How to hire an assistant editor

How to hire an assistant editor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step assistant editor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an assistant editor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant editor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an assistant editor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the assistant editor you need to hire. Certain assistant editor roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an assistant editor to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an assistant editor that fits the bill.

   This list presents assistant editor salaries for various positions.

   Type of Assistant Editor	Description	Hourly rate
   Assistant Editor	Editors plan, review, and revise content for publication.	$16-37
   Reporter	In journalism, a reporter is responsible for relaying truthful and reliable information to the public audience through various mediums such as print and media. A reporter must ensure to gather necessary and factual data that are supported by interviews and comments of those involved, remain unbiased in all aspects, produce a concise and comprehensive informational material within an allotted time, and efficiently coordinate with every staff... Show more	$13-35
   Journalist	A journalist is responsible for creating written correspondence, covering various subjects as the management requires. This task involves a lot of research investigations, conducting interviews, and gathering reliable sources to verify the authenticity of data before releasing the articles on news portals and other social platforms... Show more	$18-45

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Editorial Content
   • Video Footage
   • Web Content
   • Media Management
   • Production Process
   • Twitter
   • Editor-In-Chief
   • SEO
   • Adobe Premiere Pro
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Adobe Indesign
   • Press Releases
   • Digitizing
   • Instagram

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead bureau newsgathering in high-pressure, breaking news situations.
   • Manage the budget for all of VOA s primary newsgathering.
   • Produce e-newsletters, manage website content, write headlines and captions, utilize SEO and analyze digital traffic.
   • Communicate with transportation managers, administrators, equipment operators and others for fulfillment of copy to achieve editorial goals.
   • Ensure compliance with PRC and FDA guidelines.
   • Increase social media presence and traffic through Facebook and Instagram.

   More assistant editor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the assistant editor job description is a good way to get more applicants. An assistant editor salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an assistant editor in Louisiana may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level assistant editor. Additionally, an assistant editor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average assistant editor salary

   $52,284yearly

   $25.14 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level assistant editor salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average assistant editor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$70,168	$34
   2	Connecticut	$68,993	$33
   3	Massachusetts	$67,069	$32
   4	New Jersey	$62,182	$30
   5	District of Columbia	$61,678	$30
   6	California	$60,670	$29
   7	Washington	$60,555	$29
   8	Pennsylvania	$56,232	$27
   9	Illinois	$49,921	$24
   10	Oklahoma	$45,426	$22
   11	Wyoming	$44,883	$22
   12	Maryland	$44,331	$21
   13	Ohio	$44,023	$21
   14	Minnesota	$43,729	$21
   15	Florida	$43,298	$21
   16	Wisconsin	$43,227	$21
   17	Colorado	$42,163	$20
   18	Texas	$40,913	$20
   19	Iowa	$35,636	$17
   20	Louisiana	$35,454	$17

   Average assistant editor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$117,323	$56.41	5
   2	Tripadvisor	$88,369	$42.49
   3	The New York Times Company	$87,999	$42.31	30
   4	SAGE Publishing	$81,915	$39.38
   5	Yale University	$80,216	$38.57	2
   6	The Washington Post	$80,112	$38.52	2
   7	First Round	$78,154	$37.57
   8	American Physical Society	$77,932	$37.47
   9	Mashable	$77,863	$37.43
   10	HarperCollins	$77,850	$37.43	8
   11	Esri	$75,591	$36.34
   12	Cornell University	$75,561	$36.33	3
   13	AIChE - American Institute of Chemical Engineers	$75,385	$36.24
   14	Advanced Systems Group	$73,925	$35.54
   15	Genetics Society of America	$72,080	$34.65
   16	Rockstar Games	$71,014	$34.14
   17	Columbia University in the City of New York	$69,367	$33.35	2
   18	Gaia	$67,952	$32.67	1
   19	Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory	$65,980	$31.72
   20	Nature, Inc.	$65,692	$31.58

4. Writing an assistant editor job description

   An assistant editor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an assistant editor job description:

   Assistant editor job description example

   Application Instructions
   
   Please list all professional experience and explain any gaps in employment history. All of your application materials, which may include PDF files of work samples and/or links to audio, video, photography or graphics, must be uploaded to the field labeled Resume/Cover Letter/Work Samples to be considered for the position.
   
   Job Description
   
   The Washington Post is seeking an assistant editor with strong news judgment and a knack for distilling policy and political debates to help shepherd our suite of 202 newsletters. This editor will work with two other editors and a team of 12 reporters and researchers to produce newsy, compelling content for six daily newsletters that go out in the morning Monday through Friday. This position requires early-morning work and some work on Sundays.
   
   The ideal candidate must have some knowledge of Congress, the administration, federal agencies, the Supreme Court and campaign politics. We seek a fast-moving and proactive journalist who is excited to help the newsletter writers and researchers break news and deliver smart analysis, and someone with a keen eye for how to feature and highlight the best reporting from across the newsroom.
   
   This editor must be a critical thinker who likes to drill down into complicated policy topics and can also communicate collegially and effectively across a large, fast-paced newsroom. They should be able to think creatively and deeply about story topics, help reporters execute them in a way that appeals to our newsletter readers and fits the newsletter format and help facilitate collaboration between newsletter writers and other Post reporters. The editor will also have the opportunity at times to assist with editing stories on the Politics desk.
   
   This position is based in our Washington newsroom.
   
   Interested candidates should upload a résumé, cover letter and three to five examples of work (as PDFs) to our jobs portal. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled, but those received by 10/03/2022 will be prioritized. The cover letter should be addressed to 202 Newsletter Editor Dave Clarke, National Editor Matea Gold, Deputy National Editor Philip Rucker and Managing Editors Steven Ginsberg and Krissah Thompson.
   
   The Post strives to provide its readers with high-quality, trustworthy news and information while constantly innovating. That mission is best served by a diverse, multi-generational workforce with varied life experiences and perspectives. All cultures and backgrounds are welcomed.
   
   Ever wondered if what you are doing will Impact Tomorrow? At The Washington Post, every employee shapes the way we deliver the news. Find the career that's right for you
   #washpostlife

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right assistant editor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your assistant editor job on Zippia to find and attract quality assistant editor candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as problogger, media bistro, journalismjobs.com, content writing jobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit assistant editors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant editor

   Once you've decided on a perfect assistant editor candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new assistant editor. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an assistant editor?