How to hire an editor in chief

How to hire an editor in chief, step by step

Here's a step-by-step editor in chief hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The editor in chief 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 an editor in chief 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 an editor in chief that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of editors in chief.

   Type of Editor In Chief	Description	Hourly rate
   Editor In Chief	Editors plan, review, and revise content for publication.	$17-38
   Publisher	A publisher manages the design, editing, and production process with the help of proofreaders, printers, and editors. Publishers make schedules for every stage of the process and work backward from the planned date for publication... Show more	$20-57
   Production Editor	A production editor is responsible for checking publication materials before printing and distribution to ensure error-free and accurate content. Production editors must have excellent writing communication skills to perform editing and proofreading of materials efficiently, following strict requirements of publication deadlines... Show more	$19-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Editor-In-Chief
   • Edit Content
   • Website Content
   • Editorial Direction
   • Editorial Board
   • Photography
   • Adobe Indesign
   • Student Newspaper
   • Facebook
   • SEO
   • Graphic Design
   • Twitter
   • Press Releases
   • Adobe Photoshop

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage weekly flash fiction competition.
   • Operate the fundamental uses of HTML and WordPress.
   • Leverage SEO and social media strategies to build credibility, increase exposure, and create links back to site.
   • Used inbound marketing techniques including regular blog updates, SEO and social media to drive new traffic to the site.
   • Select, proofread, and edit pieces of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in collaboration with a team of editors.
   • Edit PowerPoint presentations and print materials across organizational levels.

   More editor in chief duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your editor in chief job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An editor in chief 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 an editor in chief in Iowa may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level editor in chief usually earns less than a senior-level editor in chief. Additionally, an editor in chief 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 editor in chief salary

   $54,751yearly

   $26.32 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level editor in chief salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average editor in chief salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$74,552	$36
   2	California	$66,644	$32
   3	District of Columbia	$65,167	$31
   4	New Jersey	$61,686	$30
   5	Virginia	$61,032	$29
   6	Colorado	$43,652	$21
   7	Texas	$40,265	$19
   8	Kansas	$35,223	$17

   Average editor in chief salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Broadridge	$80,488	$38.70	3
   2	General Dynamics	$61,467	$29.55	16
   3	Johnson County Community College	$55,328	$26.60
   4	Wild Iris	$53,843	$25.89
   5	Journal of World History	$53,310	$25.63
   6	M.O.M Project	$53,278	$25.61
   7	Freedom House	$52,877	$25.42	3
   8	Nes Holdings	$52,205	$25.10

4. Writing an editor in chief job description

   A job description for an editor in chief role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an editor in chief job description:

   Editor in chief job description example

   This vital leadership role is tasked to deliver clear, actionable, personal finance guidance for Tom's Guide, one of the largest consumer websites that focuses on helping people.
   
   Tom's Guide Money is a launchpad to guide millions to understand the various and wide-ranging facets of personal finance. Topics such as how to qualify for a mortgage, how to choose the best tax software, what is an NFT or simply how to get the most of your Amazon Prime subscription will be tackled by this editor and a dedicated team of writers and freelancers.
   
   The exceptional candidate will have eight or more years' experience writing and editing personal finance content for a US audience online. A broad understanding of financial topics such as saving money, investing, taxes, mortgages, loan management, etc is required.
   
   You will not only ensure Tom's Guide is a powerful force in personal finance content today, but you will have an eye on the future to ensure we keep up with the latest trends.
   
   You will also have a single minded focus to help your team grow by coaching and guiding your writers to meet their objectives of helping our users and to help them develop their careers.
   
   The role can be based in Atlanta, New York City, Washington DC or, for the exceptional candidate, can be remote. If your goal is to help others reach their financial goals, we want to hear from you.
   Requirements
   
   A proven track record of producing great content and growing businesses you've been part of, with an ability to think qualitatively and strategically.
   
   A passion for helping your team develop their careers.
   
   Applicants should feel comfortable analyzing the intricate nature of financial products to be able to help readers understand the best deals for them.
   
   You should be comfortable with producing plain English copy by breaking down complex financial jargon.
   
   A high comfort level with content management systems.
   
   A familiarity with SEO best practices and analytics-driven content strategy.
   
   Understand and embrace social media and other evolving digital platforms.
   
   Passionate commitment to quality, timeliness, and accuracy.
   
   “this is a position covered under a collective bargaining agreement between Future US, Inc. and the Writers Guild of America East”
   
   Benefits
   
   As well as our standard benefits, we have a number of awesome perks available to our staff including:
   
   Unlimited Vacation - You read that right! We trust you to manage your workload and time
   
   A share in our success- every member of staff receives a profit pool bonus at the end of our financial year
   
   Huge opportunities to learn and develop whether through professional qualifications, exposure to incredible business projects or informal lunch & learns, hosted by your colleagues
   
   Healthcare
   
   401k match
   
   Free food (monthly munchies, bagel Fridays, fresh fruit & snacks and coffee and tea on tap)
   
   Central office locations with cool open plan working spaces. We operate a flexible working plan and are COVID secure.
   
   We're Future. We're 3000+ colleagues over 250+ brands speaking to 400 million people every month across the globe through websites, events and magazines. We haven't just survived over the past couple of years, we've thrived, increasing our audience share, taking more number one positions, acquiring new businesses and launching new brands.
   
   And we don't plan on stopping any time soon.
   
   We've got ambitious plans that build on our growth momentum and unlock new opportunities and we're looking for talented people who want to be a part of it.
   
   Our Future, Our Responsibility - Inclusion and Diversity at Future
   
   We have a voice and we're going to use it. We promote diversity and inclusion not just in our recruitment processes, but everything we do. We're an equal opportunity employer and we will continue to ensure our recruitment process is free of bias and our workplaces are inclusive, positive, free of discrimination and respecting of all backgrounds and beliefs. Our culture is underpinned by our values and employees - current and future - are treated with respect and fairness. Find out more about Our Future, Our Responsibility on our website.
   
   #LI-JG1

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right editor in chief for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your editor in chief job on Zippia to find and recruit editor in chief candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as problogger, media bistro, journalismjobs.com, content writing jobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with editor in chief 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 editor in chief

   Once you've found the editor in chief candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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 editor in chief. 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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