Language, Communications and Media, Computers and Electronics, Administrative, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Proofreaders and Copy Markers include Written Comprehension, Near Vision, Oral Comprehension, Written Expression, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
Daily Activities
Proofreaders and Copy Markers spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Working with Computers, Processing Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.
Most important work activities for Proofreaders and Copy Markers.
About
Proofreaders and Copy Markers
The average yearly wage for Proofreaders and Copy Markers was $65,092 in 2023.
SOC Code
43-9081 - Proofreaders and Copy Markers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Proofreaders and Copy Markers reports an average salary of $65,092.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 5,160 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -9.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.