9 Online Proofreading Jobs For Beginners To Work From Home

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Last updated on October 20th, 2023

Ever thought of working at home as a proofreader? If you love to read and are quick to pick up spelling mistakes and even grammatical errors while reading, proofreading jobs might be a good fit for you.

Never heard of proofreading jobs? No worries! Here I will explore with you what is proofreading jobs and more.

What Is Remote Proofreading Jobs?

Let’s Flexjobs.com explain to you what is remote jobs:

A remote job is one that is done away from the office in a remote location. This could be either work done from home or work is done on the road in the case of a job such as a Regional Salesperson.

Therefore remote proofreading jobs are works you can do from home or anywhere in the world.

What Is Proofreading Jobs?

As a proofreader, you are the last pair of eyes to review the final draft. Your responsibility is to check grammatical errors such as punctuation, capitalization, and spelling mistakes.

Watching out for consistency and looking for formatting errors is also part of the job scope.

Finally handling over a final, completed document.

Who Uses Proofreaders?

Just about anyone who writes something that is meant for others to read might hire a proofreader to do a final check of their draft. People who use proofreader are writers, bloggers, students, authors, businesses, and many more.

Example of contents that require proofreader services are:

  • Blogs / Websites
  • Books/ebooks
  • Social media posts
  • Newsletters
  • Documents
  • Essays

How Much Money Can You Make As A Proofreader?

According to the Glassdoor, proofreaders earn around an average of $44,718 per year (as of 9th October 2019).

glassdoor

As per Bureau of Labour Statistics, it is an average of $41,950 per year.

The actual amount that proofreaders could earn greatly depends on their experience, abilities, and workload too.

A busy proofreader who has regular clients and consistent jobs will definitely make more money. If you are just looking for part-time proofreading jobs during your spare time. Then your earning will be far lesser.

Do You Need Freelance Proofreading Training?

Yes, it is advisable to get some form of training before you start your proofreading jobs from home. The training will help you familiarize yourself with the industry and understand what it takes to be a successful freelance proofreader from home.

Caitlin Pyle, a successful proofreader has created this FREE training workshop, along with the most comprehensive training program available for aspiring professional proofreaders.

This free course will give you a better understanding of this industry and whether is it a perfect fit for you.

On top of it, this free course will show you an easy way to attract your ideal proofreading clients too.

What Kind Of Skill Requirements Needed As A Freelance Proofreader?

Although different companies may have their own guidelines when hiring a freelance proofreader. However, there are still some requirements that every professional proofreader must have.

A high level of skill in English/other languages: Yes, you do need to have a high level of skill in English if your proofread projects are in English. Such as written English, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Reading: You must be a person who loves to read a lot. This is because as a proofreader, your job is to read written material. These could be books, articles, essays, documents, etc. Thus, start building the habit of reading every day if you are interested in becoming a freelance proofreader.

An eye for details: Yes, you do need to have a sharp eye to spot any mistakes that others might have missed.

A degree: Although it is not necessary some companies do refer it. If you have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent you will be ahead of your competition.

Where Can You Find Proofreading Jobs?

1. Proofreading Services

Proofreading jobs

ProofreadingServices.com was established in the year 2011.

They are an awardwinning team of professional editors and proofreaders that has revised documents for +10,000 clients in +100 countries.

Their pay rate is ranging from USD 19 to 46 per hour depending on turnaround time, with the highest pay for the most urgent deadlines.

Proofreading Services welcome applicants from any country. You will need to complete the 20-minute preliminary test to begin the application process.

2. Scribendi

Scribendi was founded in 1997 by Chandra Clarke and Terry Johnson. They have over 400 professional freelance editors.

Today, Scribendi is one of the fastest-growing, profitable online companies.

They currently have openings for In-house Editor/Proofreader and freelance proofreader positions.

As their freelance proofreader, you will have the flexibility to work from home while choosing the types of assignments that interest you and editing completely on your own schedule.

You do need to have a graduate degree, at least three years of editing experience, and be a native English speaker with an average editing/proofreading speed of 1,000–1,500 words per hour.

Scribendi welcomes applicants from all over the world for their freelance editor positions. Do note that as their freelance editors, you must be able to accept payments in USD.

3. ProofreadingPal

ProofreadingPal was founded in May 2010. They are an award-winning team of professional editors and proofreaders that has revised documents for +7,000 clients, including Google and Harvard University.

Their editors typically earn between $500 to $3,000 per month.

ProofreadingPal is currently looking for qualified applicants. If you meet the requirements, you will need to take their short independent contractor questionnaire to apply. You should able to hear from them within 5 to 10 business days.

4. FlexJobs

flexjobs

FlexJobs is a job search site specializing in the remote, part-time, freelance, and flexible jobs available.

Under the search jobs box, you can search for proofreading jobs where you will find lists of proofreading jobs listed.

I do need to point out that this is a membership site. In order to view the full job details and to apply, you do need to join their membership. Your investment will be $14.95 per month to access their full services.

You can give their service a try and if you are not happy with their service you can cancel it at any time. No question asked!

5. ProofreadNow

proofreadnow

ProofreadNow.com, Inc., was formed in 1999.

They are currently looking for applicants residing in the United Kingdom.

You must be a native English-speaking proofreader and understand the nuances of American English. On top of this, you also need to have several years of professional proofreading experience.

6. WordsRU

WordsRU was established in 2002, in Australia.

They require applicants with a Master’s degree, PhD, or equivalent professional experience in any academic discipline. They prefer candidates with ESL experience.

WordsRU currently seeking Academic Editors, Technical/Science Editors, and Business Materials Editors who are available to work on weekends.

7. Freelancer

Freelancer was founded in 2004, in Sweden.

They are the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by the number of users and projects.

There are a number of proofreading jobs listed at Freelancer. It is either paid on per project or per-hour basis.

8. Polished Paper

Polished Paper was founded in 2013.

To apply for their editing jobs, you need to register for an account and upload your updated resume. There will be a screen test with 35 questions. You do need to pass the test.

9. Fiverr

Fiverr was founded in 2010, the company is based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

They provide a platform for freelancers to offer services to customers worldwide. Thus, you can offer your proofreading and editing services here.

Here is some example of how freelancers offer their proofreading and editing services at Fiverr.

As you can see you can offer different proofreading services according to your skill level and the languages you know.