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How to hire a digital media internship

Digital media internship hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring digital media interns in the United States:

  • The median cost to hire a digital media internship is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per digital media internship on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • There are a total of 46,138 digital media interns in the US, and there are currently 72,449 job openings in this field.
  • New York, NY, has the highest demand for digital media interns, with 17 job openings.

How to hire a digital media internship, step by step

To hire a digital media internship, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a digital media internship:

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

What does a digital media internship do?

In a digital media internship, an intern participates in various creative projects while under the supervision and guidance of a supervising manager or staff. They usually perform support tasks to gather industry insights and experience, which typically includes creating digital content according to project guidelines and themes, conducting research and analyses, utilizing client feedback, and handling digital platforms, such as websites and social media pages. They also perform clerical support tasks such as preparing documents, taking calls and other forms of correspondence, and running errands as necessary.

Learn more about the specifics of what a digital media internship does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the digital media internship you need to hire. Certain digital media internship 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?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a digital media internship 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 digital media internship that fits the bill.

    This list shows salaries for various types of digital media interns.

    Type of Digital Media InternshipDescriptionHourly rate
    Digital Media InternshipPublic relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent. They design media releases to shape public perception of their organization and to increase awareness of its work and goals.$11-19
    Content CreatorA content creator is primarily responsible for producing written, verbal, and visual materials that promote products and services to a particular audience. In a company setting, a content creator adheres to managers or senior creators' directives, fact-check and review data, coordinate with other staff such as graphic artists, and participate in developing promotional materials... Show more$18-47
    Media ConsultantA media consultant is responsible for coordinating with different people and groups to boost brand awareness and promote the brand image to the public through media communication. Media consultants work closely with the marketing or public relations team to conduct press releases, develop media campaigns, and advise executives with their speech during interviews and other related public appearances... Show more$15-42
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Video Content
    • Facebook
    • Digital Marketing
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • PowerPoint
    • Digital Content
    • Press Releases
    • Graphic Design
    • Video Production
    • HTML
    • Photography
    • Google Analytics
    • Data Analysis
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage campaign billing and analyze daily KPIs through Nielsen, Innovid, DoubleVerify, and Google's DoubleClick.
    • Manage websites, create web content using HTML and Java, enhance SEO, and create commercials for publications.
    • Hire as a social media respondent for TFF, manage Facebook page & promote online video contests on YouTube.
    • Manage social media presence and engage the community of students and recruiters on platforms (Facebook, twitter, Tumblr).
    • Learned and implement coding languages such as PHP, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and SQL commands.
    • Format SEO keywords, meta data, and link building in content to increase overall site traffic and rankings.
    More digital media internship duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your digital media internship job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A digital media internship can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, digital media interns' average salary in south carolina is 40% less than in washington.
    • Seniority. Entry-level digital media interns 41% less than senior-level digital media interns.
    • Certifications. A digital media internship with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a digital media internship's salary.

    Average digital media internship salary

    $15.40hourly

    $32,033 yearly

    Entry-level digital media internship salary
    $24,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 21, 2026

    Average digital media internship salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Virginia$40,235$19
    2Washington$39,417$19
    3Minnesota$38,608$19
    4California$38,068$18
    5New Jersey$37,151$18
    6Colorado$36,066$17
    7Oregon$35,848$17
    8Massachusetts$35,604$17
    9District of Columbia$35,364$17
    10Arizona$34,316$17
    11New York$34,104$16
    12Wisconsin$32,823$16
    13Utah$31,753$15
    14Illinois$31,426$15
    15Georgia$30,057$14
    16Ohio$29,352$14
    17Tennessee$29,162$14
    18Texas$28,945$14
    19Iowa$28,022$13
    20Florida$27,756$13

    Average digital media internship salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1HP$44,681$21.4821
    2Dartmouth$42,500$20.43
    3New Virginia Majority$39,307$18.90
    4Student Conservation Association$38,764$18.641
    5MediaTek$38,271$18.40
    6APCO Worldwide$37,746$18.15
    7Townsquare Media$37,668$18.115
    8PSEA$37,380$17.973
    9ICF$36,915$17.752
    10ON Semiconductor$35,981$17.30
    11TransPerfect$35,317$16.985
    12MERL$34,519$16.60
    13SAP$34,426$16.5514
    14Raymond James Financial$34,045$16.37
    15Texas Tech University$33,927$16.31
    16Centro$33,569$16.14
    17Peoria Unified School District$33,456$16.08
    18TD Bank$33,245$15.987
    19PNY Technologies$33,236$15.98
    20Edelman Financial Engines$33,217$15.971
  4. Writing a digital media internship job description

    A digital media internship 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 media internship job description:

    Digital media internship job description example

    Phoenix Contact's Creative Services Team is looking for a Spring 2023 intern to assist in video production, capturing, and editing content. You will build graphics and animation sequences for video series, meetings, and social media.

    Our Spring interns work part time, with their schedule based around their coursework. The intern should be able to continue the internship into Summer 2023 and Fall 2023.

    What does a typical day look like?

    It can include one task or all during a work day: Capturing Video Footage, Organizing and Archiving Footage, Editing, Creating Social Media Video, Creating Video Animation, Preparing and Pack for Video Shoot, and Maintain Studio and Equipment.

    What makes this internship unique?

    You have the opportunity to work with experienced mentors in photo, video, editing, animation, and live stream productions, all within in an engaging and forward-thinking industry. You will gain hands-on experience working on real projects in various roles under knowledgeable, seasoned professional tutors as you hone your skills in the creative services industry.

    Must-Have Qualifications

    • Graphic Design, Video Production, Animation or similar major
    • Open to Junior or Senior applicants
    • Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite with an emphasis on After Effects and Premier
    • Solid design aptitude
    • Genuine video camera and audio editing capability
    • 3D rendering and animation are a plus
    • Must be a student during duration of internship

    Must Be Able To

    • Must be able to look at a computer screen for extended periods of time (up to 4 hours)
    • Must be able to sit and/or stand for extended periods of time (2-4 hours at a time)

    #LI-DZ1

    Notice to Staffing Agencies, Placement Services, and Professional Recruiters:

    Phoenix Contact has an internal Staffing Department. Recruiters are hereby specifically directed NOT to contact Phoenix Contact employees directly in an attempt to present candidates. Phoenix Contact will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. Any unsolicited resumes sent to Phoenix Contact, including unsolicited resumes sent to a Phoenix Contact mailing address, fax machine or email address, directly to Phoenix Contact employees, or to Phoenix Contact's resume database will be considered Phoenix Contact property. Phoenix Contact will NOT pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. Phoenix Contact will consider any candidate for whom a Recruiter has submitted an unsolicited resume to have been referred by the Recruiter free of any charges or fees. Phoenix Contact will not pay a fee to any Recruiter that does not have a signed Phoenix Contact contract in place specific to the position for which the resume was submitted. Recruiting vendor agreements will only be valid if in writing and signed by Phoenix Contact's Director of Organization Development and Talent Acquisition or his or her designee. No other Phoenix Contact employee is authorized to bind Phoenix Contact to any agreement regarding the placement of candidates by Recruiters. By submitting a candidate to Phoenix Contact, recruiters agree to be bound and comply with this policy.

    Phoenix Contact is committed to the diversity of our employees. We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find digital media interns 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 media internship job on Zippia to find and recruit digital media internship candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with digital media internship 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.

    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 media internship

    Once you have selected a candidate for the digital media internship position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new digital media internship. 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 digital media internship?

Before you start to hire digital media interns, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire digital media interns pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $32,033 per year for a digital media internship, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for digital media interns in the US typically range between $11 and $19 an hour.

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