Online proofreading jobs could just be the right fit for you if you have a knack for spotting people’s spelling and grammar mistakes quickly and would want to get paid to correct their work.
I’ve compiled a list of companies that are currently hiring this year.
Keep reading because you could land a position that pays $65/hour.
Jump straight to the list or keep reading to learn how to maximize your earnings.
Proofreading used to be the responsibility of the writer who created the content.
However, once the internet became a never-ending resource of information that requires non-stop content creation, the demand for proofreading jobs as a standalone profession began.
Today, you won’t be able to navigate the freelance world without finding online proofreading jobs from home.
So, if you’re new to freelancing and wondering if this job is something you can get into, look no further.
I’ll outline everything you need to know so you can decide for yourself if an online proofreading job is a good fit for you.
What skills do you need to be a proofreader?
Contrary to popular belief, proofreading isn’t the same as copy editing and it’s quite different from freelance writing.
Both editing and proofreading involve reviewing written material for errors.
However, editing focuses on things such as factual information, consistency, and continuity. As such, editors make major revisions to an article.
Of course, they need to correct spelling and grammar errors, too, when they encounter them.
By contrast, proofreading mostly focuses on minor errors in format, syntax, punctuation, spelling, and grammar.
Proofreaders rarely concern themselves with the overall consistency and accuracy of the statements in the article.
As far as the proofreader is concerned, when they’re done correcting errors, the document is good to be published.
Simply put, proofreading a document, article, or book is the final step of any publication process.
What are the educational requirements of a proofreader?
You don’t need an English degree to bag online proofreading jobs, but there are non-negotiable requirements that you should have.
Online proofreader requirements include:
- Strong command of the English language – You need to master proper grammar, spelling, and syntax and be up-to-date with modern slang.
- Love of reading – Because the majority of a proofreader’s work involves reading chunks of text, it’s important that you read fast and efficiently.
- Ability to work with a variety of documents – You need to be able to tackle academic papers, transcripts, résumés, contracts, press releases, white papers, e-books, blog posts, marketing materials, and other content.
- Detail-oriented – Your job as a proofreader is to meticulously find and correct errors that regular people wouldn’t notice.
- Knowledge of proofreading marks – Proofreading/proofreader marks are standardized notations or symbols used for correcting documents.
As with every other job, practice makes perfect.
Other companies may include other requirements, but these characteristics of a proofreader are mostly enough to get you a long way into your proofreading career.
How much do proofreaders make?
Entry-level proofreaders can earn around $10 per hour, with an expected turnover of 500 to 1000 proofed words.
As you prove the quality of work you produce, you’ll be able to ask for higher fees ranging in the $20 to 28 per hour range.
Work-from-home proofreaders are mostly paid on a per-project basis, which you can reject, accept or negotiate before starting work.
And since you’re a freelancer, you get to decide your own wage or choose projects that you want to work on.
As such, it’s hard to determine the standard proofreading income of freelancers (in comparison: real-world proofreaders earn an average of $50,000/year).
How to Make More Money as a Proofreader
Caitlin Pyle of Proofread Anywhere has put together a workshop to show you how to turn your ability to find typos into a full-time job you can do from anywhere in the world.
It doesn’t matter if you’re just getting started or are a seasoned proofreader trying to maximize your income.
I highly recommend checking out Caitlin’s workshop to make the most of your proofreading career.
47 Companies with Online Proofreading Jobs
Now that we’ve gotten the most important considerations out of the way, here’s a verified list of companies hiring proofreaders for anyone trying to find out how to find proofreading jobs online:
If you’re serious about looking for the best company that offers online proofreading jobs, you should start your job search in FlexJobs.
The staff at FlexJobs scours the Internet for you to find the most accurate, up-to-date job postings. As of this writing, FlexJobs currently has more than 300 open online proofreading jobs (plus thousands of other legitimate work from home jobs too), with some paying up to $55 per hour.
Start your search here.
Purecontent provides copy and digital content about various industries, such as travel and vacations, ecommerce, sports betting, health and beauty, and financial services.
This company accept writers and editors to create and tweak this online content.
To apply, click “Apply as an Editor” on the page above and register your email.
Payments are made monthly via PayPal.
This website provides editing and proofreading services to students in need of a second pair of eyes for their school essays, papers, thesis, personal statements, and admission essays.
Proofreaders and editors are available 24/7, which means work is available for freelancers on-demand.
There aren’t currently any openings for proofreaders, but bookmark their Careers Page and check back often.
Scribe Media helps aspiring writers who want to self-publish their books but have no idea how to do it.
The company takes care of everything, including:
- evaluating the manuscript,
- copy editing,
- proofreading,
- designing the book cover,
- finalizing the layout,
- creating the ebook,
- printing physical book,
- copyrighting,
- distribution, and
- marketing consultations.
It’s a team effort for Scribe Writing authors, proofreaders, and editors.
As such, if you’re accepted to join the team, you will be in constant contact with authors throughout the editing process.
Scribe offers both full-time (with benefits) and freelance positions.
Check back here often because Scribe pays up to $3,000 per project or $50 to $65 an hour.
ProofreadingServices.com offers editing, proofreading, and translation services, supporting more than 10,000 clients in over a hundred countries.
They also offer specialized services for jobhunters, business owners, students, professors, and authors.
Online proofreading jobs are available for everyone who passes the 20-minute screening test.
Once you pass, you can choose your own work hours and earn from $19 to $46 per hour depending on the turnaround time; the sooner the deadline, the higher the pay.
The hours are flexible, so you can work when you want, right in your own home.
ProofreadNOW does proofreading and copyediting for various documents in English, Spanish, and Chinese.
They open employment occasionally, so bookmark this site or subscribe to their employment emails so you can be emailed when there’s an open position.
ProofreadNOW prefers those with over 5 years of proofreading experience.
Also, keep in mind that every proofreader employed here works closely alongside another proofreader since all projects undergo a two-part editing process.
Jobs For Editors provides writing and proofreading services to individuals and businesses who need high-quality content for their websites, training materials, and many more.
They’re constantly looking for freelance editors who have experience in copyediting, proofreading, and even translating. Simply upload your CV to their site to be considered.
If you have a background in medicine, computer science, physical sciences, or engineering, you can find specialized editing and proofreading jobs at Cactus Communications.
If you’re qualified, don’t miss your chance to earn up to $4,000 extra income since you can set your own work schedule and accept projects only when you’re available.
Kirkus Media publishes Kirkus Reviews, a magazine that gives industry professionals a sneak peek into the most notable books weeks before they’re published.
When these books are released, they send their independent book reviews to readers via newsletters and publish them on Kirkus.com, giving their unbiased opinions and recommendations.
They offer book editing and proofreading, so they might occasionally hire online editors and proofreaders on a per-project basis.
Since Kirkus Media is heavily involved in book publishing, those with extensive knowledge of the Chicago Manual of Style would have an advantage over other applicants.
Check back on their careers page so you can apply for an online proofreading position when they open.
Unlike other online proofreading jobs, this company makes an effort to pair you with projects that you’re passionate about.
Requirements are a bit higher (you’ll need a degree and at least 3 years of writing or editing experience).
Scribendi is known for offering incentives and free training to its roster of proofreaders. Payment is sent via PayPal.
Managed Editing provides editing and proofreading services
Online proofreaders are hired as independent contractors and paid hourly.
Experience in proofreading is required.
You’ll also have an advantage over other applicants if you have experience proofreading content such as medicine, science, law, engineering, computers, or other technical topics.
Proofreaders with experience editing novels, medical documents, patents, legal papers, and other technical topics are in demand on EditFast, but the company has a variety of niches.
Proofreaders earn 60% of the total project price and receive their salary via PayPal.
Wordy is an online proofreading and copy-editing service provider.
It was founded in 2009 by a trio of proofreaders who believe in human, real-time revisions.
Editor and proofreader registrations open up in waves, plus they’re currently updating their entire platform.
Bookmark the page and check back.
Be prepared, since registration and the online test take over an hour to finish.
Once you get in, projects are claimed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Gramlee provides copy editing, grammar check, and proofreading services, and they’re unique in that clients submit the projects onto the Gramlee dashboard directly and proofreaders can work on them.
Gramlee is constantly looking for proofreaders who can edit documents quickly since Gramlee has a 24-hour guarantee for documents with 3,000 words or less.
You would also need to be at least familiar with APA-style guidelines.
This platform is known mostly by students looking for assistance in writing an essay or academic paper, or to find an online tutor.
IXL Learning occasionally hires writers, editors, and proofreaders to work on their educational materials.
Familiarity with the Chicago Manual of Style is a must.
Experience in proofreading educational or academic subjects is an advantage.
Polished Paper offers world-class editing and proofreading services to a variety of clients.
This company accepts documents such as essays, dissertations, business documents, journal articles, blog posts, and even novels and screenplays.
As they have plenty of academic clients, you’ll have to have knowledge of various academic styles, including MLA, CSE, APA, and Chicago formatting guides.
Polished Paper has a number of stable projects, so you can expect online proofreader jobs here if you’re qualified.
You need to create an account, upload your résumé, and pass a 35-question test before you can work on uploaded papers.
Pay rates will depend on turnaround time and number of words per project.
Scribbr helps students improve their academic papers, such as their essays, theses, and dissertations.
Scribbr proofreaders help students by providing editing and proofreading services, APA and MLA citation generators, plagiarism checking software, and a knowledge base so students can learn research and writing skills and tips.
They regularly offer freelance online editor and proofreading jobs that are open to anyone around the world.
Aside from speaking and writing English fluently, Scribbr proofreaders should also be intimately familiar with academic research and writing styles, as well as citations and plagiarism guidelines.
The company pays a fixed rate based on the deadline, word count, and other services requested by the clients.
On average, Scribbr editors edit 1,700 words an hour and earn €20 to €25 per hour.
This Virginia-based editing company offers professional editing and proofreading services for a variety of clients, such as business, academic, personal, ESL, and fiction articles and documents.
Editor World requires at least a bachelor’s degree and experience in editing and proofreading.
If you pass the editing test, you are then included in the Editor Panel.
Clients will then be able to access your profile and choose you to work on their projects.
ProofreadingPal offers business, résumé, and academic proofreading services.
They accept online proofreaders with over 5 years of experience and a graduate degree.
Every project requires two proofreaders, so there’s a ton of work to go around.
According to the site, their long-time proofreaders earn somewhere between $500 and $3000 a month.
WordsRU provides proofreading and editing services to businesses, academics, and writers.
Aside from having 2+ years of professional editing, proofreading, or copyediting experience, you must also have a Master’s degree or equivalent.
To start the application process, send your CV or résumé and cover letter to jobs[at]wordsru[dot]com.
The hiring process is competitive, but proofreading manuscripts, web content, academic papers, and business documents at WordsRU let you earn a stable (and above-average) income.
And because of the large volume of applications they receive, WordsRU may no longer respond personally to inquiries or applications (if you don’t make the cut).
English Trackers has been working for many years with some of the top scholars around the world.
This company is in the business of helping scholars submit their theses, dissertations, research papers, and books.
English Trackers provide a professional editing and proofreading service that gets the English language in these documents up to the level of print-worthy, publishing standards.
Similar to other academic editing companies in this list, they use a 2-person editing team to edit academic documents.
They require proofreaders to be native English speakers with 2+ years of editing experience and a PhD holder.
The hiring process of English Trackers comes in waves.
The application for online proofreading jobs is currently closed, but make sure to bookmark this and submit your application once slots open up.
If you do get hired, bear in mind that you’ll be working on most documents written by non-native English speakers.
Wordvice works with academics, researchers, students, and business professionals to improve their writing through their editing and proofreading services.
They have freelance proofreading job openings all the time and projects are available 24/7.
You’ll need to be enrolled or have completed a graduate degree program to join Wordvice. You must also have a minimum of 2 years of professional editing experience.
When you submit your application, include your expected pay rate.
Book Editing Associates is a highly recommended book editing company.
For years now, the company has been working with self-publishers to review, copyedit, and proofread their manuscripts that are needed to get it up to publishing standards.
While this is only open to US-based freelancers, this site is good for those with over 5 years of experience.
Note that you should be willing to commit to a one-year contract with the company.
AJE is a division of Research Square Company and is the biggest author services company in the world.
AJE’s team of experts provides various manuscript preparation services, such as English language editing and academic translation.
You have to be currently taking or have gotten a Masters, PhD, or MD degree from a top US-based research institution to be considered for a proofreader position.
You can join them as a full-time or part-time remote employee or as a freelancer.
Enago provides English editing and proofreading services for students, academics, and researchers who want to get their papers published in high-impact international journals.
The company requires editors and proofreaders who are highly proficient and competent in English.
Aside from being highly experienced in proofreading, Enago professionals must also be patient enough to work on articles written by non-native English speakers.
Enago requires at least five years of academic or scientific proofreading experience and extensive knowledge of various subjects.
Reedsy works with self-publishing authors to streamline the process of making a book come to life, from the author’s imagination to the ebook on Amazon, or the physical book on the shelf.
Proofreaders with a portfolio of experience should be able to join Reedsy’s publishing marketplace.
Once a member of Reedsy, proofreaders are free to bid on projects posted by self-published authors.
According to the data Reedsy makes public, the average freelancer can make just over $1,000 for a 60,000-word copy edit/proofread.
Sibia Proofreading focuses on academic, scientific, and medical journals and reports.
The company also accepts ESL, book, and business editing.
There aren’t currently online proofreading jobs available on their site, but this is another company to add to your bookmark folder.
Edit 911 prides itself on being a premium editing service for books, dissertations, and other documents.
Their requirements include a PhD in English or any other writing-intensive course, a body of published works, experience as a teacher or book editor, and knowledge of various citation styles.
The qualifications are high with Edit 911, but so is the pay, which is reported to be higher than average.
If you meet the requirements, this one can’t be passed over.
Edit 24/7 offers speedy editing and proofreading services to students, academics, professionals, and writers.
They pride themselves on offering the fastest turnaround time on proofreading services possible, so you will need to be available for jobs as they pop up.
To apply, you’ll need to send a writing sample and your résumé to their email address editros[at]edit247[dot]com.
Please be aware that Edit24/7 has an extensive application process, so don’t expect to receive assignments right after sending your CV and samples.
Dotdash manages multiple websites and regularly hires editors to fact-check and proofread their articles.
Check the Editorial/Content and the Contract/Freelance tabs on their Careers page to see their openings for online proofreading jobs.
Edanz Group has been providing expert editing and proofreading services to authors of research papers so that these research papers could be accepted by international journals.
They are constantly looking for talented English language editors to join their team.
You’ll need to have experience in academic editing, pass an editing test, and complete a training program.
Cambridge Proofreading & Editing Services employs experienced US and UK editors, both on-site and remote.
A bachelor’s degree is needed to apply for an online proofreading job.
Proofreaders must also commit to editing a minimum of 10,000 words a week. The average pay of online proofreaders at Cambridge is around $20 to $25 per hour.
EditorLive offers opportunities to graduate students, professionals, writers, and other aspiring editors and proofreaders who want to be independent contractors.
Proofreaders at EditorLive enjoy the freedom and flexibility to work whenever and wherever they want.
To be able to join the team, proofreaders and editors should have experience in writing or editing academic papers.
A college degree is also preferred but not required. You’ll also need to score 95% on their editing assessment.
Editors typically earn $750 to $1800 every two weeks.
This Seattle-based company offers editing and proofreading services to clients worldwide.
Compensation is based on the number of pages edited, and it’s 60% of the customer payment.
The rate varies depending on the number of pages and the turnaround time.
They only hire US citizens with a degree from a US university, but their editors can reside anywhere in the world.
ServiceScape works like a marketplace for freelancers, particularly writers, editors, graphic designers, and translators.
You’ll get a 50% commission for all completed work, and you’ll need to declare your tax status.
To apply as an editor for ServiceScape, simply fill out their online application form.
FirstEditing offers a wide variety of services and caters to a wide variety of clients, from writers of fiction to non-fiction to academic documents.
They require editors and proofreaders with professional editing experience.
To join the FirstEditing Team, English should be your primary language for education, and should already know how to use the Track Changes feature on Microsoft Word.
Editors must also commit to at least 25 hours a week for assignments.
Net Transcripts is a web-based transcription company specializing in law enforcement and criminal justice transcription.
They periodically have job positions open for transcript proofreaders.
Because of the type of material you handle, you need to be ready to undergo a criminal background check.
Don’t let the quirky name fool you. Writing Jobz offer legit online proofreading jobs.
Writing Jobz works with authors, students, freelance writers, and more to produce high-quality written content.
Register on their website to be considered for proofreading job opportunities.
Artisan Talent is a creative staffing agency aiming to connect jobseekers to businesses looking to fill creative, digital, or marketing positions.
Online proofreading jobs open up in waves. You might not find openings right now, so make sure to bookmark this page to see if there are any openings.
Pubs Pros is an editorial services firm helping authors and publishers throughout the publishing process by offering services such as editing, proofreading, indexing, typesetting, and writing.
They currently don’t have open positions.
However, Pubs Pros hire remote proofreaders occasionally.
You can also contact them through info[at]pubspros[dot]com to inquire about proofreading jobs.
Bridger Jones offers academic English editing and proofreading for documents such as theses, dissertations, research papers, journals, manuscripts, and other scholarly documents.
The ideal candidate for an online proofreading job with them would have editing or proofreading experience.
Proofreaders must have excellent knowledge of tracking changes through Microsoft Word and Google Docs, and have time management skills.
Send your information, CV, and letter of motivation to their email address jobs[at]bridger-jones[dot]com… or check their Careers page.
If you have more than 5 years of experience in the financial services industry plus experience as a proofreader, you may just be the proofreader they’re looking for.
Editors for Bullseye Communications must have 5+ years of experience as an editor or copyeditor.
They seek financial services professionals who can turn rough drafts into sparkling copy and/or manage large editorial development projects.
To start your application process, submit your inquiry on their Contact page.
WriterAccess is a content creation platform providing individuals and businesses access to the best writers, editors, and designers.
To be included in their talent pool, fill out the form with your desired position, your information, portfolio, résumé, and other information and submit.
LifeTips has 120,000+ tips, 50+ books, and 300+ weekly podcasts. They now offer tip writing services to hundreds of tip websites to drive traffic and engage readers.
They’re currently hiring in-house editors to edit content produced by freelance writers, work with clients, and develop content strategies.
Fill out the application form and attach your résumé to start the application process.
Language Bear is a content provider to various businesses and websites in different languages, with their biggest clients in the casino and sports betting industries.
To apply as a proofreader, go to their Careers page and check out the online proofreader job openings.
Pearson is the world’s leading learning company geared toward creating digital learning experiences to learners of all ages all over the world.
They are constantly on the lookout for remote copyeditors (whose job description reads more like online proofreaders) who are familiar with at least a bachelor’s degree and three years of copyediting experience.
Writer’s Relief is a company dedicated to helping authors get their books or written works published.
To do this, Writer’s Relief regularly have remote proofreading jobs available. If you have past experience proofreading authors’ work, fill out this form to apply.
Note that they accept just around 2% of applicants.
Becoming a proofreader for Clickworker is interesting. You need to start off as a content creator, so you could gain insight into the internal processes involved in later proofreading work.
Once you’ve proven your writing chops and excellent command of your native language, you can apply to become a proofreader and correct other writers’ work.
Lion Bridge are cultural translators and linguistic experts. They’ve been around for over 25 years, helping companies in gaming, legal services, banking and finance, industrial manufacturing, and life sciences.
The communication company often looks for remote online proofreaders.
What’s great is that you can check Lion Bridge out personally (if you’re near one of their 40+ offices), or simply apply as an editor online.
If you’re new to online proofreading jobs, you need to try your luck with Domainite.com.
This company accepts entry-level editors working from home.
Job Boards That List Online Proofreading Jobs
If these companies don’t do it for you, or if you want to work more than one proofreading job at a time, you can also look for proofreading job openings on the following job boards:
Apply as an Online Proofreader Today!
To succeed as a freelance proofreader, you’d have to find a job that provides you with a stable income. You may have to join two or more proofreading companies listed above.
The good news is that once you’ve had a year of experience, landing proofreading jobs online would be a piece of cake: you won’t run out of places to go for work.
If you love window-shopping and is good at editing, you can merge your passions and apply for Amazon proofreading jobs.
For those who has a knack for writing, they can always try copywriting, video-game writing, or jingle-writing. Make sure to check out these 7 weird, but legit work-at-home copywriting jobs as well.