How to hire an investigative reporter

How to hire an investigative reporter, step by step

Here's a step-by-step investigative reporter hiring guide:

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

What does an investigative reporter do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The investigative reporter 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

   An investigative reporter's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, investigative reporters 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.

   Here's a comparison of investigative reporter salaries for various roles:

   Type of Investigative Reporter	Description	Hourly rate
   Investigative Reporter	Reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts inform the public about news and events happening internationally, nationally, and locally. They report the news for newspapers, magazines, websites, television, and radio.	$19-50
   Journalist	A journalist is responsible for creating written correspondence, covering various subjects as the management requires. This task involves a lot of research investigations, conducting interviews, and gathering reliable sources to verify the authenticity of data before releasing the articles on news portals and other social platforms... Show more	$18-45
   Technical Editor	A technical editor is someone who proofreads, revises, and edits technical documents. He/She or she checks for grammar, punctuation, and style to ensure that the technical content meets company standards... Show more	$22-38

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Investigative Journalism
   • Investigative Stories
   • Facebook
   • Story Development
   • News Coverage
   • Public Service
   • Clips
   • Newspapers
   • ABC
   • MVR
   • Feature Stories
   • News Tips
   • Telephone Calls
   • Public Appearances

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Report to managing editor as member of editorial staff, contribute to newspaper editorials.
   • Produce and edit clips for the newspaper website.
   • Perform employment, educational, mvr, and professional reference/license checks.
   • Edit video tape to create packages, perform on camera and in voiceovers.
   • Produce videos for DeSmogBlog including longer investigative pieces and short Facebook pieces design to be share.
   • Create headlines for print as well as headlines for the web that are search engine optimize (SEO).

   More investigative reporter duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your investigative reporter job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An investigative reporter salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, investigative reporters' average salary in hawaii is 50% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level investigative reporters earn 62% less than senior-level investigative reporters.
   • Certifications. An investigative reporter with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an investigative reporter's salary.

   Average investigative reporter salary

   $65,230yearly

   $31.36 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level investigative reporter salary

   $40,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average investigative reporter salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$91,401	$44
   2	New Jersey	$89,122	$43
   3	District of Columbia	$85,614	$41
   4	California	$83,038	$40
   5	Maryland	$78,568	$38
   6	Massachusetts	$76,985	$37
   7	Ohio	$75,628	$36
   8	Michigan	$75,457	$36
   9	Connecticut	$73,676	$35
   10	Missouri	$73,305	$35
   11	Illinois	$72,071	$35
   12	Wisconsin	$71,986	$35
   13	Virginia	$69,861	$34
   14	Nevada	$69,780	$34
   15	North Carolina	$68,432	$33
   16	New Mexico	$68,185	$33
   17	Tennessee	$66,753	$32
   18	Arizona	$64,191	$31
   19	Texas	$59,835	$29
   20	North Dakota	$59,320	$29

   Average investigative reporter salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	HSBC Bank	$112,720	$54.19	1
   2	Informa Plc	$96,375	$46.33	1
   3	Pro Publica, Inc.	$93,460	$44.93	6
   4	Nexstar Media Group	$85,100	$40.91	119
   5	ACLU of Illinois	$84,109	$40.44
   6	The Walt Disney Company	$81,804	$39.33	29
   7	Medical Billing	$76,911	$36.98
   8	The E.W. Scripps Company	$74,073	$35.61	20
   9	Sinclair Broadcast Group	$66,684	$32.06	87
   10	CalMatters	$65,062	$31.28
   11	Mergermarket	$62,688	$30.14
   12	TEGNA	$58,961	$28.35	28
   13	Gray Television	$55,780	$26.82	82
   14	WTTW	$55,710	$26.78
   15	American Public Media Group	$55,530	$26.70	6
   16	Middle East Broadcasting Network	$52,634	$25.30	3
   17	Florida Gulf Coast University	$52,277	$25.13
   18	Gannett	$48,279	$23.21	25
   19	Hearst	$43,643	$20.98	112
   20	McClatchy	$43,535	$20.93	21

4. Writing an investigative reporter job description

   A good investigative reporter job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an investigative reporter job description:

   Investigative reporter job description example

   Application Instructions
   
   Please list all professional experience and explain any gaps in employment history. All of your application materials, which may include PDF files of work samples and/or links to audio, video, photography or graphics, must be uploaded to the field labeled Resume/Cover Letter/Work Samples to be considered for the position.
   
   Job Description
   
   The Washington Post is seeking a reporter to join its growing investigative and accountability team in Sports.
   
   We are searching for someone with relentless curiosity about the forces that shape the sports world and a commitment to holding powerful individuals and institutions accountable.
   
   This journalist should have a track record of landing scoops and breaking stories, and the ability to craft enterprise and narrative journalism that is both revealing and engrossing. The ideal candidate should have demonstrated the ability to cultivate sources and obtain documents, including through state and federal open records laws.
   
   Using the latest reporting techniques and technology, this journalist should be able to process financial, legal and technical documents, synthesize complex reporting and write in a clear, engaging way. The ideal candidate will be able to juggle long-term investigations with quick-turn news stories and pivot quickly toward developments that warrant deeper exploration.
   
   This position requires a strong work ethic and sense of urgency, and the ability to work independently and to collaborate with others. A deep knowledge of sports institutions and hierarchies, while beneficial, is not a requirement.
   
   Those interested should upload a cover letter, resume and three examples of outstanding coverage (as PDFs) to our jobs portal. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled, but those received by 10/14/22 will be prioritized. All application materials can be uploaded to the same field. The cover letter should be addressed to Sports Editor Matt Vita, Deputy Sports Editor Matt Rennie, Sports Investigations Editor Joe Tone, and Managing Editors Steven Ginsberg and Krissah Thompson.
   
   The Post strives to provide its readers with high-quality, trustworthy news and information while constantly innovating. That mission is best served by a diverse, multi-generational workforce with varied life experiences and perspectives. All cultures and backgrounds are welcomed.
   
   Ever wondered if what you are doing will Impact Tomorrow? At The Washington Post, every employee shapes the way we deliver the news. Find the career that's right for you
   #washpostlife

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right investigative reporter 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 investigative reporter job on Zippia to find and attract quality investigative reporter candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as problogger, media bistro, journalismjobs.com, content writing jobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting investigative reporters requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 investigative reporter

   Once you've selected the best investigative reporter 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.

   To prepare for the new investigative reporter 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 investigative reporter?