Jobs / Office and administrative support / 43-9081.00

Proofreaders and Copy Markers

Read transcript or proof type setup to detect and mark for correction any grammatical, typographical, or compositional errors. Excludes workers whose primary duty is editing copy. Includes proofreaders of braille.

US jobs
4,580
Median wage
$51,120 a year
Job family
Office and administrative support

Can agents do the work of proofreaders and copy markers?

We read the evidence at the level of the job family, Office and administrative support:

  • Task levelStrongOn computer-use and office-task benchmarks, top agents pass most tasks: 90.2% on OSWorld-Verified (humans: 72.4%), 83.1% on SpreadsheetBench, and 63.3% on WorkArena L1 under the standard protocol. Limits: many top entries are self-submitted and not re-run by the maintainers, and on TheAgentCompany's multi-step workplace tasks the best agent resolves 42.9%.
  • Project levelPartialOnly adjacent evidence. OpenAI reports that GPT-5.5's GDPval deliverables won or tied against professionals' work in 84.9% of comparisons, but GDPval tasks are one-shot and fully specified. No benchmark in our collection tests multi-day administrative work, such as running a calendar or a purchasing process.

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in office and administrative support, not always this occupation's tasks.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • Mark copy to indicate and correct errors in type, arrangement, grammar, punctuation, or spelling, using standard printers' marks.
  • Read corrected copies or proofs to ensure that all corrections have been made.
  • Correct or record omissions, errors, or inconsistencies found.
  • Compare information or figures on one record against same data on other records, or with original copy, to detect errors.
  • Route proofs with marked corrections to authors, editors, typists, or typesetters for correction or reprinting.
  • Consult reference books or secure aid of readers to check references with rules of grammar and composition.
  • Consult with authors and editors regarding manuscript changes and suggestions.
  • Archive documents, conduct research, and read copy, using the internet and various computer programs.
  • Write original content, such as headlines, cutlines, captions, and cover copy.
  • Typeset and measure dimensions, spacing, and positioning of page elements, such as copy and illustrations, to verify conformance to specifications, using printer's ruler or layout software.
  • Read proof sheets aloud, calling out punctuation marks and spelling unusual words and proper names.
Other job titles for this occupation (27)

Copy Editor · Copyholder · Editorial Assistant · News Copy Editor · Proofer · Proofreader · Typesetter · Braille Proofreader · Checker · Clerical Proofreader · Content Analyst · Content Coordinator · Copy Coordinator · Copy Holder · Copy Preparer · Copy Reader · Copyman · Data Examination Clerk · Data Reviewer · Digital Content Coordinator · Document Specialist · Format Proofreader · Legal Proofreader · Online Content Coordinator · Production Proofreader · Publishing Specialist · Technical Writer