How to hire a digital director

How to hire a digital director, step by step

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

What does a digital director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a digital director, 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 director 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of digital directors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Digital Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Digital Director	Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. They work with art directors, sales agents, and financial staff members.	$43-88
   Chief Marketing Officer	A Chief Marketing Officer defines marketing strategies and oversees all marketing operations of a company. They are responsible for building a highly efficient team of marketing professionals.	$34-121
   Director Of Communications And Marketing	A director of communications and marketing spearheads a company's marketing and communication projects in adherence with the company's vision and mission. Being the director, they have the authority to make decisions, delegate responsibilities among managers and teams, and direct the project and program cycle from planning to execution, solving issues and concerns if any would arise... Show more	$27-63

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Digital Marketing
   • Digital Transformation
   • Digital Strategy
   • Project Management
   • Digital Content
   • CRM
   • Google Analytics
   • Digital Platforms
   • User Experience
   • KPIs
   • Emerging Technologies
   • Facebook
   • Digital Channels
   • Web Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the planning, development, and delivery of email marketing channel including CRM.
   • Implement the use of a CRM system and processes to assign and track new leads.
   • Manage direct mail, email and social media projects to help clients with better response rates and ROI.
   • Manage marketing strategies deliver through social media, email and Facebook advertising.
   • Provide marketing automation expertise to clients with the use of Marketo and Salesforce implementations.
   • film, edit, and post all video material to PPC social media pages.

   More digital director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your digital director job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A digital director salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a digital director in South Carolina may be lower than in Oregon, and an entry-level digital director usually earns less than a senior-level digital director. Additionally, a digital director with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average digital director salary

   $129,557yearly

   $62.29 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level digital director salary

   $90,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average digital director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$148,148	$71
   2	Massachusetts	$140,402	$68
   3	Oregon	$140,231	$67
   4	Washington	$137,530	$66
   5	North Dakota	$134,084	$64
   6	Virginia	$131,959	$63
   7	Arizona	$130,168	$63
   8	New York	$130,063	$63
   9	North Carolina	$128,225	$62
   10	Pennsylvania	$126,597	$61
   11	Texas	$126,174	$61
   12	Minnesota	$122,231	$59
   13	Illinois	$120,559	$58
   14	Michigan	$118,819	$57
   15	Georgia	$118,132	$57
   16	Florida	$113,358	$55
   17	Colorado	$112,392	$54
   18	District of Columbia	$111,176	$53
   19	Ohio	$110,722	$53
   20	Mississippi	$106,348	$51

   Average digital director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	McKinsey & Company Inc	$200,677	$96.48	7
   2	Airbnb	$187,053	$89.93
   3	Mayo Clinic	$184,302	$88.61	3
   4	Genentech	$183,244	$88.10	50
   5	Biogen	$169,665	$81.57	18
   6	Citi	$165,632	$79.63	18
   7	Palo Alto Networks	$162,761	$78.25	44
   8	Arnold Worldwide	$162,334	$78.05
   9	First Republic Bank	$162,121	$77.94
   10	TBWA Worldwide	$161,732	$77.76
   11	Nuxeo	$160,458	$77.14
   12	Capgemini	$159,977	$76.91	44
   13	Huron Consulting Group	$158,839	$76.36	175
   14	Refinery29	$157,708	$75.82
   15	ServiceNow	$156,126	$75.06	34
   16	Pacira BioSciences	$155,770	$74.89
   17	ResMed	$153,043	$73.58	10
   18	Novo Nordisk	$152,586	$73.36	2
   19	Impinj	$152,561	$73.35	2
   20	Avanade	$151,931	$73.04

4. Writing a digital director job description

   A good digital director 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 digital director job description:

   Digital director job description example

   Counterspark, an organization that is making the clean energy transition a reality, is looking for its first Digital Director. We seek to connect both with clean energy companies and a potential individual consumer audience through actionable, digestible, and immediate steps they can take to have a significant impact on the climate and our economy.
   
   Counterspark is affiliated with Advanced Energy Economy (AEE). AEE is a national association of businesses that are making the energy we use secure, clean, and affordable. We work to accelerate the move to 100% clean energy and electrified transportation in the U.S. AEE is the only industry association in the U.S. that represents the full range of energy technologies and services needed to achieve a carbon free economy, both grid-scale and distributed. Advanced energy includes energy efficiency, demand response, energy storage, wind, solar, electric vehicles, and more.
   
   Counterspark is seeking an experienced, creative digital and communications professional to help launch and lead the organization's digital strategy in support of our mission of a 100% clean energy economy. This position is an integral part of the Counterspark team leading an integrated digital program that will drive outreach and communications for member engagement, public education, advocacy, and fundraising campaigns across Counterspark’s digital platform.
   
   The ideal candidate for this role is someone who has experience leading digital activism campaigns, has the energy and flexibility to thrive in a startup environment, and is ready to build their leadership and management skills. A passion for solving climate change and building an equitable clean energy economy is preferred.
   Responsibilities Lead the management of the newly formed Digital department managing and developing a team of two digital campaigners initially, as well as vendor and consultant management. Work with members of the senior leadership team to develop the organization’s annual plan and budget and to develop a strategic plan for growing Counterspark’s online reach and membership base. Develop and manage team, including workflow and processes. Clearly communicate shifts in focus during key moments of rapid response. Work closely with Advanced Energy Economy’s state and federal policy teams and Campaign Directors to develop outside game strategy. Leverage the work happening within AEE to develop campaigns and build power for the organization. Assist in drafting, testing, and production, as needed, working with campaigners to identify tactics to execute campaigns. Oversee the implementation of the organization’s digital public education, member engagement, organizing, fundraising, and advocacy campaigns. Measure campaign impacts, facilitate debrief sessions across teams, create reports, and communicate our victories and opportunities across the organization. Have primary responsibility for executing the day-to-day operations of the Counterspark program. Qualifications At least seven years of experience building and running digital campaigns in a political or issue advocacy campaign Strong program management skills, including experience running complex projects or campaigns with many moving pie Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail and quality Ability to manage and prioritize multiple activities and competing deadlines Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work productively with a remote team and a commitment to managing, mentoring, and empowering team members. Intellectual curiosity, inquisitive nature, and excellent listening and problem-solving skills Performance oriented individual with a strong work ethic, demonstrated initiative and commitment to achieving goals. Job Type: Remote
   Location: Flexible
   Salary: starting at $110,00
   Start Date: November 1, 2022
   AEE is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, sex, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances. We are committed to the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice across our organization (“DEIJ”). We also incorporate these values into our mission of making the energy we use secure, clean, and affordable. We know that varied perspectives and a commitment to social justice are needed to succeed in making the United States an advanced energy economy. We commit to building and supporting an inclusive workforce that represents different cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints. Powered by JazzHR XaOZpzKZJS

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find digital directors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your digital director job on Zippia to find and attract quality digital director candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting digital directors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 digital director

   Once you've selected the best digital director candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new digital director. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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