How to hire a media production specialist

How to hire a media production specialist, step by step

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

What does a media production specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your media production specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a media production specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A media production specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, media production specialists 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 media production specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Media Production Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Media Production Specialist	Public relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent. They design media releases to shape public perception of their organization and to increase awareness of its work and goals.	$18-35
   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
   Videographer	A videographer specializes in shooting and editing high-definition videos of different events, making them presentable to clients. They are primarily responsible for having their video equipment, coordinating with clients to learn any preferences or particular requests, capturing and recording from the best angle, and producing results quickly and accurately... Show more	$14-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Training Videos
   • Video Production
   • Graphic Design
   • Photography
   • Motion Graphics
   • Adobe Premiere
   • Video Content
   • Animation
   • Media Management
   • Adobe Creative Suite
   • Premiere Pro
   • Print Production
   • Video Projects
   • HTML

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Upload all videos and manage YouTube content site including comments, statistics, etc.
   • Provide right-hand executive assistance to the editor-in-chief; manage all aspects of professional life.
   • Facilitate teleconferences in various rooms at the CDC's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia by integrating audiovisual equipment with teleconferencing units.
   • Function as primary contact for journal editors and sponsoring societies to coordinate editorial and production activities.

   More media production specialist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, media production specialists' average salary in mississippi is 50% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level media production specialists earn 48% less than senior-level media production specialists.
   • Certifications. A media production specialist 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 production specialist's salary.

   Average media production specialist salary

   $53,243yearly

   $25.60 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level media production specialist salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average media production specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$64,359	$31
   2	California	$63,829	$31
   3	Colorado	$53,168	$26
   4	New York	$52,929	$25
   5	Texas	$51,873	$25
   6	Michigan	$49,700	$24
   7	Illinois	$48,325	$23
   8	Nevada	$47,818	$23
   9	Georgia	$42,295	$20
   10	Alabama	$40,628	$20
   11	Florida	$39,599	$19

   Average media production specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Keysight Technologies	$79,386	$38.17
   2	University of California-Berkeley	$72,792	$35.00
   3	Gaia	$72,749	$34.98
   4	Crown Equipment	$67,598	$32.50	7
   5	University of Illinois Springfield	$63,479	$30.52
   6	Nea Rhode Island	$59,901	$28.80
   7	Quest Diagnostics	$58,022	$27.90	2
   8	SA Technologies Inc	$56,616	$27.22	3
   9	Eastern Washington University	$54,374	$26.14
   10	Orange County High School	$52,739	$25.36
   11	Honda	$50,249	$24.16	8
   12	North Oaks Health System	$49,174	$23.64
   13	Viewpoint School	$47,318	$22.75
   14	Columbus Zoo and Aquarium	$42,608	$20.48
   15	Auburn University	$41,840	$20.12	9
   16	County of Riverside	$40,569	$19.50	1

4. Writing a media production specialist job description

   A job description for a media production specialist 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 production specialist job description:

   Media production specialist job description example

   
   25342
   
   Location
   
   Queensborough CC
   
   Full/Part Time
   
   Full-Time
   
   Regular/Temporary
   
   Regular
   
   POSITION DETAILS
   
   The Marketing and Communications Division at Queensborough Community College welcomes applications for the position of Communications Broadcast-Multi Media Production Specialist.
   
   Reporting to the Director of Web and Application Services, the Communications Broadcast & Multimedia Production Specialist will support the creation and maintenance of communications and messaging posted to the website and other digital platforms. In addition to the duties outlined in the CUNY Title Overview, responsibilities include:
   
   * Create and update top-level content on the College's websites using the content management system (Cascade CMS)
   
   * Create and maintain content archives, including website media libraries, marketing files, and College media assets
   
   * Liaise with and train other stakeholders (faculty/staff) on creating and updating content on the College's websites
   
   * Create and update content on the College's digital signage system (Yodeck)
   
   * Collaborate extensively with the Office of Marketing & Communications on producing content for web, email, and digital signage campaigns
   
   * Track and work on ticket requests related to the College's websites, digital signage, and making digital content accessible
   
   * Collaborate with other members of the Web and Applications Services team to support their work and implement UI/UX design changes on the College's websites
   
   * Utilize and enforce Queensborough Community College brand and style guidelines across the College's entire digital presence
   
   * Identify stale or outdated content on the website and collaborate with content providers to ensure content accuracy
   
   * Implement and utilize SEO best practices for all content on the College's websites
   
   * Monitor and report on data related to the College's websites from analytics tools including Google Analytics
   
   * Understand and make use of ADA strategies to ensure digital content is compliant with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards, ADA 508 standards, and College web standards
   
   * Support College entities in content strategy and production
   
   CUNY is an equal opportunity employer, is committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce and is dedicated to recruiting and retaining professionals who share the College's commitment to equity. It welcomes nominations of, and applications from members of protected groups including minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities, as well as others who would bring additional perspectives to the university's mission. Candidates with demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusiveness through their research, teaching and/or service are also encouraged to apply. One of Queensborough Community College's greatest strengths, and a necessary element of excellence, is the diversity of our community. We strive to attract and nurture a talented and diverse faculty and staff that proudly reflect the unique character of the local Queens community, the most diverse county in the United States.
   
   QUALIFICATIONS
   
   Bachelor's degree and four years' related experience required.
   
   Preferred Qualifications:
   
   * 3+ years experience using Hannon Hill Cascade CMS
   
   * 3+ years experience with creating accessibility compliant web and other digital content
   
   * 3+ years experience using a work management or ticketing system such as Workfront or Service Now
   
   * Excellent writing and editing skills
   
   * Excellent knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other web technologies
   
   * Experience working in an academic institution
   
   * Effective communication and interpersonal skills
   
   * Proactive and detail-oriented
   
   * Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively
   
   * Ability to work occasional nonstandard business hours, including evenings and weekends, as needed Candidates will be required to provide proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 upon commencing employment. Exemption (medical or religious) requests to this requirement will be considered in accordance with applicable law. Being fully vaccinated is defined for this purpose as being at least two weeks past their final dose of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine regimen. Final candidates must be fully vaccinated as of their first day of employment.All CUNY employees must reside within a commutable distance to the tri-state area.
   
   CUNY TITLE OVERVIEW
   
   Provides expertise in digital and visual communications to support and advance the College's multimedia presence.
   
   * Researches and identifies new multimedia platforms that advance College programs and initiatives
   
   * Works closely with management to understand and produce effective message elements
   
   * Creates and aligns various communication work products such as video, digital formats, layouts, graphics, web pages, and microsites to ensure consistency and effective messaging
   
   * Assesses, enhances and manages the user experience on digital platforms including social media
   
   * Collaborates with graphic designers, webmasters, and other information technology professionals to create comprehensive broadcast and multimedia communications
   
   * Procures required internal and external resources and services and manages their utilization
   
   * Performs related duties as assigned.
   
   CUNY TITLE
   
   Higher Education Assistant
   
   FLSA
   
   Exempt
   
   COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
   
   Salary commensurate with education and experience.
   
   CUNY's benefits contribute significantly to total compensation, supporting health and wellness, financial well-being, and professional development. We offer a range of health plans, competitive retirement/pension benefits and savings plans, tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study and generous paid time off. Our staff also benefits from the extensive academic, arts, and athletic programs on our campuses and the opportunity to participate in a lively, diverse academic community in one of the greatest cities in the world.
   
   HOW TO APPLY
   
   
   Candidates must provide a resume and cover letter.
   
   CLOSING DATE
   
   November 3, 2022.
   
   Review of resumes to begin immediately.
   
   JOB SEARCH CATEGORY
   
   CUNY Job Posting: Managerial/Professional
   
   EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
   
   CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right media production specialist 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 production specialist job on Zippia to find and attract quality media production specialist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with media production specialist 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 media production specialist

   Once you've selected the best media production specialist 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new media production specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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.)

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How much does it cost to hire a media production specialist?