Proofreaders and Copy Markers pay in the U.S.
$54,800avg. a year
$26.35 an hour · 4,580 employed
Proofreaders and Copy Markers in the U.S. earn an average of $54,800 a year and a median of $51,120. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($69,220) and lowest in Indiana ($41,250).
$51,120Median pay
$26.35Average hourly
+23%Avg. pay since 2020
4,580Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for proofreaders and copy markers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
150 jobs
District of Columbia
$69,220
$33.28 an hour
21,030 jobs
New York
$65,980
$31.72 an hour
3190 jobs
Massachusetts
$61,230
$29.44 an hour
4160 jobs
New Jersey
$59,790
$28.74 an hour
5300 jobs
California
$59,630
$28.67 an hour
660 jobs
Washington
$58,310
$28.03 an hour
7230 jobs
Pennsylvania
$55,170
$26.52 an hour
8
Maryland
$54,840
$26.36 an hour
9100 jobs
Ohio
$54,020
$25.97 an hour
1070 jobs
Kentucky
$53,480
$25.71 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Proofreaders and Copy Markers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $47k$47k–$52k$52k–$55k$55k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $67,880 | $32.64 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $64,550 | $31.04 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $61,820 | $29.72 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $60,980 | $29.32 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $60,240 | $28.96 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $53,250 | $25.60 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Proofreaders and Copy Markers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $59,630 | $57,490 | 300 |
| District of Columbia | $69,220 | $68,120 | 50 |
| Florida | $52,090 | $35,610 | 200 |
| Georgia | $47,730 | $49,200 | – |
| Illinois | $52,010 | $50,060 | 300 |
| Indiana | $41,250 | $40,920 | 80 |
| Iowa | $47,950 | $44,680 | 110 |
| Kansas | $49,370 | $51,160 | 90 |
| Kentucky | $53,480 | $46,380 | 70 |
| Maryland | $54,840 | $53,920 | – |
| Massachusetts | $61,230 | $57,160 | 190 |
| Michigan | $43,130 | $35,530 | 140 |
| Minnesota | $52,200 | $49,450 | – |
| Missouri | $50,590 | $52,920 | 110 |
| New Jersey | $59,790 | $56,700 | 160 |
| New York | $65,980 | $59,740 | 1,030 |
| North Carolina | $47,740 | $46,140 | 70 |
| Ohio | $54,020 | $55,560 | 100 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,170 | $47,510 | 230 |
| South Carolina | $44,830 | $42,900 | 40 |
| Texas | $46,670 | $41,990 | 200 |
| Utah | $44,990 | $42,840 | – |
| Virginia | $49,850 | $48,090 | 90 |
| Washington | $58,310 | $53,890 | 60 |
| West Virginia | $41,650 | $36,730 | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $42,590 | $43,630 | 60 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$67,880
970 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$53,250
260 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$61,820
170 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$60,240
130 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$60,980
120 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$64,550
110 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do proofreaders and copy markers make?
The average is $54,800 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $51,120 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $26.35, and the median is $24.58 an hour.
Which state pays proofreaders and copy markers the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $69,220 a year. The best-paying metro area is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $67,880.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $34,510 a year, and the top 10% earn over $79,290.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 43-9081. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.