20+ Legitimate Online Proofreading Jobs (2024)

Online Proofreading Jobs

So, you are looking for legitimate online proofreading jobs?

Have you ever got frustrated with the low pay and huge work of an online job? and wish if there was an online job with decent pay and a moderate amount of work. Then Proofreading job is the right thing for you.

You can also look at another round-up post on online transcription jobs here.

Before diving deep into online Proofreading jobs, let’s understand what’s actually is Proofreading and much info about Proofreading, which gives you a bit of understanding about Proofreading and whether you’re the right person to be a Proofreader.

The article also includes a list of best freelance editing websites.

Also, most of the below online proofreading jobs you can do without investment.

What is Proofreading?

Proofreading is the process of reviewing the final draft of a document or a piece of work for any kind of mistakes or flaws like grammatical, formatting, or typographical mistakes. For example, if a document lacks proper punctuation or full stops or any kind of spelling mistakes then its the job of a proofreader to correct the errors.

 You may have not heard much about Proofreading but many companies and online websites hire Proofreaders to get proofread the final draft of their piece of writing.

The need for Proofreaders is much high but most people even don’t know about it and that’s the big problem. With online proof Reading jobs, you can earn a lot more than many other online jobs.

Pros of being a proofreader:

  • Pretty much easy if you have the knowledge and skills.
  • Demand for a proofreader is pretty high which gets you more pay
  • In case of online proofreading jobs, you can work from anywhere and have flexible work timings
  • If you love writing, then you can enjoy doing this job.

Cons of being a proofreader:

  • It requires more knowledge and skills.
  • A proofreader will mostly need to adhere to the strict deadlines

What’s the Difference Between Copyediting and Proofreading?

It’s easy to get confused with these two terms “Editing and Proofreading” because they are kinda actually both related like siblings.

Editing is the process of making changes like removing the entire sentence or making changes to paragraphs or adding more description/content to a piece of writing or document for improving the overall quality of the document. An editor may correct any kind of grammatical or typographical mistake while they come across but may not look into it deeply. Editing is always done before Proofreading.

Proofreading, on the other hand, focuses solely on typographical, grammatical mistakes, etc:-. Proofreading is always done after the editing part. A proofreader checks the final draft of some writing so meticulously.

Here are some things which a proofreader looks for in a writing:

  • Punctuation or any other grammatical errors
  • Spelling which is the key work of a proofreader
  • Consistency of the font being used
  • Size and orientation of the Margin and its type
  • Spacing and consistency of the lines
  • Proper reference of the footnotes and side notes
  • Sequential Ordering of the page numbers
  • Whether the order of the content is correct
  • A thorough inspection of the images being used and some other things like captions, graphs, etc.
  • Whether the information contained in the Header and Footer are correct
  • And many more things

Thus a proofreader checks the above-mentioned things in content and accordingly makes corrections in the document.

What Skills and Qualification are required to be a Freelance Proofreader Online?

Every job has its own set of requirements. The requirements for a proofreading job is not so complicated. Here are the basic skills and qualifications required to be a proofreader:

  • Vast knowledge about the English Language
  • A high degree of fluency – spoken as well as written
  • Good grammatical skills including spell-checking, punctuation, etc.
  • Good typographical skills to make the content look appealing
  • High level of Writing skill, which is a must to be a proofreader
  • Attention to detail as it helps to find more errors
  • Excellent Accuracy while proofreading
  • Ability to concentrate for long hours and without distractions
  • Passion for writing because without it then you’ll quit this job soon

For online proofreading jobs, there is no need for any college or high school degree but it’s better to have them. A valuable Certificate related to the English language will help you stand out from the rest of the job applicants.

Don’t get disheartened after seeing the skill sets, some of them can also be learned along with the job. Even If you don’t have the required skills above then don’t worry as they are very easy to learn and it’s worth learning too.

Is Proofreading a Career?

Proofreading has seen a huge growth in the online jobs industry. If you are disciplined and willing to put your hard work and time, you can definitely make a good career out of online proofreading jobs.

Caitlin Pyle from Proofreadanywhere is one such great example you can follow. You can learn from her the freelancing skills you need to start your online proofreading career.

What Proofreading Tools are Required?

There are a large number of tools/software that are available over the internet. But the best ones are some of the tools below:

1. Spell Checker

Of course, you won’t need a spell checker if you are too good in your spellings but we are humans which makes us prone to mistakes. This tool will help you check every word you type and make sure the content is free of any spelling errors.

2. Grammarly

Want your writing to make it look more professional, then Grammarly is the right choice for you. It is a must for every English enthusiast out there. It makes you proofreading jobs much easier. It’s free but there’s a premium version that is totally worth the cost.

3. Grammark

Grammark is another tool that helps proofreaders by showing them subtle errors like punctuation, word count, etc. Day by day computers are becoming more sophisticated and Grammark is an intelligent tool that has been used for long in this industry.

Additional to the above tools mentioned above, MS-Word, Google Drive, Google Docs, etc are some tools worth trying.

4. Wordrake

Imagine if there’s a situation where you have missed to notice some error in the document then run Wordrake then click the “rake” button and that’s it. Wordrake will help you find the possible errors and used by many proofreaders.

5. Modular scale

A modular scale tool helps one for typographical purposes while proofreading. Though it’s not much popular, many professional proofreaders use this tool. Despite the above tools, make sure you don’t rely on them too much as a computer always can’t be trusted that much.

How much do proofreaders make?

As of online proofreading jobs, the pay rates are different for different websites and the type of organizations that you work for.

Glassdoor, a trusted website shows the average salary of a job $24,000-$59,000 a year for proofreaders, with an average of $36,290. Proofreaders usually get $10 – $40 hourly and if you are a professional in this field, then the pay rates can go much higher.

A proofreader can also be paid per page. For example, if there a page contains 240 words and there are 6-9 pages then the proofreader gets an average pay of $40 per hour usually $0.03 – $ 0.04 per word.

As of this job, the pay rate will be according to the skillset you have. So you should have a good skill in order to get high pay. A freelance proofreader who has a good portfolio will get more pay.

How to become an online proofreader for beginners?

If you are a beginner and want to earn extra income as a proofreader, here is a FREE intro workshop to get you started from scratch.

This course can help you to extra side income, provide flexibility to choose when and how much you work and freedom to travel more.

20+ Legitimate Online Proofreading Jobs

Here is the list of online proofreading jobs to work from home:

ProofreadingServices.com

ProofreadingServices.com is a trusted website that hires proofreaders to work part-time as well as full time. They provide flexible working hours.

In order to apply as a proofreader on this website, you will have to take a quick 20-minute test. You can apply from any country.

The only qualification that you need to join this company is having good proofreading skills.

The Pay ranges from USD 19 to USD 46 per hour which is actually a good amount.

Cactus Communications

Cactus communications usually hire highly skilled proofreaders and also copyeditors for full-time/ part-time jobs.

To get started as a proofreader in this company, you’ll need to fill a form and also upload your resume.

Excellent English editing skills are a must when it comes to joining this company.

You can expect a higher pay of USD 1200 to USD 4000 per month along with some monetary benefits.

Kirkus

Kirkus is a book reviewing company that hires book reviewers which also includes proofreaders to review their Books, Magazines, etc.

You should have a profound knowledge of English to join this company.

To apply in this company, you need to submit your resume, writing samples with some list of reviewing specialties to their company’s mail id.

They offer pay per Project and the pay depends on the projects that you work on.

Scribendi

Scribendi is a company that offers services like document revisions. They have a solid reputation of 20 years and a fast-growing company that hires freelance Proofreaders.

You must have some sort of bachelor’s degree or some professional experience to join this company.

You need to fill some basic information and go through some procedures to get selected in this company.

They offer some high pay rates which make this company worth the try.

ManagedEditing

ManagedEditing provides editorial services online and offers work from home jobs for editors, proofreaders, etc.

To qualify for the job, you must have a college degree and a minimum of 5 years’ experience.

To work as a freelancer in this company, you will have to submit an application form and wait for your call.

You don’t need to worry about the pay if you got selected in this company as they offer a huge amount.

EditFast

EditFast is always looking for skilled and talented proofreaders online and they provide flexible work hours.

A Degree in English and editing experience are some of the useful qualifications required to join this company.

You need to fill the company’s registration form and activate your webpage to get started. You’ll get notified when there’s some project for you.

Payments are made through Paypal and the pay depends on the project that you get.

Gramlee

Gramlee provides proofreading services and also hires proofreaders. They receive hundreds of applications per day which makes applicants a bit longer to get selected if they have the required skill sets like good English language both spoken and written and some experience in proofreading.

Just fill the google forms which they have mentioned as Gramlee Employee Application form and you’re good to go.

Though the pay is pretty decent, you’ll get some low chances of getting selected if you’re not a good proofreader.

Polished Paper

Polished Paper provides job opportunities for editors and proofreaders. They offer services to clients such as Business Editing Service, Resume Editing Services, etc.

To get qualified for the job, you will need to create a user account and upload your resume.

You’ll then have to take a 35-question editor test and submit it along with the application form.

The pay may not be high for some projects but once you are good at it, you’ll get more pay for your work.

Scribbr

Scribbr is a famous website that helps students graduate and become good academic writers by editing their documents and detecting plagiarism, etc.

You’ll get hired as a freelancer(proofreader) in this company if you have a high level of English knowledge and proofreading skills.

They list job openings frequently and you can apply if there’s a vacancy for proofreaders.

As for freelancers, the more gigs you get the more you get paid.

EditiorWorld

EditorWorld hires editors who can work from home as independent contractors.

Some of the requirements to qualify for the job are:

  • A bachelors degree or higher(Ph.D. and/or science background)
  • Native English speaker
  • Editing experience
  • Stable internet connection

To apply, you’ll have to fill in the registration form and you’ll be notified for further steps ahead.

As they provide you with work constantly, you’ll also be paid promptly.

ProofreadingPal

ProofreadingPal which is a service-based company hires qualified proofreaders and Editors.

According to ProofreadingPal website, to qualify for the job, you will need to meet one of the below requirements:

  • Have a graduate degree with at least 5 years of proofreading and editing experience
  • Currently employed by or enrolled as a graduate or postgraduate student in an accredited U.S. university and have a minimum GPA of 3.5

You will have to send your resume along with the form on their website to apply for the post of a proofreader.

The editors/ proofreaders working on this website usually make $500 – $3000 per month depending on their skill.

WordsRU

WordsRU hires exceptionally skilled Proofreaders/Editors to work remotely as independent contractors.

Some of the qualifications required for the job are:

  • Master’s or a Ph.D. equivalent degree
  • Minimum of 2 years of experience
  • Proficient in MS Word and much more

If you’re interested then head over to the company’s website and send your resume to the company’s mail. You should be flexible to work on weekends.

English Trackers

If you’re a native English speaker, then you should take a look at English Trackers, a team of professional academic editors who offer editing/proofreading services.

You’ll have flexible working hours and guaranteed monthly payment.

Some of the required skill sets are, you must be a Native English Speaker with some degree equivalent to a Ph.D. and have experience editing documents written by non-native English speakers.

Check out their website often as they post vacancies from time to time.

Wordvice

Wordvice is a team of highly qualified editors who helps businesses, academic people to get their job done by helping with their content but the only problem in order to get a job here is you’ll need to be a native English speaker with advanced degrees and minimum 2 years of work experience.

Even though the qualifications are somewhat high, the company’s worth trying as they too offer good pay.

Head over to their website for more information about joining.

Book Editing Associates

Whether you love Copy Editing, Proofreading or you want to be a Publishing consultant then head over to Book Editing Associates, a website that hires the above-mentioned people based on the entry test that you’ll have to take before joining. But the only problem is you can’t leave in the midway if you don’t like it as you’ll have to make a 1-year commitment to this company.

Good proofreading skills and some experience is required to be qualified for the job. Also, you need to be based in the U.S.

Research Square

Research Square post job offers from time to time listing from Freelance Journal Researcher to proofreader but you’ll have to wait for the company to list their vacancies for the post that you require which may be quite frustrating.

You can apply to this website with your “indeed.com” website profile or as usual, you’ll need to send your resume with the application form. This company doesn’t mention the pay rates. If you’re interested then it’s better to try for this company.

Prompt

The main thing about this company is that they require a minimum of only 4-hour time commitment. So if you are looking for a leisure kind of job then this can be a good fit for you.

They pay $25 – $28 per hour while average editors earn $5000 as listed on their website. They pay trainee’s $20 per hour. The qualifications are not listed out but you should have the general skillsets of a proofreader to get selected.

Reedsy

You can supercharge your proofreading skills by being a freelancer in Reedsy. If you are a professional proofreader with high standards, you can get a client in no time in Reedsy.

You have to know how to make your portfolio marketable and attractable to clients. But Reedsy charges a 10% fee on the project you work on. As long as you get clients, you don’t have to worry about your pay.

Enago

Engage hires proofreaders for editing academic papers of different subject areas.

This company hires proofreaders/Editors with the following qualifications:

  • Proficiency in English
  • At least 5 years of work experience
  • Master’s/Ph.D. degree and even more

Fill out the application form on their website and wait for your opportunity to kick in.

They didn’t mention much about the pay but from the community, we can say they offer good pay.

Edit911

Edit911 is a top-notch company that hires only qualified proofreaders because of the credibility to its clients.

You’ll need a Ph.D. in English and the necessary skills as a writer with some proficiency with MS Word. You’ll need to be dedicated to providing service to the clients.

Send them your resume and within 48 hours if you meet their qualifications then they’ll respond regarding the next procedure.

Freelancing jobs

Freelancing is a great way to start your career as a proofreader. You can build your portfolio from scratch if you are a beginner and also get an idea of the proofreading industry. Here are two of the most popular freelancing sites on the internet:

Job boards

Online job boards are a great place to find legitimate online proofreading jobs. Jobs are well-screened by the team members of the job boards to find you the best online proofreading jobs. Here are two of the most popular job board sites on the internet:

Final Thoughts on Online Proofreading Jobs

Thanks for reading! I hope this round-up post helps you to find legitimate online proofreading jobs. Proofreading can be a great career to earn extra income from home that you deserve.

Are you a proofreader? Have you tried any of the above-mentioned companies before? If yes, do share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Hello, I am Monty and I welcome you to the website. I am the owner of the website and I am here you to guide you find legitimate work-from-home jobs and ways to make money online.

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