Average Proofreaders And Copy Markers Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Proofreaders And Copy Markers is $51,120 per year. The middle 50% earn between $41,170 and $62,390, with 4,580 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 29 states and 22 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Proofreaders And Copy Markers pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $34,510
- 25th
- $41,170
- Median
- $51,120
- 75th
- $62,390
- 90th
- $79,290
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Proofreaders And Copy Markers earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for proofreaders and copy markers from 2024 to 2034. This occupation is projected to shrink. Workers may face more competition for fewer openings, and the role may see automation or consolidation pressure.
- Projected growth
- -0.6%
- -100 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 1,900
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings are high relative to the workforce size, reflecting meaningful turnover and new-hire volume.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for proofreaders and copy markers.
Where Proofreaders And Copy Markers earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where proofreaders and copy markers work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is District of Columbia at $68,120, about 33.3% above the national median. At the metro level, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA leads with a median of $66,620.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $68,120 | 50 |
| New York | $59,740 | 1,030 |
| California | $57,490 | 300 |
| Massachusetts | $57,160 | 190 |
| New Jersey | $56,700 | 160 |
| Ohio | $55,560 | 100 |
| Maryland | $53,920 | N/A |
| Washington | $53,890 | 60 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $66,620 | 110 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $59,740 | 970 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $57,840 | 170 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $55,360 | 120 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $55,320 | 70 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $55,280 | 70 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $55,020 | 30 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $54,900 | 130 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see proofreaders and copy markers pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Proofreaders And Copy Markers rose from $40,630 to $51,120, a gain of +25.8% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $40,630 would need to be worth $51,164 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $51,120 is −$44 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -0.1% in purchasing power.
Wages have roughly kept pace with inflation. Nominal pay rose by 25.8%, but inflation absorbed most of it.
- Nominal change
- +25.8%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- -0.1%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Proofreaders And Copy Markers median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $51,120
- 2024
- $49,210
- 2023
- $48,790
- 2022
- $45,410
- 2021
- $43,940
- 2020
- $41,140
- 2019
- $40,630
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Word Processors And Typists
- $49,280
- Desktop Publishers
- $55,290
- Office Clerks, General
- $45,010
- Data Entry Keyers
- $41,340
Common salary questions for Proofreaders And Copy Markers
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Proofreaders And Copy Markers workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.