How to hire a document reviewer

How to hire a document reviewer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step document reviewer hiring guide:

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

What does a document reviewer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The document reviewer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   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 document reviewer 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 document reviewer that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of document reviewers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Document Reviewer	Description	Hourly rate
   Document Reviewer	A Document Reviewer analyzes complex legal documents. This position is usually filled by attorneys, paralegals, and litigation support specialists.	$12-49

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Litigation
   • QC
   • E-Discovery Software
   • Law Firm
   • Approvals
   • Data Entry
   • Real Estate
   • QA
   • Attorney-Client Privilege
   • Medical Documentation
   • Ringtail
   • FDA
   • Level Review
   • Antitrust Litigation

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Project manage the implementation of a third party OFAC customer verification module for branch personnel.
   • Reviewed/Package loan docs and generate estimated HUD-1 for review.
   • Create and update website and Facebook page.
   • Verify all new accounts open follow KYC and CIP regulations.
   • Involve typing, shorthand and all phases of steno pool.
   • Participate in other QA activities with other team members as needed.

   More document reviewer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your document reviewer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A document reviewer 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 document reviewer in Montana may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level document reviewer usually earns less than a senior-level document reviewer. Additionally, a document reviewer 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 document reviewer salary

   $53,858yearly

   $25.89 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level document reviewer salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average document reviewer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$74,251	$36
   2	New York	$70,125	$34
   3	California	$65,211	$31
   4	Connecticut	$64,939	$31
   5	Massachusetts	$63,737	$31
   6	New Jersey	$62,430	$30
   7	Wisconsin	$56,583	$27
   8	Oregon	$53,613	$26
   9	Nebraska	$51,261	$25
   10	Pennsylvania	$51,043	$25
   11	Arizona	$50,972	$25
   12	Illinois	$50,567	$24
   13	Texas	$50,086	$24
   14	Colorado	$49,604	$24
   15	Georgia	$49,522	$24
   16	Iowa	$46,431	$22
   17	Minnesota	$41,513	$20
   18	North Carolina	$39,686	$19

   Average document reviewer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bloomberg	$129,957	$62.48
   2	FTI Consulting	$93,344	$44.88
   3	M&T Bank	$93,247	$44.83	4
   4	ISN	$65,164	$31.33
   5	Beacon Hill Staffing Group	$64,956	$31.23
   6	TransPerfect	$64,912	$31.21	4
   7	New Bridge Medical Center	$56,818	$27.32
   8	HEICO	$56,721	$27.27
   9	Eurofins	$56,317	$27.08	1
   10	Food Safety Net Services	$55,055	$26.47
   11	HonorVet Technologies	$54,111	$26.01
   12	Colorado State Express	$54,111	$26.01
   13	KLDiscovery	$51,385	$24.70	12
   14	Strategic Resources	$51,222	$24.63
   15	Advocate Health Care	$48,872	$23.50	1
   16	Robert Half	$47,437	$22.81	17
   17	Randstad North America, Inc.	$43,222	$20.78
   18	Kelly Services	$34,431	$16.55	7
   19	AppleOne Employment Services	$28,146	$13.53
   20	PeopleShare	$27,180	$13.07	1

4. Writing a document reviewer job description

   A document reviewer 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a document reviewer job description:

   Document reviewer job description example

   Completes more complex review of documents from Institutional clients and reports on identified exceptions. Researches and responds to customer inquiries regarding exceptions.
   Primary Responsibilities:
   Train less experienced personnel on the review of documents to support the quality of their work.Research questions from Institutional customers regarding exceptions entered on the tracking system and respond back within established service level agreements.Run reports for Institutional customers as scheduled; review the reports to ensure data accuracy.Pull and review files for on-site audits as required. Review those files for all needed documents prior to audit.Serve as subject matter expert in the review of documents to enable review of multiple types as required by volumes within the area.Complete more complex data matching of documents based on agency guidelines or custodial agreements for non-agency documents. Update the tracking system with document type and exceptions found or addressed. Upload data to the tracking system so that the review can be completed using the system.Understand and adhere to the Company's risk and regulatory standards, policies and controls in accordance with the Company's Risk Appetite. Identify risk-related issues needing escalation to management.Promote an environment that supports diversity and reflects the M&T Bank brand.Maintain M&T internal control standards, including timely implementation of internal and external audit points together with any issues raised by external regulators as applicable.Complete other related duties as assigned.
   
   Education and Experience Required:
   Associate's degree and a minimum of 1 years' relevant experience,
   OR in lieu of a degree,
   A combined minimum of 3 years' higher education and/work experience, including a minimum of 1 years' relevant experience
   
   Proficiency with personal computers as well as pertinent spreadsheet, word processing and email software
   Strong alpha/numeric skills
   Strong organizational skills
   Detail-oriented
   Demonstrated problem-solving skills
   
   Education and Experience Preferred:
   Ability to work under time constraints while maintaining accuracy
   Mortgage agency review or car title review knowledge
   
   Physical Requirements:
   Able to lift 30 - 50 pounds
   Able to climb on a ladder and/or stool and bend for filing
   Able to stand for long periods of time
   
   Location
   Buffalo, New York, United States of America

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find document reviewers 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 document reviewers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level document reviewers 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 document reviewer job on Zippia to find and recruit document reviewer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit document reviewers, 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.

   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 document reviewer

   Once you've selected the best document reviewer 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new document reviewer. 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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How much does it cost to hire a document reviewer?