How to hire an associate editor

How to hire an associate editor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step associate 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 associate editor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new associate editor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an associate editor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an associate editor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An associate editor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, associate editors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of associate editors.

   Type of Associate Editor	Description	Hourly rate
   Associate Editor	Editors plan, review, and revise content for publication.	$18-37
   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
   Staff Writer	A staff writer is a professional who works in the television (TV) or entertainment industry to provide standard content such as news reports, reviews, and features. Since writing content is important, staff writers must be able to collaborate and brainstorm ideas with other staff members in the production process... Show more	$13-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • WordPress
   • Web Content
   • SEO
   • Edit Content
   • Proofreading
   • Twitter
   • News Stories
   • Instagram
   • HTML
   • Google Analytics
   • Edit Articles
   • Digital Content
   • Editorial Process
   • Content Management System

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead development and launch of typesetting service.
   • Project manage and write RFP submissions for private industry and federal request for proposals.
   • Manage proofreading process for RFP responses, collateral, and other documents to ensure consistency and high quality.
   • Assume full editorial responsibility when editor are unavailable, including managing social media accounts and assigning content to freelancers and photographers.
   • Share responsibility for site's twitter account.
   • Design and laid out client reports using InDesign and PowerPoint.

   More associate editor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the associate editor job description is a good way to get more applicants. An associate 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 associate editor in Montana may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level associate editor. Additionally, an associate editor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average associate editor salary

   $55,999yearly

   $26.92 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level associate editor salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average associate editor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$70,069	$34
   2	California	$68,565	$33
   3	District of Columbia	$68,441	$33
   4	New York	$67,208	$32
   5	New Jersey	$66,001	$32
   6	Virginia	$65,889	$32
   7	Pennsylvania	$58,076	$28
   8	Illinois	$50,490	$24
   9	Georgia	$50,425	$24
   10	Colorado	$50,022	$24
   11	Maryland	$48,305	$23
   12	Wisconsin	$45,090	$22
   13	Texas	$44,826	$22
   14	Ohio	$44,524	$21
   15	Minnesota	$44,262	$21
   16	Indiana	$41,073	$20
   17	Florida	$40,730	$20
   18	Oregon	$38,136	$18
   19	Iowa	$34,560	$17

   Average associate editor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Eli Lilly and Company	$113,230	$54.44
   2	American Physical Society	$100,304	$48.22
   3	Citi	$99,722	$47.94
   4	Regeneron	$97,822	$47.03
   5	WebMD	$94,782	$45.57	9
   6	Horizon Pharma USA, Inc.	$93,561	$44.98
   7	Bain & Company	$92,670	$44.55
   8	John Wiley & Sons	$92,178	$44.32	3
   9	PRWeek	$90,237	$43.38	3
   10	Cengage Learning	$89,250	$42.91
   11	HarperCollins	$83,343	$40.07	7
   12	United States Institute of Peace	$81,550	$39.21	1
   13	SourceMedia	$81,220	$39.05
   14	AAAS	$79,657	$38.30	2
   15	Gearbox Software	$79,522	$38.23
   16	Kabam	$79,395	$38.17
   17	TechTarget	$76,040	$36.56
   18	We Communications	$75,629	$36.36
   19	NexTier Oilfield Solutions	$71,686	$34.46
   20	Florida International University	$70,492	$33.89

4. Writing an associate editor job description

   A good associate editor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an associate editor job description:

   Associate editor job description example

   Why Hearst Magazines?
   
   Hearst Magazines is one of the largest publishers in the world, with more than 25 brands, including Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Harper's BAZAAR, Popular Mechanics, and Delish. We reach more than 150 million people every month in the United States alone.
   
   But we're more than just our magazines. We engage our audience across all mediums and channels-print, digital, video, and social-with sophisticated content creation, distribution, and data capabilities. We create, package, and sell products with cutting-edge technology and proprietary platforms. Together, we are reinventing publishing for the 21st century.
   
   Your Impact:
   
   The Associate E-Commerce Editor will report to the Senior Commerce Editor and is responsible for aiding in the production of market and e-commerce coverage in the Lifestyle section across Esquire.com. Esquire's goal in this section is to highlight the best products available to its readers in the food and drink, home, tech, gaming, and gifting spaces by curating and highlighting the products most likely to resonate with our readers. Content ranges from holiday gift guides to product reviews and "best of" lists spanning topics from home tech products to décor. The Associate E-Commerce Editor will be responsible for writing and pitching multiple pieces per day in an effort to provide readers clarity and range in the products they are in search of, while also delivering the "why" in Esquire's voice. Please note: Candidates must include their resume in .pdf or .doc format with salary requirements to be considered.
   
   Responsibilities:
   
   * Work closely with the SEO and e-commerce teams to aid in the production of market coverage based on keyword optimization and affiliate relationships
   * Dive into the data to understand how people are shopping from Esquire.com, and continually update and refine coverage to optimize for conversion while maintaining the highest standards for our readers
   * Write multiple smart and engaging stories with a strong voice and point of view throughout the day
   * Work with the art team to help bring stories to life across a range of different platforms
   * Pitch stories to the Senior Commerce Editor for upcoming themes and features, based on revenue and performance data
   
   Qualifications:
   
   * 1-3 years experience writing and producing content for digital media
   * Enthusiasm about learning the market of tech, home, lifestyle, gift guides, while keeping a keen eye for emerging trends in this space
   * Ability to interpret data from multiple sources and apply those insights to Esquire's ever-evolving style e-commerce strategy
   * Experience balancing many different factors-from SEO to e-commerce to traffic-to optimize online content
   * Enthusiasm about all the fun, sometimes-strange, and interesting aspects of the shopping world and to help readers better understand why they should purchase something
   * Investment in the overall success of Esquire, and a desire to contribute across many different platforms
   
   As part of its continued efforts to maintain a safe workplace for employees, Hearst Magazines requires that all employees who receive a written offer of employment be fully vaccinated (as defined by the CDC) against the coronavirus by the first day of employment as a condition of employment, to the extent permitted by applicable law. Hearst Magazines will consider requests for reasonable accommodations on an individual basis in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
   
   #LI-SP1
   
   #LI-HYBRID

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right associate 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 associate editor job on Zippia to find and recruit associate editor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as problogger, media bistro, journalismjobs.com, content writing jobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit associate editors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 associate editor

   Once you've found the associate editor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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 associate 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 associate editor?