How to hire a digital strategist

How to hire a digital strategist, step by step

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

What does a digital strategist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a digital strategist, 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

   A digital strategist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, digital strategists 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.

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

   Type of Digital Strategist	Description	Hourly rate
   Digital Strategist	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.	$23-50
   Head Of Marketing	The head of marketing primarily oversees all marketing departments and operations, ensuring to convey the message of the brand. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies and business plans, preparing and allocating the budget for all departments, identifying new opportunities and assets, and analyzing consumers' needs... Show more	$44-97
   Online Marketing Manager	Online marketing managers are professionals in charge of creating marketing campaigns for social media and internet platforms. Marketing managers take responsibility for the development, implementation, and management of marketing campaigns for a company... Show more	$33-63

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Digital Marketing
   • Digital Strategy
   • Google Analytics
   • CRM
   • Project Management
   • Client Facing
   • KPIs
   • Facebook
   • Email Marketing
   • Content Strategy
   • User Experience
   • Digital Content
   • Marketing Campaigns
   • Twitter

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Negotiate deals to buy products and inventory from partner networks and to optimize campaigns to achieve maximum ROI.
   • Manage company website and content population using WordPress.
   • Manage an internal development and QA staff with on-going freelance/contractor support.
   • Engage to provide consultation and project management services on digital and CRM programs.
   • Task with providing insights, think leadership, digital/social strategy and CRM engagement.
   • Develop ad strategies to drive Facebook users to websites and, ultimately, purchase.

   More digital strategist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average digital strategist salary

   $72,491yearly

   $34.85 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level digital strategist salary

   $49,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average digital strategist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$97,732	$47
   2	California	$86,113	$41
   3	New York	$82,471	$40
   4	Michigan	$78,411	$38
   5	Texas	$76,174	$37
   6	Massachusetts	$75,665	$36
   7	Oregon	$72,849	$35
   8	Virginia	$72,607	$35
   9	Connecticut	$72,166	$35
   10	Minnesota	$71,502	$34
   11	Maryland	$71,458	$34
   12	District of Columbia	$71,216	$34
   13	North Carolina	$70,788	$34
   14	Colorado	$70,510	$34
   15	Georgia	$69,715	$34
   16	Illinois	$69,068	$33
   17	Utah	$68,214	$33
   18	Iowa	$67,260	$32
   19	Pennsylvania	$67,031	$32
   20	Nevada	$65,556	$32

   Average digital strategist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$139,365	$67.00	73
   2	Microsoft	$122,358	$58.83	45
   3	Perficient	$122,032	$58.67	6
   4	IBM	$114,459	$55.03	25
   5	Accenture	$111,489	$53.60	3
   6	Intel	$111,154	$53.44
   7	UBS	$108,383	$52.11	4
   8	Apple	$108,048	$51.95	8
   9	Pwc	$104,134	$50.06	114
   10	Nuance Communications	$103,985	$49.99
   11	Adobe	$102,681	$49.37	30
   12	General Mills	$102,275	$49.17	1
   13	Zebra Technologies	$101,056	$48.58
   14	Deloitte	$95,479	$45.90	21
   15	Northrop Grumman	$94,931	$45.64	12
   16	Salesforce	$92,067	$44.26	18
   17	Radancy	$91,961	$44.21
   18	TBWA Worldwide	$91,894	$44.18
   19	Rotary International	$91,880	$44.17
   20	WorkBoard	$90,345	$43.44

4. Writing a digital strategist job description

   A digital strategist 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 strategist job description:

   Digital strategist job description example

   You will develop multi-faceted digital strategies leveraging our unified platform and digital delivery teams -- all for some of the most recognized brands in the world. You’ll identify and drive growth opportunities, fostering innovation that delivers on our clients’ business goals. And you’ll constantly push the limits of talent acquisition to change the way companies and candidates connect. It’s one of the roles at Radancy that allows you to engage with all of our offerings – from software, media and metrics to creative and brand.
   
   Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications in a job description. Our top priority is finding the best candidate for the job and if you are interested in the position, we would encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of the qualifications below.
   
   The Digital Strategist works directly with clients to define and distill their goals, create success metrics, and communicate those to all supporting teams at Radancy.
   
   You will provide thought leadership in the development, management, training, measurement and presentation of multi-platform digital strategies aligned to client goals.
   
   You will guide the implementation of the Radancy Unified Platform as a central part of your clients’ digital strategy and will ensure our software platform is a productive part of that strategy.
   
   The Digital Strategist is responsible for interpreting and presenting data analytics for digital properties, as well as using the learnings to make adjustments and optimizations.
   
   You will identify opportunities for platform expansion, building a business case using data and insights.
   
   The Digital Strategist is responsible for educating clients and internal teams on the Radancy product roadmap as new features are planned and released.
   You will design career site and campaign launch strategies. The Digital Strategist must be an excellent presenter and will provide formal and informal presentations to clients as well as internal team members. 5+ years of experience developing and presenting complex custom digital solutions within a digital marketing, PR, and/or advertising agency environment A deep understanding of digital mediums, technologies, and trends and a passion for innovation on all fronts Strong analytical skills and working knowledge of Google Analytics Success in presenting strategic solutions and POVs that demonstrate thought leadership, and engage across social media Radancy is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified applicants regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We actively work to create an inclusive environment where all of our employees can thrive.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find digital strategists 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 strategist job on Zippia to find and attract quality digital strategist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with digital strategist 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 strategist

   Once you've decided on a perfect digital strategist 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.

   To prepare for the new digital strategist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 strategist?