Do you have a keen eye for spotting spelling and grammar errors? If so, becoming an online proofreader could be your calling.
Because proofreading requires attention to detail, proofreaders are in high demand, especially for online businesses. And because proofreading can be done from anywhere, it’s a great option for earning money from home. Online proofreaders often also get to set their own hours and work at their own pace.
If the idea of becoming an online proofreader appeals to you, read on to find out everything you need to know about the work-from-home profession.
What is the difference between proofreading and editing?
Although proofreaders and editors are often thought of as the same thing, there are clear differences between the two roles. Proofreading primarily focuses on catching spelling mistakes, grammatical and punctuation errors, and typos.
An editor, on the other hand, will go through the information and might rearrange and organize it for clarity. They might also change or remove material entirely. Editors check and verify sources and change the tone to better suit the reader. Editors and writers might work together to go through multiple rounds of revisions.
Editors also proofread, but proofreaders aren’t necessarily considered editors. Both roles are specialized and skilled, but proofreading doesn’t require you to look as closely at the material. Most editors must have a bachelor’s degree in journalism or English, and sometimes a graduate degree. Check out this post for remote editing jobs.
How much do proofreaders make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, full-time editors earn an average salary of $51,100. Pay and workload vary depending on the editor’s availability and workload. Busy editors who can maintain multiple clients or those with specialized training, such as bilingual or legal editing, generally earn higher salaries.
What qualifications do I need to become an online proofreader?
Many proofreading and editing jobs require a bachelor’s degree or enrollment in a four-year program, you’ll need to know how to use programs like Microsoft Office and Google Docs, and be familiar with major style guides like AP, APA, MLA, and the Chicago Manual of Style.
If it’s been a while since you left school, taking a proofreading course can help you improve your skills and knowledge and prepare you for the profession.
Caitlin Pyle of Proofread Anywhere is hosting a free workshop for proofreaders to help them decide if proofreading is the right career for their personality. In this workshop, you will learn:
- 5 Signs Proofreading is the Right Career Path for You
- Editing freedom, flexibility, and financial rewards
- How to Attract Proofreading Clients
If you’re ready to enroll and get started, you can purchase our online proofreading course here. It takes about a month to complete and covers everything from the basics of proofreading to finding online jobs and managing your workflow.
Where can I find online editing and proofreading jobs?
Whatever job you’re looking for – online proofreading jobs, editing jobs, part-time or full-time work, or even just a side hustle – there are plenty of options for you to explore.
1. App
Appen is hiring people for data collection, translation, transcription, and proofreading projects. Once you create an account, fill out your profile to fully unlock more projects. According to the LinkedIn job posting, you should have a good understanding of English. They ask about your education level, but it’s unclear if a specific level is required to complete proofreading projects.
- education: Unknown. A degree may not be necessary.
- experience: Unknown. Beginners may be accepted.
- Classification: Independent Contractor
- Glassdoor rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars
2. Cactus Global
CACTUS Global hires employees, contractors, interns, and freelancers from the US, UK, Singapore, Philippines, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, and Canada. Job categories include writing, editing, reviewing, translation, transcription, voice-over, customer service, marketing, and design. CACTUS Global’s focus is research and publishing, so editing positions require a college degree.
- education: College degree required
- experience: Varies by role
- Classification: Varies by classification
- Glassdoor rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars
3. Fast editing
EditFast is a proofreading service where clients can submit requests for proofreading, editing, and writing. To get started, create an account and verify your email address. Potential proofreaders must submit their resume and complete several editing tests. Once approved, you’ll be notified of potential projects. EditFast pays proofreaders 60% of the project price (proofreaders keep 40%). Prices vary depending on the project.
- education: University Degree
- experience: Have editing experience
- Classification: Independent Contractor
- Glassdoor rating: No rating
4. Express Writers
Express Writers hires copywriters, expert copywriters, social media copywriters, designers, and copy editors. Editors are paid $15 per hour and are expected to edit a minimum of 3,000 words per hour. To fill a writing and editing role, you’ll need to be a native English speaker, have perfect spelling and grammar, and understand SEO best practices.
- education: Unknown: A college degree may not be necessary
- experience: Unbeknownst to editors, they employ three levels of writers.
- Classification: Independent Contractor
- Glassdoor rating: 3.4 out of 5 stars
5. Look forward
Focus Forward provides clients with transcription, translation, marketing research, coding and proofreading services. To qualify for a part-time proofreading position, you will need intermediate or higher knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel, good communication skills, a working computer and a fast internet connection.
- education: Associate’s degree preferred
- experience: Experience may be considered in lieu of degree
- Classification: Independent Contractor
- Glassdoor rating: 3.3 out of 5 stars
6. Gramley
Gramlee is an editing and proofreading company. They offer services for writing projects such as papers, essays, novels, and white papers. Editors and proofreaders must submit an application that includes a background check and evaluation. Proofreaders are expected to complete documents within 24 hours on weekdays (but can set their own work hours).
- education: Unknown. A degree may not be necessary.
- experience: Unknown. Beginners may be accepted.
- Classification: Unknown
- Glassdoor rating: No rating
7. Kibin
Kibin is a small company that provides copy editing, proofreading, and grammar services. The company works with many students and academic organizations to help them write essays, applications, and papers. Kibin pays proofreaders by the word and offers bonuses based on deadlines and customer satisfaction. According to Glassdoor reviews, proofreaders can earn between $4 and $10 per document.
- education: Unknown. A degree may not be necessary.
- experience: Unknown. Beginners may be accepted.
- Classification: Independent Contractor
- Glassdoor rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
8. Calibration Pal
Proofreading Pal offers proofreading services for resumes, essays, books, business documents, and more. According to the company’s website, proofreaders can earn $500 to $3,000 a month proofreading documents from home. To apply, applicants must fill out an online application and submit a resume and cover letter. They must pass a timed proofreading exam to move on to the next step in the hiring process.
- education: Be enrolled in a university with a GPA of 3.5 or above
- experience: A graduate degree and at least 5 years of experience
- Classification: Independent Contractor
- Glassdoor rating: 3.1 out of 5 stars
9. ProofreadingServices.com
ProofreadingServices.com offers flexible hours with pay ranging from $19-$46 per hour and works with a variety of clients around the world. Contractors go through a 20-minute testing process when applying to prove their proofreading skills and abilities. With ProofreadingServices.com, you can create your own schedule and work full-time or part-time.
- education: Unknown. A degree may not be necessary.
- experience: Unknown. Beginners may be accepted.
- Classification: Independent Contractor
- Glassdoor rating: No rating
10. Scribe Media
Scribe Media offers professional publishing services for people who want to write and publish a book, and they often have openings for copywriters ($250 per project), line editors ($0.04 per word), and cover designers ($2,200 per project).
- education: Unknown: A college degree may not be necessary
- experience: Experience in manuscript editing
- Classification: Independent Contractor
- Glassdoor rating: 2.9 out of 5 stars
11. Scribe
Scribbr hires editors in a variety of languages to proofread and edit academic documents. It is a Dutch company that employs editors from all over the world. According to the company’s website, editors process an average of 1,700 words per hour and earn around 20-25 euros per hour. To apply, you need to fill out an application and pass an online language quiz.
- education: Have a bachelor’s degree
- experience: Experience in editing academic papers
- Classification: Independent Contractor
- Glassdoor rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
12. Lighting
Scribendi is a proofreading and editing company based in Ontario, Canada. It offers both in-house and freelance positions. Freelancers must pass a selection test and complete an application process. Compensation varies by project, but is competitive and the price of each project is determined in advance. The company does not hire freelancers in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, South Dakota, Washington DC, West Virginia, or Wyoming.
- education: Have a university degree
- experience: At least three years of experience in English editing, writing, or teaching
- Classification: 1099 and W2
- Glassdoor rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
13. Study.com
Study.com is hiring people to develop lessons and curriculum, write, research, edit, proofread, and tutor. These roles allow you to choose your own schedule and get paid twice a month via PayPal. Study.com is hiring in the United States and the Philippines.
- education: No mention of a degree being required
- experience: Prior experience required
- Classification: Independent Contractor
- Glassdoor rating: 3 out of 5 stars
14. Wordvice
Wordvice operates worldwide, serving universities, medical institutions, and research institutes. The company hires freelance editors, content writers, translators, and online English teachers. To be hired, you will need to submit your resume and complete an editing sample. Pay is based on your experience, project, and level of knowledge on a particular topic.
- education: Advanced university degree
- experience: Experience
- Classification: Independent Contractor
- Glassdoor rating: 3.1 out of 5 stars
Job Boards and Freelance Marketplaces
As you can see, many of the popular editing and proofreading companies require a college degree and experience. So how can you gain experience if no one will hire you? You can try submitting spec assignments to prove your skills and expertise to potential clients. You can also try pitching and applying for one-off jobs on freelance marketplaces and job boards where the requirements for proofreaders are less stringent. Here are some platforms and sites to consider:
15. Flex Jobs
FlexJobs is a work-from-home job board that lists a wide variety of editing and proofreading roles. The nature, availability, and requirements of each position vary depending on the job and company. Some proofreading jobs are highly skilled, while others are more general and don’t require much experience. FlexJobs makes it easy to browse different positions to decide which one is best for you. We also manually review all companies, so you can rest assured that all job postings are legitimate.
16. Fiber
Fiverr is a freelance marketplace where freelancers can post their services and business owners can search for freelancers to complete their projects. Initially, Fiverr operated on the premise that each service was only $5, but now the amount freelancers can charge for their services has expanded (from $5 to $10,000). Joining Fiverr is free, and you decide how much you want to charge for proofreading services, and Fiverr takes 20% of the total amount.
17. Kelly Service
Kelly Services is a staffing company offering a variety of temporary and contingent positions. Their virtual positions include proofreading and editing services for a variety of industries and companies. Postings vary based on skills, experience, and the nature of the position. Proofreaders can find virtual positions in the United States and abroad.
18. Randstad
Randstad is a US-based staffing agency where you can search for jobs ranging from remote temporary, contract, and temporary to permanent and full-time. Randstad deals with all kinds of jobs, so you should search with the keywords “proofreader”, “proofreading”, “editing”, “copyeditor” and “editor”. Jobs and requirements vary widely from client to client. To speed up your search, you can subscribe to emails about the jobs you are looking for.
19. Robert Half
Robert Half is a US-based staffing company that hires full-time, contract, and temporary staff for in-person and remote roles. Like Randstad, Robert Half hires in a variety of fields, so you’ll need to search for several different variations of your keywords. You’ll also need to look at all of the jobs that appear in the search results. Often, the job titles are in different fields, such as writing, content coordination, project assistance, or marketing, but include proofreading as part of the job duties.
20. Upwork
Upwork is a freelance marketplace that offers a variety of projects, including proofreading and editing. Complete your profile on the site and your ideal job will be featured. You can also search for clients and respond directly to invitations. Prices vary depending on the project and client, and are disclosed up front. Some projects are hourly, others have a fixed price.
How to Start a Freelance Proofreader Business
Starting a proofreading business gives you the option to work your own hours, set your own rates, and work entirely from home. You don’t need a college degree to start your own business, and you can grow with your clients and offer additional services based on your skills and experience.
Meeting deadlines and building a client base can be difficult, but there are many resources to help you start a freelance proofreading business. The Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) is a professional group that provides job listings, resources, education, and connections to other proofreaders in the industry.
Are you ready to start your own proofreading business?
Here are some general steps you need to take to start your own proofreading business.
- If necessary, obtain appropriate calibration training.
- Create a business plan. Get a free business plan template here.
- Decide on your area of expertise in proofreading (academic, legal, medical, author, blogger, copy editor, etc.).
- Build a website and set up social media profiles.
- Set up communication channels, workflow processes, and how you’ll get paid.
- When you start pitching to clients, I recommend creating a list of people or companies you want to work with and pitching to 2-5 people a day until you are fully booked.
- Record your income and expenses and pay self-employment taxes quarterly.
Is being a proofreader right for you?
If you love reading, writing, and care about using the English language properly, proofreading could be a great side hustle or even a full-time job. You’ll likely end up working as a freelancer, which gives you the added benefit of a flexible schedule – great news for those looking to balance their caregiving duties with an income. If you’re not sure if proofreading is the right option for you, be sure to check out Proofread Anywhere’s free workshops.
Originally published on August 7, 2017. Content updated August 2024.
