How long does the training take?

Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do proofreaders and copy markers make?

The US median is $51,120 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree for this work?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train for this work?

1,450 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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Proofreaders and copy markers: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Office & admin · SOC 43-9081

$51,120US median pay, 2025

-0.9%Projected growth, 2025–35

1,100Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Bachelor's degree
Work in: proofreaders and copy markers

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
English Language and Literature, General	CIP 23.0101	1,384
Journalism	CIP 09.0401	362
Writing, General	CIP 23.1301	100
Business/Corporate Communications, General	CIP 52.0501	52
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Other	CIP 23.1399	15

See the 1,450 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do proofreaders and copy markers make?: The US median is $51,120 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train for this work?: 1,450 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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