All the Best Online Proofreading Jobs for Beginners (50+)

Have a good eye for detail? Love to read? If so, these online proofreading jobs for beginners might suit you perfectly.

Stick around to learn:

• How to find freelance proofreading clients
• Which companies are hiring independent contract proofreaders (both beginners and experts)
• Where to find work from home employment in proofreading and editing
• and more

This is a great resource for new proofreaders and editors, or veterans looking for job leads. Screening out the scams I came up with over 50 opportunities and client-finding techniques to help you stay paid!

Before we get into the paid jobs though, if you ARE new to proofreading (or simply want a refresher), let's go over some important basics:

What is Proofreading?

Proofreading is the act of finding and removing errors from a piece of writing.

A proofreader is typically the last one to read through something before it gets published.

If you think about it, proofreaders are sort of like exterminators. But instead of looking for bugs in buildings, they inspect documents for errors involving:

• Grammar
• Spelling
• Formatting
• Punctuation
• and more

Then they crush them (with a red marker).

Proofreaders will also typically make sure a document follows a specific style guide (e.g the Chicago Manual of Style).

Keep in mind, proofreaders don't actually change a piece of writing. They simply make sure it's free of errors.

Rewriting sentences and such is actually an editor's job, but the two are often mistaken as being the same.

Let's clear that up next:

Proofreading vs. Editing

As you browse through the online proofreading jobs below you'll quickly notice that many of them put proofreading and editing in the same basket.

This makes sense as proofreading is a type of editing, but it doesn't show the full picture.

There are actually multiple types of editing, including:

• Developmental editing – This typically happens first. A developmental editor helps a writer, well, develop their ideas.
• Line editing – This type of editing is all about the style 😎. Line editors essentially help make writing sound better.
• Copy editing – Most commonly confused with proofreaders, copy editors look for punctuation, grammar, spelling mistakes, etc. just the same, but they also help writers make sentences sound better by suggesting different word usage, fixing inconsistencies, and more.
• (and finally) Proofreading – As mentioned above, a proofreader goes through at the end and looks for all the errors the copy editor missed. They're the last line of defence.

There are technically more, but those are the common ones you'll see.

So why does all this matter?

It matters because you as a proofreader can make more money — more consistently — by expanding your skillset.

You don't have to learn how to do every single stage of editing, but if you're going to try to make money proofreading, it's probably a good idea to know how to at least do copy editing as well.

This will open you up to more job opportunities and make you more marketable, allowing you to charge more and offer more value to your clients.

Also, as a proofreader, you already possess most of the skills needed to copy edit, so it's an easy service to add on to your offerings.

Speaking of skills…

The 6 Skills That Make a Good Proofreader

Although there are quite a few proofreaders out there, there aren't a lot of high-quality ones.

That's because there are certain skills — both proofreader specific ones and more general work from home skills — that set the best proofreaders apart from the mediocre.

Why is this a good thing for you?

Because if you can learn these skills and package them with your proofreading services, your clients will love you.

Here they are:

• Language expertise – You don't need to know every single grammar rule or every word in the dictionary, but you should be very familiar with the language you plan on proofreading in. You should also know where to reference certain facts and language rules when in doubt.
• Attention to detail – If you want to be able to spot every little mistake down to that last misplaced comma, your eyes need to be sharp.
• Communication – Your clients won't want to wait around for days trying to get a hold of you. You need to be committed to responding to them as soon as you can. Good customer service is what sets apart the good from the great.
• Ability to meet deadlines – A lot of proofreading work involves tight deadlines so a good work ethic is essential. If you can offer quick turn-around times, you can charge more, too.
• Patience – As a proofreader, you may have to read the same thing several times to catch every last error. It can get pretty repetitive.
• Tech skills – You don't need to be a tech wizard to make money proofreading, but you should know how to work a computer, be willing to learn new things, and know your way around Microsoft Word (knowing how to use the Track Changes feature is essential for many online proofreading jobs).

Do These Beginner Proofreading Jobs Require Training?

The word beginner can be misleading. Let's make things a bit more clear:

These jobs are for trained proofreaders who are just entering the world of paid proofreading.

They're not just for any random person who wants to work from home.

Although proofreading can seem like an easy-entry online job, it requires a lot more than just familiarity with a language. That's a start, but you also need to understand:

• Style guides
• Formatting
• Grammar rules
• Punctuation; and more.

I know it's a hassle (in an ideal world you'd be able to start making money right away), but clients and contracting companies want to hire proofreaders who know what they're doing.

By getting training, you'll also be more confident in your services, which will make it easier to sell your services/skills.

And get this:

You don't have to go back to school for years or invest thousands of dollars before you can make money proofreading.

You don't need a degree either.

Instead, you just need to learn the rules of proofreading and editing, how to work with different types of writing/clients, and how to market yourself.

So where can you learn these things?

Well, the best (and fastest) way is to take a course.

The Best Proofreading Courses

There are two good proofreading courses I'm familiar with.

One is taught by an actual proofreading and editing company, the other by a professional proofreader.

Proofreading Academy

Proofed Inc. (one of the job providers below) created this course to fill their demand for qualified workers. It teaches digital proofreading and copy editing for various clients and documents.

It's a pretty unique opportunity for one main reason:

Anyone who passes with a score of over 80% on the final assessment gets a guaranteed freelance position at Proofed.

The course also has some info on how to find freelance work, so it's really the best of both worlds.

Read our full Proofreading Academy review to learn more, or sign up for the free trial of the course.

Proofread Anywhere

This course was created by Caitlin Pyle, who I interviewed for my “How to Become a Proofreader” guide.

After proofreading for several years, Caitlin created Proofread Anywhere to help others learn how to make money proofreading.

What makes PA stand out is that it focuses not only on how to proofread but also on the marketing and business side of things.

Caitlin will show you how to find clients, get hired, and keep those clients.

Watch Caitlin's free webinar here to learn more:

Types of Proofreading and Editing Jobs

Proofreading and editing work has a lot of niches. You can work with various clients, including:

• Students
• Bloggers
• Businesses; and
• Authors

And going even further, you can work on a variety of documents, including:

• Resumes
• Cover letters
• Essays
• Web content
• Books (non-fiction and fiction, different genres)
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• and more

As a beginner, you don't have to worry about this too much right now, but as you gain experience, it can be a good idea to niche down into a particular type of work.

By niching down, you can not only choose to do work you find more enjoyable, but you can also charge more and sell to clients more easily because you'll be seen as a specialist rather than just a general proofreader.

What to Search for When Looking for Proofreading Work

If you want to uncover all the potential opportunities your skillset will suit, it's helpful to have a list of terms to search for.

Here's a good starter list (you can add more as you come up with them):

These terms are also important for another reason: freelance profiles. Including some of them in your profile will give you a better chance of showing up in search results.

For example, if a client searches for a “blog proofreader” having that keyword in your profile is optimal.

This will all make more sense after you check out the freelance proofreading jobs below…

How to Find Freelance Proofreading Jobs

Alright, we're getting into the good stuff now:

These days, tons of content is published daily, both online and offline. People are starting blogs, self-publishing books, creating podcasts, running Youtube channels, and more.

With a lot of content creators not having enough workload or budget to employ full-time proofreaders or editors, they turn to freelancers instead.

And that's why freelancing is one of the best ways to make money as a proofreader or editor:

As long as content is being created, freelance proofreading jobs are ALWAYS going to be out there for the taking.

If you're willing to go out, market yourself, and talk to clients, you can create a good income for yourself. You can set your own rates, choose who you work with, and more.

(There are of course pros AND cons to freelancing, but many would agree that the pros outweigh the cons.)

If you're ready to give it a shot, here are some places where you can find freelance proofreading jobs:

1. Reedsy

Reedsy has over 100,000+ authors, self-publishers, and traditional publishers in their community, so it's a great place for aspiring book editors and proofreaders to find work.

To get started, sign up and create a profile. Add a photo, describe your work experience, add your location, services offered, preferred genres, etc.

If you're a good fit, Reedsy will add you to their marketplace where your profile will be public to potential clients.

As far as rates go, you can set your own, but Reedsy does list a few averages:

• Developmental editors average $7/page
• Copy editors $5/page; and
• Proofreaders $3/page.

Note that you get to keep 90% of what you earn. Reedsy takes the other 10% as a fee for using the platform (which I'd say is quite fair).

2. Upwork

Upwork is easily one of the biggest freelancing marketplaces on the web. That means there's a lot of work available, but also a lot of competition.

It also means there are a lot of crappy jobs on the platform and a lot of people willing to work for very low wages.

Still, many have found a lot of success with Upwork. Some swear by it.

If you're willing to lower your wages a bit in the beginning, it can be one of the best places to get your first paid gigs, portfolio pieces, and client testimonials.

As you grow your profile, Upwork can also turn into an automated source of clients as higher-rated profiles are more likely to show up in searches.

For example, look at this successful proofreader/editor I found with a quick search:

She's earned over $100,000 and she charges a $40/hour rate. There are plenty of other similar profiles on Upwork as well.

All in all, I'd say it's worth creating a profile here, especially if you're a beginner. Most of the competition is low quality (I know because I've hired here before), so if you're willing to work hard you can definitely succeed.

3. Freelancer

Freelancer is another one of the largest general freelancing sites. Their job board has a good number of proofreading and editing jobs at any given time.

When you find a job that interests you, you can bid on it. You can also see what other freelancers have bid, which is helpful, but it also sometimes creates a “race to the bottom” situation.

Another way to land proofreading jobs on Freelancer is with service offerings.

Here's an example of a proofreader service offering:

Note that you don't actually create these yourself. It's not like Fiverr (see #6).

Instead, you can become a provider of an existing service offering.

If you're willing to offer the proofreading service pictured above at the price listed ($10 USD as of writing this), you could apply to become a provider of that service.

Then, the next time someone purchases it, you'll have a chance of being selected for that work. I'd say this is an awesome opportunity for beginners.

4. FlexJobs

FlexJobs is one of the only job search sites with a membership fee. For that reason, most people skip right over it.

However, the fee is there because FlexJobs hand-screens every job and company on their platform. That means only legitimate proofreading opportunities are posted, meaning you avoid any annoying scammers.

Many of the jobs are fully remote too. Check these out:

To check out the other jobs available, you can try searching FlexJobs here.

5. ProBlogger

The ProBlogger job board is mostly filled with blog writing jobs, but there's a category for editing and proofreading jobs as well.

To find it, click the “Advanced Job Search” feature:

Here you can also sort to find remote jobs, freelance and contract positions, or full-time/part-time employment positions.

6. Fiverr

Fiverr is another huge freelance marketplace. It's all about clients finding YOU though, rather than you applying to job postings.

For that reason, the key to this platform is optimizing your service offerings.

You need to get yourself ranking for certain keywords. Otherwise, clients will never find you.

So how do you rank your services?

Well, a big part of it is getting reviews, but that's something you won't have as a beginner. You can technically get a friend or family member to buy your service and rate you or find clients elsewhere and refer them to your Fiverr page, but that can be a hassle.

Luckily, there's another important factor that you CAN control:

Keywords.

Some search keywords on Fiverr are much more competitive than others.

For example, look at the results for “proofreading”:

Over 15,000 services to compete with!

Now look at the results for “blog proofreading”:

Only 565 services.

That's still a lot, but much less to compete with.

Bottom line?

Get creative with your proofreading/editing service offerings and focus on less competitive keywords.

7. Craigslist

There are two ways to find potential online proofreading jobs on Craigslist:

1. Search for jobs in the jobs section
2. Make a post advertising your services

If you don't have any luck with method #1, #2 may be your best bet. (Remember though, since you're looking for remote jobs, you don't have to stick to just your own city.)

Here's an example of someone advertising their editing services on Craigslist:

Because Craigslist is so familiar to so many different people, there's a chance it will be the first place they look for proofreading and editing services. It's worth a try for that very reason.

8. Hubstaff Talent

Hubstaff Talent is a completely free to use freelance marketplace. They won't charge you a dime to sign up and you don't have to pay anything to them after landing a job. It's pretty cool.

There are a couple of issues with it though:

While they have an entire category of editing and proofreading jobs, it's not very active. I only found 12 jobs when I looked.

The next problem is the pay rates. Look at the hourly rate on this job posting:

$3/hour for content writing AND editing! That's absolutely whack.

Luckily you can just ignore jobs like that, but really, they shouldn't even be allowed to post such a low hourly rate.

9. Reddit

Ah, Reddit. An interesting spot on the internet. It's a place where you can find everything from memes to, yep, proofreading jobs for beginners.

There aren't any super active subreddits dedicated specifically to freelance proofreading and editing, but there are some good subreddits I know of that work as general job boards:

• /r/slavelabour – Yep, the name explains a lot here. Don't expect to make much, but it can be a good place to start.

Here's an example editing job I found here:

• /r/forhire – Here people post jobs and freelancers (like you) can post offerings. Make a post that says something like “[For Hire] Essay Proofreader” and see what happens. Anything goes here.
• /r/hireawriter – If you're interested in expanding your services to freelance writing as well, this is a good place to start. (Check out my post on how to find online writing jobs as well).
• /r/jobs4bitcoins – Similar to the above two except you get paid with Bitcoin. Download Coinbase if you don't already have a wallet to receive funds.

Note: There's also this subreddit where you can do free proofreading in exchange for experience and reviews.

10. Guru

Guru is similar to Upwork and other freelance platforms, with minor differences. Because it's a bit less known it may be easier to land proofreading jobs here, but there are also fewer jobs posted.

To get started, browse the editing and proofreading job categories, found here:

Or simply search for jobs with the keywords I mentioned above.

11. LinkedIn

Tons of companies hire through LinkedIn. With a quick search I found over 900 potential gigs:

Tip: Next to your search where it shows your location, change it to “Worldwide” or “Remote” to find more freelance proofreading jobs.

Other than just searching for jobs, be sure to optimize your profile too.

This profile is a good example of what I mean by optimize:

His “about” section is well-written, he has a photo, he's listed himself open to job offers, he has relevant experience, and even has “the Proofreader” in his title.

For a really good guide on LinkedIn optimization, check out this book.

12. PeoplePerHour

PeoplePerHour is a general freelancing site that's based in the UK, but open internationally to clients and freelancers.

With a quick search, I was able to find quite a few recent proofreading and editing jobs here:

Since PPH is an international site, there are many translation, editing, and proofreading jobs in other languages as well.

13. ServiceScape

ServiceScape offers four main service categories, with one of them being proofreading and editing.

They currently have editors for languages like English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, and more.

They also work on a variety of documents: book manuscripts, research proposals, admission essays, business documents, theses, web content, and pretty much every sub-category under the sun.

The only thing that's not so good about ServiceScape are the super high fees. They take a 50% commission on all sales!

If you're willing to eat the fee, start by setting up a ServiceScape editor profile.

Once you're in the directory, clients can find your profile and hire you. As you gain good reviews, your profile will become even more prominent.

14. Mediabistro

Mediabistro curates writing, editing, and proofreading jobs from companies all over the web.

To find them, you can either look through the writing and editing section:

Or you can just search directly for the keywords I listed above. This may actually yield better results as you won't have to sort through writing jobs.

15. WriterAccess

WriterAccess has jobs for proofreaders, copy editors, line editors, and fact-checkers who are from the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or South Africa.

To pass the application process, you'll have to be really good at what you do. WriterAccess will thoroughly test your skills before they accept you into the platform.

Freelancers who make it through are awarded access to an exclusive job board plus a free learning portal, support, and more.

Approved freelancers are also listed in the talent database. Here's a preview of that for editors:

As you can see, the top editors charge around $0.08-$0.10+/word, and have hundreds of projects under their belt. There's definitely work to be had here!

Payment happens via PayPal and you keep 70% of everything you earn.

16. BloggingPro

BloggingPro curates jobs from around the web, including editing and proofreading jobs, which you can find by category:

As you can see, only 4 results were returned when I looked. Still, it's worth checking this site every once in a while.

Most of the jobs you'll find are fully remote, some are location-based. There's a mix of positions too, including contract, freelance, full-time, part-time, temporary, and internships.

17. JournalismJobs

JournalismJobs is another curator job board specifically for those in media.

I couldn't find many proofreading jobs here while writing this, but I was able to find plenty of opportunities for editors. Most of them were employment positions, some were freelance.

What's nice about this board is that you can filter jobs by industry. For example, if you want to work with newspaper publishers, you can sort the results for those.

They also have a “Featured Jobs” section on their home page:

As you can see, there are 6 editing jobs there, one being a personal finance editor which is neat!

18. Get Editing Jobs

This one is pretty self-explanatory. They curate thousands of online editing jobs from around the web and they have their own exclusive postings as well.

The site isn't beautiful, but it gets the job done. Create a job seeker account here to get started.

19. FreelanceWriting.com

Here's one last job curator for you. This one sources jobs from places like Craigslist and Indeed, but they also have their own exclusive job postings.

To find the right gigs, just filter for Editing / Proofreading jobs and you're good to go.

You can also use the keywords I mentioned above to filter your results even further. The filter options on this site are really nice.

20. Find a Proofreader

This one isn't exactly a job board, it's a directory. If you're a proofreader, editor, copywriter, or anything else word related, and you're from the UK, you can pay to add yourself to the directory.

The idea is that people looking for proofreaders and editors will come onto the site, see your service listing, and then hire you

For the small fee they charge, it may be worth it to sign up and see what happens. But, I wouldn't expect a tsunami of hungry clients to bombard your inbox just by signing up.

21. Facebook Groups

Facebook groups are what helped me land my first freelance writing client. It was easy as pie too. Someone posted a job, I applied, and that was that.

The key to this method is to hang out in groups where your target client may be. That doesn't mean groups with other proofreaders — although those can be good for networking and learning — I'm talking groups with bloggers, book authors, and other target clients.

Like these:

Once you're in groups like that, keep your eye out for people looking for proofreading and editing help. Then, pitch into conversations that you can provide value to.

Eventually, you may become well-known enough that people reach out to you for your paid proofreading services.

You can also keep an eye out for job postings, or, if the group allows, you can post your services directly. Just don't be too salesy, don't spam, and don't do anything else that might get you kicked out.

22. Inner Circle

This is always one of the best ways to find freelance clients if you're just starting out:

Tell people you already know about your services!

For example, if you have a friend who's in college, offer to proofread a couple of essays. Even if you're doing it for free at first, you can use those as portfolio pieces. And who knows, you're friend might know others who could use your service as well. Domino effect, yo.

23. Cold Emailing

Cold emailing can work really well if you do it right. However, I'd recommend having some testimonials and portfolio pieces before you try it. That way if you do get someone interested, it'll be easier to sell to them.

Once you're ready, check out this guide. It outlines how a copywriter used cold emailing to grow their freelance business, but it can be applied to freelance proofreading too.

Tips for New Freelance Proofreaders & Editors

Ok, now that you know how and where to find freelance proofreading jobs, here are some tips to help you land your first client and beyond:

• Don't be afraid to offer free work or starter discounts – It sucks, but if you can offer your work in exchange for a good review or testimonial FIRST, that's going to help you land future clients.
• Ask for referrals – Clients aren't always going to refer people to you right off the bat. Don't be afraid to ask!
• Ask for testimonials – Same thing as above. If your client liked your work, don't be afraid to ask for a testimonial.
• Create a website – This isn't necessary at the beginning of your freelance proofreading career, but once you have some clients it will give you a place to showcase testimonials and past work. It's also a place for potential clients to learn more about what you can do for them. Check out my guide to starting a blog to get started.

Companies with Contract Proofreading Jobs

If you'd rather have someone else provide the clients for you so you can focus on the actual proofreading side of things, becoming an independent contractor for a big proofreading or editing company is probably your best bet.

That being said:

A lot of beginner proofreaders try to start out with contract proofreading jobs, but I honestly think it's better to start out with freelancing.

Why?

Well, most of the proofreading companies I'm about to mention have high requirements. They get dozens of applicants coming to them per day and they want the BEST of the best.

Some of them also work in particular proofreading industries (like science, academics, or law), so they want their proofreaders to have a degree or even PhD.

Still, feel free to apply to these companies as you attempt to land freelance clients. Just don't neglect the freelancing side of proofreading. That's where your business can really thrive.

Note: Be sure to read carefully through each of the online proofreading jobs below. Some are more beginner-friendly than others.

24. Clickworker

Clickworker is one of the biggest micro job sites around, and some of the tasks on their site involve copy editing and proofreading.

This is a great option for beginners because the barrier to entry is lower.

To get started, you'll first need to sign up and complete some text creation jobs. After that, you can take a proofreader assessment test. If you pass the test (you only get one try so make it count) you'll start receiving paid proofreading jobs in your dashboard.

To learn more, read my full Clickworker review and earning guide.

25. Mechanical Turk

Mechanical Turk is owned by Amazon and it's another one of the biggest micro job sites. They'll occasionally have online proofreading jobs as well as text verification tasks and other similar things available.

For example, one of their big categories is audio transcription and editing:

Companies can pretty much post any task imaginable on this site though so it's worth signing up and seeing what's available.

If you want to learn more, read my full MTurk review & earning guide.

26. Proofed

Proofed works with a variety of clients including students, authors, people with dyslexia, and more.

They say their ideal job candidates are passionate proofreaders and PhD holders with years of experience behind them. BUT:

Remember: If you're a beginner proofreader, Proofed offers a Proofreading Academy course. If you graduate with a score of 80 percent or higher you'll be able to qualify to work with them. Learn more here.

Once you're ready, apply here by completing the form and attaching a single-paged CV and cover letter. 

27. Lionbridge

Lionbridge has a variety of jobs available, including employment positions and remote freelance opportunities.

On the employment side of things, I've seen content editor jobs in multiple languages.

I couldn't find anything proofreading related on the freelance side of things during the time of writing this, but feel free to take a look for yourself.

28. Babbletype

While their site isn't super flashy, Babbletype has been in the game for over 20 years so it's worth checking their hiring page every once in a while for opportunities.

At the time of writing this Babbletype isn't looking for new editors or proofreaders, but they do hire occasionally. They also hire transcribers and translators.

29. Gramlee

Gramlee doesn't directly require a degree or years of editing experience, so they're more beginner-friendly than most.

However, they receive hundreds of applications per week so the more qualified you are, the better.

Take a look at one of their editing examples to see the type of copy editing they do:

Gramlee says they edit not just for grammar, but also for “structure, redundancy, irrelevant or ineffective words, and overall readability.”

If you think you can provide the same quality of work, fill out their short application form.

30. Scribbr

Scribbr provides proofreading and editing services to over a million students each month, so they have a pretty consistent demand for editors.

At the time of writing, they have editing positions available in Dutch, German, English, and French – possibly more in the future.

To qualify, you'll need to have a bachelor's degree, be available for at least 10 hours a week, and have experience in editing academic texts.

Here's a preview at how the system works:

As you can see, Scribbr will designate jobs to you automatically, you'll follow their editing system using MS Word's Track Changes feature, and that's pretty much all you need to worry about.

As far as earnings go, Scribbr editors earn around €20-€25/hour, or about $25-$30 USD.

Sound good? Apply here.

31. R3ciprocity

R3ciprocity is a great opportunity for beginners because of its unique IOU type system.

See, instead of strictly charging writers for editing services, R3ciprocity allows writers to edit other people's work to earn credits, and then exchange those credits to get their own writing edited.

Cool, right?

That's not all either:

For beginner editors, as your skills improve and you complete more work, R3ciprocity may give you the opportunity to become a paid editor. You can then exchange the credits you earn for cash payouts to your bank account.

To get started, just sign up, pass a few tests, and start reciprocating!

32. Stickler

Stickler has been around since 2004, dealing primarily with academic documents.

To apply, you'll want to have academic editing experience as well as familiarity with Harvard and APA styles. Quick turn around time is important as well.

Because Stickler doesn't explicitly state the need for a degree or PhD, this could be a good option for beginners. If you've helped proofread or edit your college friends' papers and you're familiar with the proper style guides, it's worth applying.

33. ProofreadingPal

ProofreadingPal offers a variety of services, and therefore has a variety of jobs for proofreaders:

On top of having several types of jobs, ProofreadingPal uses a two-proofreader model, which means an even higher demand for proofreaders.

To get hired, you'll need to be either:

1. Enrolled as a graduate or postgraduate student in a recognized American college or Uni with a minimum GPA of 3.5; OR
2. Have a graduate degree with a minimum of five years as a professional proofreader.

#1 means this could be an awesome work from home job for college students.

Editors here reportedly earn between $500 to $3,000/month too. Learn more here.

34. Scribe

Scribe is a large media company that helps authors write and publish books. They have freelance and full-time positions available, but for now, let's go over the freelance side:

At the time of writing they have three freelance positions available:

• Copywriter
• Content writer
• Ghostwriter

So yeah, no proofreading or editing jobs at the moment, but you can sign up for job alerts on their site. They've hired proofreaders in the past.

And hey, if you're willing to expand into writing, feel free to apply for the positions above. They pay a minimum of $50 USD/hour.

35. Scribendi

Scribendi is a Canadian proofreading company that's been around since 1997. They deal with pretty much every type of document you could think of:

Hiring both in-house and online editors and proofreaders, there's some great opportunity here. (More info on the in-house positions below.)

To apply as a freelancer, you'll need a university degree in a relevant field, three years of experience in editing, and lastly, you can't reside in certain U.S. jurisdictions. Learn more here.

If you're hired, jobs will be offered to you automatically, with set prices. You can choose to decline or accept any offer you receive.

36. Prompt

Prompt is all about helping students improve their writing skills. Their “writing coaches” help students with college admission papers, essays, and more.

To apply, you'll need an undergrad degree at the least. Prior teaching experience is a bonus.

Less than 2% of candidates actually get hired at Prompt so don't expect the application process to be easy.

Check for open positions here.

37. Cactus Global

CACTUS has one of the cleanest proofreading sites, with their job page sleek and straight to the point. They offer contractual, freelance, and full-time editing positions:

To get all the details, check out their current openings here.

As you'll see, Cactus focuses mostly on editing in specialized fields like healthcare, life sciences, and medicine. For that reason, they typically require applicants to have a PhD, master's, or bachelor's degree in one of those subject areas. Thorough experience can be accepted as well though.

38. Wordvice

Wordvice is a fairly new proofreading company that opened in 2013. Since then, they've reportedly edited over 130 million words. Talk about fast growth!

As you can see from the image above they offer 3 main categories of editing and proofreading services: academic, admissions, and business.

You can also see that they have several positions open. They're looking for freelance editors, translators, researchers, content writers, tutors, and more.

To apply as a freelance editor, you'll need:

• To be enrolled in or have completed a degree program
• A minimum of two years experience as a professional editor
• Advanced knowledge on MS Word tools
• Familiarity with styles such as APA, AMA, MLA, and CMOS
• and more (the rest can be found on this career page.)

After applying, you'll go through a review process, have to complete an editing sample, and then you'll potentially be hired. From there, a supervisor will designate tasks to you directly (no bidding for work!).

39. Dotdash

Formerly known as About.com, Dotdash pretty much dominates the internet with thousands of articles spread across several topics and websites.

With all the content they publish, they hire both freelancers and full-time in-house editors.

For freelance proofreading work, you can find jobs at a variety of Dotdash content sites:

Be sure to check their career page frequently for new opportunities.

Tip: If you find their career page hard to navigate, you can also fill out their simple application form for job notifications.

40. Edit911

Unlike other entry-level proofreading jobs, Edit911 has a gold standard that most similar companies can barely compete with. Applicants must:

• Have a PhD in English or another writing-intensive discipline
• Be published writers
• Have teaching or book editing experience
• Be familiar with various style guides; and
• Be proficient in MS word and other software apps

In other words, getting into Edit911 ain't easy. 75 percent of qualified applicants go on to fail their entry test (which they require a 100% score on).

If you dare to apply, submit a resume and sample writing here and you'll get a response in 48 hours.

41. Book-Editing.com

Book-editing.com offers freelance positions related to ghostwriting, copyediting, proofreading, and consulting.

One of their main requirements is they're looking for applicants who're 100% freelance, with consistent availability. If you have a day job, they don't want ya.

You'll also need:

• 5+ years of editing experience
• A portfolio of published books that you have edited; and
• To be based in the US

If that sounds like you, apply here.

If you pass the application tests, you'll be added to Book Editing's freelance network. Here, clients can find you and hire you at your own chosen rates.

42. EditFast

EditFast allows freelancers to register and activate a web page (basically a profile) that clients can view.

Here's an example of one:

To qualify to set up a page of your own, you'll need a degree from a recognized university, a wide variety of reading interests, and past editing/proofreading experience.

If you meet those requirements, apply here.

Once your page is added, if a client sees it and likes it, they can contact you directly for your services.

EditFast also distributes work to qualified editors but they make no guarantee that every editor will be given a client.

Also, although payments are agreed on by the editor and the client, the commission passes through EditFast via PayPal. EditFast charges 40 percent on all earnings.

43. ProofreadNOW

ProofreadNOW caters to all sorts of clients: marketers, advertisers, book writers, and other professional authors. They even work with a few Fortune 500 companies. 

Along with English, they also offer Spanish and Chinese proofreading and copyediting services.

To apply to become a freelancer, you'll need a minimum of five years of experience as a professional proofreader. You'll then need to take some editing tests to prove your skills.

If you're interested, check their employment page here. If they're not currently hiring, sign up for job notifications here.

44. Polished Paper

To apply as a freelance proofreader for Polished Paper, start by submitting your resume here.

If you qualify, you'll then have to take a 35-question editor test. Score excellent or above to get the chance of being supervised by a senior editor who will peer-review your work for accuracy.

After a while of working for the company, you may even get the chance to become a senior editor yourself, which means a better salary and other benefits.

45. Editor World

Editor World offers academic editing, book editing, business editing, ESL editing, and proofreading for all sorts of documents.

Right now they're only hiring those with PhDs or science backgrounds, but they'll typically hire anyone with at least a bachelor's degree and some prior experience.

Check their application page for the most up-to-date requirements.

If you're hired by Editor World, your profile will be added to their database of editors. Here's a preview of that:

Note that they don't have hundreds of editors on the platform, so it's not as competitive as, say, a freelance job board.

Also, to improve your chances of getting hired as a beginner, Editor World gives clients 20% off for choosing new editors.

46. Wordy

Wordy hires editors from all over the world but consists of a workforce that is largely based around the UK, US, and Australia.

They do copyediting and proofreading for 56 subjects so there's plenty of work variety here.

As far as earnings go, Wordy says that their editors and proofreaders make a little over US$35 per hour or US$8.50 for every 400 words.

If you want to apply, head here. You can take editing tests for US and UK English. If you fail, you can apply again after 6 months.

Processing your application takes around 14-21 days, so you can expect a reply within that time period.

47. WordsRU

WordsRU mainly deals with academic, book, and business proofreading and editing.

To apply, you'll need a Master's degree, PhD, or similar professional experience in any academic discipline. You'll also need two years of professional editing experience. To learn more, head here.

48. Sibia Proofreading

Editors that are accepted by Sibia Proofreading are equipped with at least a bachelor's degree from a top-tier university, with editing experience on top.

Although they currently don't have any open editor positions, you can always check their contact page every so often to see when they're hiring.

49. Kibin

Kibin focuses mainly on helping students improve their writing. Their main service is essay editing.

Although it isn’t explicitly stated, basing off their current editors it seems like Kibin requires freelancers to have at least a Bachelor’s degree.

The application process seems tough too: only 1% of applicants go on to get hired.

If you think you can be part of that 1%, apply here.

50. Edit 24-7

Edit24-7 focuses on light editing and proofreading, allowing authors to maintain their writing style while not sacrificing grammatical and typographical quality.

This light editing philosophy allows Edit24-7 to charge lower prices and have a fast turnaround rate. Their primary focus is not to change your content, organization, or writing style, but to make sure that your writing is at the best state it can be.

If you want to apply, head here. You'll need to send in a writing sample with a resume or description of relevant experience before beginning the extensive application process.

51. Cambridge Proofreading

Cambridge Proofreading works with students and businesses, editing and proofreading a variety of documents.

Here's a small preview at some of the types of documents they've worked with:

Statistically speaking, less than 1 percent of applying freelancers are actually hired because of their intensive selection process. The company's minimum requirements for applying include being a native English speaker and having a Bachelor's degree.

Earnings are around $20-$30 USD/hour (via PayPal) on a flexible schedule. You'll also get feedback on your work from other editors which is a great bonus.

Learn more here.

52. English Trackers

English Trackers regularly hires freelance proofreaders, writers, and editors for academic texts, websites, books, business documents, and more.

With these documents, they offer editing and rewriting services:

The rewriting service is basically just an upgraded form of editing.

To apply, head here. You'll need to be a native English speaker with 2 years of academic editing experience. A PhD helps, but it's not required.

53. First Editing

I can't tell if First Editing is hiring employees or freelancers, but either way, they want candidates to have at least 25 hours/week available for editing work.

Other than that, their requirements are pretty open. They have guidelines on the type of applicants they're looking for, but they range quite a bit.

As long as you're a native English speaker, are familiar with MS Word, and have experience editing books or academic documents, take a shot and apply here.

Companies with Work From Home Proofreading Jobs

All of the proofreading jobs I've mentioned so far have been independent contract/freelance opportunities. And while those are typically more flexible, they don't always offer consistent work.

They don't usually offer any benefits either (like paid time off or sick days).

With remote employment though, you can get benefits and a predictable salary — you just need to sacrifice a bit of flexibility.

To start, remember that these job boards I mentioned above occasionally have remote proofreading jobs available:

• FlexJobs
• LinkedIn
• ProBlogger
• Hubstaff Talent
• BloggingPro
• JournalismJobs
• Mediabistro

Be sure to check them out regularly or subscribe to them so you don't miss anything.

You can also try:

• ZipRecruiter
• Indeed
• Jooble
• and any other big job sites (but you already know this)

Now let's look at some companies that regularly hire in-house proofreaders and editors to work from home:

54. Scribendi

You can apply to be an in-house proofreader at Scribendi if you have:

• A bachelor's degree
• An average proofreading speed of 1,000-1,500 words an hour; and
• A skill set for style guides like APA and CMOS.

As a full-time employee, you'll receive health benefits like medical and dental packages, allowance, vacation time, and so on.

55. Lionbridge

As I said above, Lionbridge occasionally has full-time editing positions or other language-based positions available on their career page.

56. Dotdash

If you head over to the Dotdash careers page and look under “Editorial/Content” you'll find a handful of full-time editing positions.

These jobs have high requirements (including specific location requirements) but they pay well and include benefits.

57. Proofreading Services

ProofreadingServices.com offers full-time and part-time remote proofreading jobs.

I'm not sure if they provide benefits, but proofreaders here earn around $19-$46/hour, with a lot of flexibility.

The application process isn't easy though. You'll have to score 95% or above on their 20-minute test just to be considered.

Here's a preview of the test (don't tell anyone I showed you!):

You can apply from anywhere in the world, so give it a shot!

58. Cactus

Head over to the full-time openings at CACTUS to find a variety of editing positions at any given time.

Right now they have some academic editing jobs available:

To apply, one of the main requirements is to reside in India as that's where CACTUS is headquartered.

59. Scribe Media

Working as a full-time employee at Scribe means competitive pay, profit sharing, a full benefits package, and more.

Find Scribe's full-time openings here.

60. Lifetips

Lifetips produces a TON of content so they're looking for in-house editors with search engine marketing experience to help manage it all.

Salary and full medical benefits are included and it seems as though you can apply from anywhere in the world.

Learn more here.

Bonus: Company Career Pages!

Another great way to find work from home proofreading jobs is by simply going to the sites of content companies and looking for a “jobs” or “careers” page.

I've just tested this out with some well-known personal finance sites — like NerdWallet — and was able to find open positions in content editing, marketing, design, and more.

Tip: Do this with your favorite companies that you regularly follow. Being already familiar with someone's content makes you an ideal candidate for editing and proofreading their stuff.

Other Ways to Make Money as a Proofreader

Weirdly enough, proofreading jobs aren't the only way you can make money as a proofreader. There are other ways to use your skills (like your killer attention to detail and love of words) to make money.

Here are five examples:

Write Paid Book Reviews

If you want to get paid to read and write reviews of books that have already been published, this opportunity is a pretty cool one. And yes, it's real.

In fact, multiple sites hire freelance book reviewers. Here are some popular ones:

• Kirkus Reviews
• Reedsy Discovery
• BookBrowse

If you love reading, this is like a dream job.

Scoping

Scoping is sort of like copy editing, but for court reporters. As a scopist, you'd be editing steno notes rather than blog posts or news articles.

Because this job is pretty unknown to most of the world, it's a bit less competitive than most gigs. Just look at what this proofreader who pivoted into scoping said:

To learn more, take this free mini course.

Tutoring

You can tutor in proofreading or editing or go wider and teach English! Your proofreading skills and language mastery makes you a great candidate here.

For example, you could teach English to kids in China through a platform like Magic Ears (no degree required) or VIP Kid (degree required).

For more opportunities, check out these online tutoring jobs for teachers and college students.

Transcription

Transcription is the art of turning audio into written text. That audio could be an interview, video, podcast, you name it.

If your typing speed is good, this is a great potential opportunity to take on. Your eye for detail as a proofreader will transfer into transcription perfectly.

If you're interested, check out this free intro course. It goes over the basics of general proofreading.

Here are some further readings to learn more:

• How to Make Money Transcribing (Beginners Guide)
• Online Transcription Jobs for Beginners

Freelance Writing

This one is a bit more out there but if you really have a way with words, you could pivot into freelance writing. With an editing and proofreading background, you'd have a huge advantage over other less experienced writers.

Learn more:

• How to Find Online Writing Jobs With No Experience
• How I Found My First Freelance Writing Job

Final Thoughts

As you can see, proofreading and editing is still a very in-demand service.

If you've just finished your proofreading training and you want to start making money and gaining experience as soon as possible, these online proofreading jobs for beginners are your best bet.

If you haven't taken training yet, check out your best options here, and then use the resources above to start making money! Good luck!

Know of any other beginner-friendly proofreading jobs? Have experience with any of the companies above? Any tips for finding proofreading clients? Leave a comment!