How to hire a digital consultant

How to hire a digital consultant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step digital consultant hiring guide:

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

What does a digital consultant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a digital consultant, 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

   Hiring the perfect digital consultant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of digital consultant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Digital Consultant	Description	Hourly rate
   Digital Consultant	Market research analysts study market conditions to examine potential sales of a product or service. They help companies understand what products people want, who will buy them, and at what price.	$38-63
   Research Internship	A research intern is responsible for assisting the research team with conducting an investigation, compiling information, and analyzing results for an organized research study. Research interns' duties also include understanding the work processes and operation procedures, sharing strategies and recommendations on research methods, reaching out to appropriate research correspondents, managing clients' inquiries and concerns, keeping important client records for reference, studying current market trends, and maintaining the eagerness to learn... Show more	$12-28
   Marketing Department Internship	A marketing department internship is a marketing degree program requirement in most colleges. This is the work experience period where interns get to apply the knowledge they acquire in the real world... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PowerPoint
   • Digital Marketing
   • Client Facing
   • Project Management
   • Digital Strategy
   • Digital Channels
   • Media Management
   • Digital Products
   • Digital Solutions
   • User Experience
   • Email Marketing
   • CRM
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Content Strategy

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Establish and manage several social media business pages and Facebook campaigns.
   • Perform detailed research to identify areas of opportunity within the digital footprints of SMB.
   • Create mobile-optimized WordPress site for client who have previously hire someone else that produce terrible results.
   • Freelance digital media consultant offering social media marketing strategy and content creation services for SMB clients.
   • Create catalog for consumer product management system using WordPress.
   • Create executive dashboards with online KPIs to derive actionable insights to support executive decision-making.

   More digital consultant duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average digital consultant salary

   $103,415yearly

   $49.72 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level digital consultant salary

   $80,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average digital consultant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$124,600	$60
   2	California	$123,552	$59
   3	New Jersey	$109,354	$53
   4	Oregon	$109,119	$52
   5	Texas	$108,714	$52
   6	Minnesota	$107,041	$51
   7	Maryland	$106,464	$51
   8	New York	$104,923	$50
   9	Tennessee	$100,666	$48
   10	North Carolina	$100,569	$48
   11	Georgia	$98,790	$48
   12	Arizona	$98,485	$47
   13	Michigan	$98,283	$47
   14	District of Columbia	$97,784	$47
   15	Massachusetts	$97,472	$47
   16	Illinois	$96,613	$46
   17	Pennsylvania	$96,162	$46
   18	Virginia	$96,156	$46
   19	Connecticut	$94,096	$45
   20	Ohio	$91,794	$44

   Average digital consultant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BNY Mellon	$125,526	$60.35	1
   2	CyberCoders	$114,943	$55.26
   3	Randstad North America, Inc.	$112,052	$53.87
   4	Alight Solutions	$111,024	$53.38
   5	Valorem Consulting	$110,897	$53.32
   6	Veeva Systems	$110,594	$53.17	9
   7	McKinsey & Company Inc	$109,849	$52.81	5
   8	The Hackett Group	$109,397	$52.59	3
   9	System One	$108,424	$52.13	2
   10	Kelly Services	$107,934	$51.89	1
   11	Target	$107,204	$51.54	1
   12	Robert Half	$107,191	$51.53	16
   13	Tiffany & Co.	$106,629	$51.26	2
   14	American Family Insurance	$105,732	$50.83
   15	Enthought	$105,657	$50.80
   16	DIVERSANT	$105,538	$50.74
   17	Teachers Insurance & Annuity Association of America	$105,408	$50.68
   18	Digital Blue Dog Signage Solutions	$104,609	$50.29
   19	Adswerve	$104,554	$50.27
   20	Stivers Lincoln Mercury	$104,554	$50.27

4. Writing a digital consultant job description

   A digital consultant 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. Below, you can find an example of a digital consultant job description:

   Digital consultant job description example

   Armedia is a CMMI-DEV Level 3 appraised and ISO 9001:2015 certified systems integrator providing Business Process, Document, Enterprise Content, Electronic Case, and Records Management services and solutions to many federal agencies and corporations, ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies.
   
   Armedia has been ranked on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest growing companies and we have been recognized as one of the 'Best and Brightest Companies to Work' for by the National Association for Business Resources. We value and promote diversity and we pride ourselves on fostering a culture inclusive of all identities.
   
   As an EIM Consultant, you will help clients effectively use data to make better decisions by assessing current information management systems, developing a road map for modernization, and working with a team to design, develop, and deploy transformational systems for data management, integration, and analytics solutions. You will apply your knowledge of modern EIM systems, user center design, and business analysis to support a wide variety of challenging projects. Additionally, you will also drive adoption of best practices in records and information management (RIM) across the organization and apply the latest developments in information and records management (RM) to our client solutions. You will provide thought leadership for our clients across the entire life cycle of enterprise information management, including RM.
   Assess and document a current business environment and architecture Develop a road map to mature an organization's approach to information management in collaboration with a team of stakeholders Successfully communicate the vision and act as the champion Help translate business requirements into technology requirements for inclusion in an enterprise information management solution Craft both high-level and detailed design documents and implement innovative solutions using the most recent technologies and a UCD approach Optimize customer's current data solutions and infrastructure Work with a team to design, develop and implement large data platform, business intelligence and advance analytics and multi-tier type solutions Work hand-in-hand with client IT resources to define and ensure data quality to enable data science solutions Other duties as assigned Work Authorization Authorized to work in the United States Work Location Washington, DC Metro Area, Some Remote Possible Required Education Bachelor's degree in Management or related field Preferred Education BS degree in Computer Science, Electrical or Systems Engineering, IT Management, or related field Required Professional Certifications None Preferred Professional Certifications PMP CSM or PMI-ACP SAFe CRM Required Experience Ten (10) years of relevant enterprise information management (EIM) project management Preferred Experience Fifteen (15) years of relevant EIM project management experience Five (5) years of experience working with US Government clients on IT systems development or modernization projects Required Skills Demonstrated ability to translate between the languages of business and data owners and articulate problems, scenarios, considerations, etc. between stakeholders in both groups Detailed knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of different information management platforms and ability to select the optimal one to match a client's scenario Demonstrated experience in managing “upward” among senior leadership. Demonstrated experience in leading diverse teams Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to develop and communicate program objectives, inspire and motivate staff, and maintain alignment with business strategy A high level of empathy and the ability to vary styles of interaction to match the needs of a variety of temperaments and personalities Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain and “sell” the program goals and objectives to the business, as well as technical leadership Strong business acumen, including industry- and domain-specific knowledge of the organization and its business units. Familiarity with current and emerging industry trends and innovations Excellent analytical, strategic planning, and execution skills Familiarity with industry tools like Informatica, OpenText, Hyland Alfresco, and others Proficient with Microsoft Office products: Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Visio New business opportunity identification, development, and capture, including proposal writing Preferred Skills None
   
   LOCATION: REMOTE
   
   
   Armedia offers a comprehensive benefits package, including subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, discounted disability insurance, a 401k retirement plan with company match, generous PTO, and paid holidays. Armedia is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We will not discriminate against any applicant or employee for employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex/gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
   
   #LI-Remote

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right digital consultant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with digital consultants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit digital consultants who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your digital consultant job on Zippia to find and recruit digital consultant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit digital consultants, 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 digital consultant

   Once you've decided on a perfect digital consultant 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 digital consultant. 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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