Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
SmartCentsMom

Get Paid to Proofread Online

Flexibility and time freedom are 2 of the major reasons that more people are looking for genius ways to make money  from home!

According to FlexJobs and Global Work Place Analytics, work from home jobs have become 115% MORE popular! That’s an impressive number of people looking to leave the traditional 9 to 5 behind. While there are many creative ways to make money from home, today we are sharing how you can turn your passion for reading into a way to make real money from home!

Get Paid to Proofread Online

Do you want the freedom to work from anywhere you have Wifi connection? Whether that means working during nap time or while you’re traveling the world; you can get paid to proofread online! 

Proofreading jobs online are in high demand for books, blogs, and websites. You can make money at home as a side hustle in general proofreading or even turn your proofreading skills into a full time career.

~ This article may contain affiliate links. I only suggest product or services I believe will benefit my readers. All opinions are 100% mine! ~

What does a proofreader do to make money proofreading online?

Do you love red pens?

Do you cringe when you catch a misspelled word while reading your favorite blog?

Are you constantly correcting writing mistakes on social media?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you may have the skills necessary to get paid to proofread online.

A proofreader is someone who makes corrections to text from books, advertisements, blogs, social media, and transcripts.

A proofreader corrects spelling mistakes, grammar, matches the style of writing with the voice of the original author, and typographical errors.

How much money does a proofreader make?

There are a few factors that determine how much a proofreader makes per job.

  • Experience
  • Speed
  • Education

Proofreaders charge by the hour or by the page. Either way according to Glassdoor.com the national avearage for Proofreading is about $36,000 or more.

Experience and speed will be gained over time and with practice you will improve. As you gain experience you will be able to increase your price and build your business.

Education is an important step to becoming a successful proofreader. You don’t have to have a college degree, but you could really benefit from others who get paid to proofread online.

Caitlyn Pyle of Proofread Anywhere has created a FREE workshop that introduces you to the world of general proofreading for blogs and books! It’s a workshop, jam packed, with tips on what good proofreaders do and don’t do, how to take your skills to the next level, places to find new clients, and one Ah-mazing proofreading tool.

You can register for the free workshop here. The workshop also includes information on the e-course General Proofreading: Theory & Practice. I highly recommend you check out the free workshop if proofreading is something you are interested in because Caitlyn Pyle offers incredible value for FREE.

What do you need to become an editor (or proofreader)?

You need to love reading to become an editor or proofreader. As a proofreader you will be spending a lot of time reading copy.

You will also need an eagle’s eye to catch mistakes. It can often take multiple readings of copy to ensure that all the mistakes have been taken care of.

A proofreader has to be able to stay focused, on the task without much distraction.

How Heather can make money proofreading online (Real Life Example)

Heather is currently a full time proofreader working from home along with her husband and their 3 year old son.

Heather completed the course Proofread Anywhere, and started working with clients almost immediately. She now has enough work that she actually is turning clients away!

The key to Heather’s success is staying consistent, building strong relationships with clients, and providing excellent work for them.

Final Thoughts

Proofreading jobs online are a great way to make money at home as a stay at home mom. Making money as a freelance proofreader is convenient because you can start and stop as needed through out the day. This is a very flexible side hustle that has potential to earn part-time or even full-time income.


Do you have eagle eyes? Is proofreading a side gig you’re interested in learning more about?

Related Posts: 

12 comments

  • Is there a start up fee with Caitlyn Pyle’s free workshop? Have you taken the workshop? Do thou proofread or edit on the side? Thanks for your post!

    • Hi Amy! The free workshop is totally free! She does have a special offer at the end of the free course for her paid course. I have taken the free workshop and it’s very informative. I don’t work as proofreader because I’m busy with freelance writing, teaching VIP Kid, Leapforce, and blogging! I don’t have time for anymore projects 🙂

  • My previous comment shows that I needed a proofreader, myself! Ha!
    *you, not thou. (I blame my autocorrect. It’s very formal.)

  • I am very interested in this! After the free workshop how do I get started? Also, can I choose how many hours I work a week?

    • Hi Megan Joy! After you take the free workshop you can start finding jobs as a freelancer, work for companies that hire proofreaders, or you can take Caitlyn’s paid course to better set you up for a freelance business. If you’re looking for beginning proofreading jobs check out this post with 20 proofreading jobs online https://smartcentsmom.com/proofreading-jobs-beginners/

      Let me know if you have any more questions!

      Ashleigh

      • Hey, Ashleigh–I paid for the first and second parts of the Proofreading Transcripts course–the third part is going to be almost $500 and hard tests to pass before getting certified.

        I understood the general proofreading course was going to be similarly priced (at around $1000). Is there really a free workshop where I can get started without putting any more money into the courses?

        I love proofreading, but the cost of the course is really daunting (and then there’s the “what if I can’t pass the tests”? question).
        Thanks–Judy

  • What companies are good for proofreading or freelance blogging? I have my blog and it’s connected to all my social media. I’m not sure who to contact or what websites to look into.

  • I found a typo in this ad. The word average is spelled wrong, under the heading of “How much does a proofreader make?”