How to hire a media producer

How to hire a media producer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step media producer 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 producer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new media producer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a media producer do?

Post a media producer job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a media producer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect media producer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of media producers.

   Type of Media Producer	Description	Hourly rate
   Media Producer	Producers and directors create motion pictures, television shows, live theater, commercials, and other performing arts productions. They interpret a writer’s script to entertain or inform an audience.	$19-37
   Freelance Videographer/Editor	A freelance videographer/editor is responsible for processing and editing video contents, usually on a project basis. Freelance videographer/editors create their footage using their shooting equipment, utilize various design and editing software, and finish the project based on the clients' specifications and deliverables... Show more	$16-32
   Freelance Video Editor	A freelance video editor offers video editing services to individuals and businesses. Most freelance video editors manage their own time and work at their preferred places, some even working from home... Show more	$15-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Instagram
   • Training Videos
   • Twitter
   • Video Production
   • Video Content
   • YouTube
   • Adobe Premiere
   • Social Content
   • SEO
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Social Media Analytics
   • Master Control
   • Photography
   • Graphic Design

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and track media clips regarding the U.S. Senate race.
   • Participate in brainstorming sessions, proofread and edit marketing materials, manage magazine inventory.
   • Organize media management system for archival footage, photography, and animations.
   • Create PowerPoint presentations incorporating charts, scans, photographs and graphics.
   • Act as the sole video consultant for all videos publish to Facebook and YouTube.
   • Lead marketing strategy & implementation, social media, SEO, & new business development.

   More media producer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, media producers' average salary in south carolina is 47% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level media producers earn 48% less than senior-level media producers.
   • Certifications. A media producer 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 a media producer's salary.

   Average media producer salary

   $57,433yearly

   $27.61 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level media producer salary

   $41,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average media producer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$69,313	$33
   2	Georgia	$66,729	$32
   3	California	$66,524	$32
   4	New York	$64,458	$31
   5	District of Columbia	$57,230	$28
   6	Massachusetts	$55,926	$27
   7	Washington	$53,589	$26
   8	Maryland	$51,304	$25
   9	Delaware	$50,582	$24
   10	Rhode Island	$50,440	$24
   11	North Carolina	$50,138	$24
   12	Colorado	$49,125	$24
   13	Pennsylvania	$48,769	$23
   14	Alaska	$47,299	$23
   15	Illinois	$45,718	$22
   16	Texas	$44,367	$21
   17	Arizona	$43,933	$21
   18	Utah	$43,840	$21
   19	Arkansas	$42,673	$21
   20	Florida	$42,549	$20

   Average media producer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Altice USA	$79,814	$38.37
   2	Tesla	$70,469	$33.88
   3	Deloitte	$68,595	$32.98	6
   4	CBS Sports Network	$68,212	$32.79
   5	Raymond James Financial	$67,895	$32.64
   6	Williams Sonoma	$65,576	$31.53	1
   7	Santa Clara University	$65,305	$31.40
   8	Fox News	$65,189	$31.34
   9	BDO USA	$64,883	$31.19
   10	ViacomCBS	$64,354	$30.94
   11	ASRC Federal	$61,481	$29.56
   12	University of California-Berkeley	$61,344	$29.49
   13	Boston College	$59,803	$28.75
   14	Future	$59,756	$28.73
   15	Pearson	$59,325	$28.52
   16	Orchestrate TechSolutions, LLC	$58,804	$28.27
   17	Morning Brew	$58,777	$28.26	2
   18	CoStar Group	$58,630	$28.19	4
   19	Nexstar Media Group	$58,220	$27.99	165
   20	NextGen America	$57,953	$27.86	1

4. Writing a media producer job description

   A job description for a media producer 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 producer job description:

   Media producer job description example

   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.
   
   As Commercial Content Producer you will use your creative thinking, superior organisational, time management and communication skills you will be responsible for the smooth delivery of projects, big and small on Future's Games, Entertainment and Tech Brands. From the moment we receive the brief you will become the point of contact for the client and responsible for distilling that brief into a project plan with a clear set of deliverables. From small studio shoots to large location shoots you will need to put together a team of content creators to deliver on our idea and produce engaging and high quality content that will be distributed across the Future brands.
   
   The team works across a wide range of projects such as video productions, online content marketing, digital advertising and print and we coordinate with internal departments and third party suppliers to put it all together. It is a fast paced department that offers daily challenges and we have a fantastic team that loves what they do.
   
   Requirements
   
   Demonstrable experience with content creation inc both video and photography.
   
   Experience of events / experiential / online streaming
   
   The ability to think creatively to translate a creative idea into something that can be produced for the budget and time constraints without compromising the integrity of the initial idea.
   
   Ability to track and manage projects within the agreed budget
   
   Campaign reporting, with an ability to write reports for an internal and external audience
   
   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
   
   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 media producer 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 producer job on Zippia to find and recruit media producer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit media producers, 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.

   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 media producer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the media producer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the 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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a media producer?