How to hire an editorial director

How to hire an editorial director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step editorial director hiring guide:

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

What does an editorial director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the editorial director you need to hire. Certain editorial director 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?

   Yes

   No

   An editorial director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, editorial directors 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 editorial directors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Editorial Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Editorial Director	Editors plan, review, and revise content for publication.	$32-69
   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
   Content Writer	The job of content writers is to create the best possible written or visual content ranging from blog posts to press releases. They produce the content for various types of websites, including social networks, news aggregators, and e-commerce sites... Show more	$19-40

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Editorial Content
   • Web Content
   • Editorial Strategy
   • Content Strategy
   • Content Development
   • Project Management
   • Content Creation
   • Editorial Calendar
   • Proofreading
   • Content Marketing
   • Facebook
   • Digital Content
   • Twitter
   • Editorial Standards

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead triage of SEO issues.
   • Manage messaging priorities, and press comments for YouTube, Google, and Guggenheim.
   • Manage the reporting, video production, marketing, brand development and SEO of the brand s website and YouTube channel.
   • Manage the implementation of large-scale editorial systems at commercial publishing, legal publishing, and in-plant publishing organizations.
   • Manage research and editorial staff for production of print and on-line database-driven publications in the commercial real estate industry.
   • Prepare site for forthcoming CMS upgrade and site redesign.

   More editorial director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your editorial director job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An editorial 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 an editorial director in Kansas may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level editorial director usually earns less than a senior-level editorial director. Additionally, an editorial 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 editorial director salary

   $99,934yearly

   $48.05 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level editorial director salary

   $68,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average editorial director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$110,559	$53
   2	California	$109,139	$52
   3	District of Columbia	$107,418	$52
   4	New York	$106,599	$51
   5	Washington	$99,042	$48
   6	Virginia	$95,854	$46
   7	Illinois	$95,265	$46
   8	Texas	$89,114	$43
   9	Massachusetts	$88,774	$43
   10	Georgia	$87,401	$42
   11	Florida	$86,397	$42
   12	North Carolina	$81,764	$39
   13	Colorado	$76,588	$37

   Average editorial director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	McKinsey & Company Inc	$141,345	$67.95
   2	Bloomberg	$131,058	$63.01
   3	The New York Times Company	$122,439	$58.86	3
   4	HowStuffWorks	$116,628	$56.07
   5	NBCUniversal	$109,834	$52.80	14
   6	SFX Entertainment	$109,147	$52.47
   7	Yardi	$108,565	$52.19
   8	American Physical Society	$106,304	$51.11
   9	Qnary	$100,295	$48.22
   10	Randstad North America, Inc.	$99,496	$47.83
   11	WarnerMedia	$98,822	$47.51
   12	Yale University	$98,620	$47.41
   13	Bertelsmann	$98,242	$47.23
   14	Skift	$97,752	$47.00
   15	The Rockefeller University	$96,386	$46.34
   16	LAGARDERE	$96,171	$46.24
   17	Paramount	$95,905	$46.11	7
   18	S&P Global	$95,738	$46.03
   19	Knights of Columbus	$95,637	$45.98
   20	Scholastic	$95,332	$45.83	10

4. Writing an editorial director job description

   An editorial director 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 an editorial director job description:

   Editorial director job description example

   We are hiring an experienced Editorial Director to oversee The Infatuation's expanding coverage and build a team to uncover the best food in cities around the world. You will report to The Infatuation's Editor in Chief and direct a team to produce regularly updated restaurant guides in dozens of global cities, highlight exciting travel destinations, and envision new content opportunities for The Infatuation. We are open to candidates across the country in various locations.
   Primary responsibilities:
   Oversee The Infatuation's growing national and travel editorial division Build and lead a diverse team of editors and writers Produce regularly updated restaurant guides for dozens of U.S. and global cities Conceive and execute on a national content strategy, including developing new content types Collaborate closely with The Infatuation's growth and social media teams to reach new audiences
   Required skills:
   Previous editorial experience creating a big picture vision while maintaining an eye for detail Experience in people management with ability to coach and lead others effectively Must be well-versed in travel and restaurant industries Bachelor's in journalism, communications, creative writing, or similar field preferred
   
   Chase is a leading financial services firm, helping nearly half of America's households and small businesses achieve their financial goals through a broad range of financial products. Our mission is to create engaged, lifelong relationships and put our customers at the heart of everything we do. We also help small businesses, nonprofits and cities grow, delivering solutions to solve all their financial needs.
   
   We recognize that our people are our strength and the diverse talents they bring to our global workforce are directly linked to our success. We are an equal opportunity employer and place a high value on diversity and inclusion at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. In accordance with applicable law, we make reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as any mental health or physical disability needs.
   
   The health and safety of our colleagues, candidates, clients and communities has been a top priority in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. JPMorgan Chase was awarded the "WELL Health-Safety Rating" for all of our 6,200 locations globally based on our operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans to address a post-COVID-19 environment.
   
   As a part of our commitment to health and safety, we have implemented various COVID-related health and safety requirements for our workforce. Employees are expected to follow the Firm's current COVID-19 or other infectious disease health and safety requirements, including local requirements. Requirements include sharing information including your vaccine card in the firm's vaccine record tool, and may include mask wearing. Requirements may change in the future with the evolving public health landscape. JPMorgan Chase will consider accommodation requests as required by applicable law.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veterans

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right editorial director for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with editorial directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit editorial directors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your editorial director job on Zippia to find and attract quality editorial director candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as problogger, media bistro, journalismjobs.com, content writing jobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with editorial director 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 editorial director

   Once you've selected the best editorial 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.

   To prepare for the new editorial director 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 an editorial director?