How to hire a media center assistant

Media center assistant hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring media center assistants in the United States:

In the United States, the median cost per hire a media center assistant is $1,633.
It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new media center assistant to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a media center assistant, step by step

To hire a media center assistant, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a media center assistant:

Here's a step-by-step media center assistant hiring guide:

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

What does a media center assistant do?

A media center assistant is typically in charge of performing support tasks to maintain a smooth workflow in media centers. They often participate in planning and executing media projects and programs, process documentation, answer inquiries, manage the project and team members' schedules, conduct research and analysis, disseminate information, and liaise with internal and external parties. Furthermore, as an assistant, it is essential to monitor the progress of all operations while regularly reporting to managers and supervisors.

Learn more about the specifics of what a media center assistant does

Post a media center assistant job for free, promote it for a fee

Identify your hiring needs

First, determine the employments status of the media center assistant you need to hire. Certain media center assistant 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?

A media center assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, media center assistants 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.

This list presents media center assistant salaries for various positions.

Type of Media Center Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
Media Center Assistant	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$10-21

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Patients
- Basic Math
- CPR
- Crisis Intervention
- PowerPoint
- Data Entry
- Rehabilitation
- Math
- Cleanliness
- Collating
- Office Equipment
- Telephone Calls
- Quality Customer Service
- Front Desk
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Manage ALC interactive exhibition operations including ALC staff and guest services, gallery prep/maintenance and inventory of art materials.
- Analyze print ads to ensure they run in accordance to the submitted proposal.
- Inventory, assist with ordering new material, cataloging new material, cash handling.
- Type or enter all book or magazine information in the appropriate format for cataloging and retrieval.
- Perform other duties as assigned, including coordinating tutoring services, tutoring mathematics, planning events, etc.
- Organize book-shelf, toys, and activity center to ensure cleanliness and operational use for next business day functions.
More media center assistant duties

Make a budget

Including a salary range in your media center assistant job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A media center assistant 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 media center assistant in Arkansas may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level media center assistant usually earns less than a senior-level media center assistant. Additionally, a media center assistant 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 media center assistant salary

$14.93hourly

$31,047 yearly

Entry-level media center assistant salary

$21,000 yearly salary

Updated December 16, 2025

Average media center assistant salary by state

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	California	$39,316	$19
2	District of Columbia	$38,385	$18
3	Massachusetts	$35,169	$17
4	Washington	$32,458	$16
5	North Dakota	$31,714	$15
6	Minnesota	$30,639	$15
7	New York	$30,447	$15
8	Illinois	$29,298	$14
9	Colorado	$28,619	$14
10	Wisconsin	$28,545	$14
11	Utah	$28,168	$14
12	Alaska	$27,856	$13
13	New Mexico	$27,685	$13
14	Ohio	$26,647	$13
15	Arizona	$25,927	$12
16	Georgia	$25,711	$12
17	Texas	$24,988	$12
18	North Carolina	$24,967	$12
19	Florida	$24,814	$12
20	Michigan	$23,720	$11

Average media center assistant salary by company

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	$81,436	$39.15	2
2	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$76,157	$36.61	23
3	University of California-Berkeley	$49,331	$23.72	1
4	University of California	$48,954	$23.54	28
5	Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College	$44,698	$21.49
6	The University of Chicago	$43,741	$21.03	8
7	University of Southern California	$42,649	$20.50	5
8	The College of St. Scholastica	$40,652	$19.54	1
9	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$40,576	$19.51
10	Georgetown University	$40,306	$19.38	16
11	Nexus IS	$38,743	$18.63
12	Toppan Interamerica, Inc.	$37,679	$18.11
13	New York State Restaurant Association	$37,152	$17.86
14	Northwest Center	$36,892	$17.74
15	Liberty HomeCare and Hospice	$36,700	$17.64	12
16	Crete Carrier	$36,300	$17.45
17	General Dynamics	$36,213	$17.41	6
18	HD Supply	$35,225	$16.94	5
19	Baylor College of Medicine	$34,270	$16.48
20	National Audubon Society	$34,105	$16.40	2

Writing a media center assistant job description
A job description for a media center assistant 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 a media center assistant job description:
Media center assistant job description example
Location: Del Prado (#139)

Based in Fort Myers, Florida, Goodwill of Southwest Florida is committed to serving people with disabilities and disadvantages by offering life-changing opportunities to achieve independence., goodwill industries of Southwest Florida works with the community providing support in mission services, retail and donated goods, and business development.

Description of Responsibilities : Great customer service skills. Able to bend, stoop, kneel, reach frequently and lift up to 40 pounds with or without assistance. Basic English communication skills. Must be able to work a flexible schedule and weekends. Greet donors and thank them for their donation. Offer donor a receipt. Sort and organize merchandise as per instructions. Must pass background test & drug test. Prior felony convictions will not exclude you from employment.

Required Experience: High school diploma or the equivalent preferred; basic math understanding

Required skills: Ability to work with very minimum supervision; understand and follow oral or written instructions; understand and follow oral or written instructions; frequently lift up to 40 pounds; Able to work in outside environment with exposure to heat and other elements of weather.
BENEFITS AND EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING
- Health, vision and dental plans
- 403(b) retirement plan
- Paid holidays
- Personal time off (PTO)
- Employee Assistance Program
- Store Discounts
- Tuition Reimbursement
Goodwill Southwest Florida is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Workplace Values Respect: We treat all people with dignity and respect. Stewardship: We honor our heritage by being socially, financially, and environmentally responsible. Ethics: We strive to meet the highest ethical standards. Learning: We challenge each other to strive for excellence and to continually learn. Innovation: We embrace continuous improvement, bold creativity, and change.

Job Posted by ApplicantPro
Post your job
There are various strategies that you can use to find the right media center assistant 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 media center assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit media center assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
During your first interview to recruit media center assistants, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.
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.
Send a job offer and onboard your new media center assistant
Once you've decided on a perfect media center assistant 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.
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 media center assistant. 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.
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.)
Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a media center assistant?

Before you start to hire media center assistants, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire media center assistants pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $31,047 per year for a media center assistant, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for media center assistants in the US typically range between $10 and $21 an hour.

Find better media center assistants in less time

Post a job on Zippia and hire the best from over 7 million monthly job seekers.

Hiring media center assistants FAQs

How much does a good media center assistant cost?

What are the duties of a media center assistant?

Should I hire a media center assistant with no experience?

Search for media center assistant jobs

Ready to start hiring?

Updated December 16, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs

How to hire a media center assistant