How to hire a copy editor

How to hire a copy editor, step by step

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

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

What does a copy editor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the copy editor you need to hire. Certain copy 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 a copy 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 a copy editor that fits the bill.

   This list presents copy editor salaries for various positions.

   Type of Copy Editor	Description	Hourly rate
   Copy Editor	Editors plan, review, and revise content for publication.	$18-47
   Publisher	A publisher manages the design, editing, and production process with the help of proofreaders, printers, and editors. Publishers make schedules for every stage of the process and work backward from the planned date for publication... Show more	$20-57
   Editing Internship	An editorial intern is responsible for assisting the editorial department of an organization with publishing various media and digital content. Editorial interns shadow tenured editorial staff on researching stories, validating information, writing captivating articles, interviewing target audiences, and screening submitted manuscripts... Show more	$12-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Proofreading
   • House Style
   • Digital Publishing
   • Fact Check
   • SEO
   • Web Content
   • Style Guides
   • Adobe Indesign
   • Edit Copy
   • Copyedit
   • News Stories
   • PowerPoint
   • News Articles
   • Twitter

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage copy editing and proofreading responsibilities of weekly business newspaper and special supplements.
   • Collaborate with managing editor and editor-in-chief to develop and post news coverage and multimedia projects.
   • Supervise editorial services and manage workload for multiple complex projects offering professional development training for educators via online and classroom delivery.
   • Compile NHL, NBA, NFL, golf and college roundups, and laid out the scoreboard page.
   • Call upon to produce special pages for NHL and NBA previews.
   • Serve as lead copy editor for NASCAR, college football, college basketball and NFL sections.

   More copy editor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your copy editor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A copy editor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, copy editors' average salary in alaska is 61% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level copy editors earn 60% less than senior-level copy editors.
   • Certifications. A copy editor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a copy editor's salary.

   Average copy editor salary

   $62,599yearly

   $30.10 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level copy editor salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average copy editor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$90,542	$44
   2	New Jersey	$88,191	$42
   3	Connecticut	$82,565	$40
   4	Massachusetts	$78,223	$38
   5	New York	$72,468	$35
   6	Pennsylvania	$70,907	$34
   7	Virginia	$70,802	$34
   8	California	$70,260	$34
   9	Washington	$64,009	$31
   10	Illinois	$59,012	$28
   11	Georgia	$58,470	$28
   12	Nevada	$57,298	$28
   13	Colorado	$57,147	$27
   14	Oklahoma	$56,475	$27
   15	South Carolina	$56,422	$27
   16	North Carolina	$56,291	$27
   17	Ohio	$54,769	$26
   18	Arizona	$54,589	$26
   19	Maryland	$54,509	$26
   20	Minnesota	$51,181	$25

   Average copy editor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	PayPal	$122,050	$58.68
   2	PRWeek	$94,828	$45.59	3
   3	The New York Times Company	$92,782	$44.61	19
   4	National Council Licensure Examination	$87,716	$42.17
   5	SourceMedia	$86,253	$41.47	1
   6	IPRO	$83,983	$40.38
   7	NRDC	$82,161	$39.50
   8	The Washington Post	$82,156	$39.50	4
   9	Workiva	$81,242	$39.06
   10	Ramsey	$79,439	$38.19	1
   11	Sdl Plc	$78,672	$37.82
   12	Nintendo	$76,857	$36.95	1
   13	ICF	$75,531	$36.31
   14	Saint Xavier University	$75,392	$36.25
   15	AXIOS HR	$75,124	$36.12
   16	David Zwirner	$75,068	$36.09
   17	Michigan State University	$71,300	$34.28
   18	University of Southern California	$69,141	$33.24	1
   19	Salesforce	$69,124	$33.23
   20	Accenture	$67,909	$32.65

4. Writing a copy editor job description

   A good copy 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 a copy editor job description:

   Copy editor job description example

   Gradient, a growing environmental consulting firm, is seeking a copyeditor. The successful candidate will join a talented team of administrative professionals who work collaboratively to format, proofread, and edit text, tables, and references for reports, manuscripts, and other documents. Must have meticulous eye for detail, excellent written and oral communication skills, and the ability to organize own work/time while maintaining high-quality work under tight deadlines. Background in science is recommended.
   
   Hours are M-F, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Some overtime may be required. Professional development opportunities available. Excellent benefits, friendly, hybrid work environment with a great location in downtown Boston or Seattle.
   General Responsibilities: Create, format, proofread, and edit documents Improve documents for readability, clarity, and consistency Apply in-house formatting and style standards Prepare manuscripts for submission; review and correct proofs Respond to document production requests; help manage project documents Contribute to presentations by suggesting aesthetic/functional improvement to layout (allocating space for copy vs. figures) Back-up administrative work as needed
   
   2+ years relevant experience Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint) College degree preferred; professional training certificate or appropriate combination of work/educational experience acceptable A background in science is recommended.
   
   Benefits: Our benefits are comprehensive and include:
   Medical and dental insurance
   Disability insurance (short- and long-term)
   Life insurance
   Retirement savings
   Paid time off (holidays, vacation, and sick leave)
   Tuition reimbursement
   Professional development allowances
   Company-wide bonus program
   Company-paid public transportation options
   Professional registration fee reimbursement
   Company events Gradient provides employees with the right tools to meet challenges and to excel and grow both personally and professionally.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find copy editors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any copy editors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level copy editors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your copy editor job on Zippia to find and recruit copy editor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with copy editor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 copy editor

   Once you've found the copy 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new copy 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 a copy editor?