Proofreaders and Copy Markers
Read transcript or proof type setup to detect and mark for correction any grammatical, typographical, or compositional errors. Excludes workers whose primary duty is editing copy. Includes proofreaders of braille.
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Time Management
- Active Learning
Key knowledge
- English Language
- Communications and Media
- Computers and Electronics
- Administrative
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- Design
- Mathematics
What the work involves
- Correct or record omissions, errors, or inconsistencies found.
- Mark copy to indicate and correct errors in type, arrangement, grammar, punctuation, or spelling, using standard printers' marks.
- Read corrected copies or proofs to ensure that all corrections have been made.
- Compare information or figures on one record against same data on other records, or with original copy, to detect errors.
- Consult reference books or secure aid of readers to check references with rules of grammar and composition.
- Route proofs with marked corrections to authors, editors, typists, or typesetters for correction or reprinting.
- Consult with authors and editors regarding manuscript changes and suggestions.
- Archive documents, conduct research, and read copy, using the internet and various computer programs.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Conventional, Artistic, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree (47.3% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (41.3%)
- On-the-job training
- Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (75.8%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Proofreaders and Copy Markers is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | High | Higher on contact with others than 79% of occupations compared | 73% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Low | Lower on dealing with the public than 79% of occupations compared | 33% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly important” |
| Teamwork | High | Higher on teamwork than 74% of occupations compared | 67% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 64% of occupations compared | — |
| Time pressure | Very high | Higher on time pressure than 96% of occupations compared | 75% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | Very low | Lower on conflict situations than 80% of occupations compared | 30% of surveyed respondents chose “Never” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 84% of occupations compared | 51% of surveyed respondents chose “Never” |
| Consequence of error | Very low | Lower on consequence of error than 86% of occupations compared | — |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very high
- Conflict situations: very low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
- Consequence of error: very low
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 0%
- Contact with others about half the time: 0%
- Contact with others most of the time: 27.05%
- Constant contact with others: 72.95%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 31.4%
- Fairly important: 33.28%
- Important: 0.39%
- Very important: 13.69%
- Extremely important: 21.24%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 13.92%
- Very important: 19.25%
- Extremely important: 66.82%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 0.39%
- Limited freedom: 26.27%
- Some freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- A lot of freedom: 25.73%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 4.94%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 20.56%
- Every day: 74.51%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
Conflict situations
- Never: 29.74%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 25.36%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 21.32%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 23.18%
- Every day: 0.39%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 51.35%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 12.73%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 13.24%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 8.36%
- Every day: 14.32%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 34.48%
- Fairly serious: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Serious: 7.73%
- Very serious: 0.39%
- Extremely serious: 15.08%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2016
Is this career right for me? Find jobs with conditions you prefer
Where people with this background could move
- Analyze
Medical Transcriptionists
Closeness 91/100 · job zone -1
- Analyze
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
Closeness 90/100 · job zone -1
- Analyze
Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
Closeness 89/100 · job zone -2
- Analyze
Judicial Law Clerks
Closeness 89/100 · job zone +1
- Analyze
Telephone Operators
Closeness 88/100 · job zone -2
- Analyze
Billing and Posting Clerks
Closeness 88/100 · job zone -2
Find more alternativesCompare skills with another job
O*NET-SOC 43-9081.00 · SOC 43-9081 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8