How to hire a morning show host

How to hire a morning show host, step by step

Here's a step-by-step morning show host hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The morning show host 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

   A morning show host's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, morning show hosts 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 morning show host salaries for various roles:

   Type of Morning Show Host	Description	Hourly rate
   Morning Show Host	Announcers present music, news, and sports and may provide commentary or interview guests about these or other important topics. Some act as masters of ceremonies (emcees) or disc jockeys (DJs) at weddings, parties, or clubs.	$11-35
   On-Air Personality	On-Air personalities are celebrities with a platform on broadcast media. They are usually radio hosts hosting a talk show, a podcast, or even a music program... Show more	$11-36
   Radio Internship	In a radio internship, an intern's duties depend on the directives of a supervising staff or manager. Typically, they gather industry insights and experience while performing support tasks such as answering calls and correspondence, preparing and processing documentation, conducting research, and running errands as needed... Show more	$10-51

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Radio Station
   • FCC
   • FM
   • Adobe Audition
   • Facebook
   • On-Air Promotions
   • Radio Commercials
   • Station Website
   • Control Board
   • YouTube
   • Station Events
   • Live Remotes
   • Public Appearances
   • Live Broadcasts

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage daily operations, to includetalent management, FCC compliance and``public file".
   • Manage commercial production, station remotes and appearances, blogging while being on the air mid-days.
   • Organize CPR and a classes as needed.
   • Host of various talk/news/entertainment programs.
   • Provide play-by-play coverage of area high school athletic events when call upon.
   • Take meter readings, EAS system tests, on-air live reads from sponsors and reading weather.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, morning show hosts' average salary in nebraska is 51% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level morning show hosts earn 68% less than senior-level morning show hosts.
   • Certifications. A morning show host 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 morning show host's salary.

   Average morning show host salary

   $42,336yearly

   $20.35 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level morning show host salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

4. Writing a morning show host job description

   A job description for a morning show host 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 morning show host job description:

   Morning show host job description example

   Beasley Media Group
   
   Full-time
   
   Wilmington, DE
   
   Posted 9 months ago
   
   Location: Wilmington, DE
   
   Date: February 1, 2022
   
   Beasley Media Group WJBR-FM, Wilmington is looking for an energetic Morning Show Co Host! This is a great opportunity for an authentic communicator who understands how to engage our audience both on-air and online through great story telling, sharing funny moments from everyday life, and a willingness to live their life on the radio! If you have a passion for, and understanding of the Delaware Valley's unique pop culture and todays Adult Contemporary format, this job could be for you!
   
   Our on air talent should have a minimum of 2 years of on air experience. Past experience with Adobe Audition/Production Skills, and multiple social media platforms are a plus and will be considered as growth potential within our group.
   
   JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
   
   + Prepare and deliver Station programming elements as directed by management in the assigned daypart/air-shift.
   
   + Connect, communicate with, and entertain an audience; on-air - on-line - and in-person.
   
   + Generate ratings consistent with the expectation of Company management for the Talent's daypart.
   
   + Make public appearances which may be broadcast that promote and publicize the Station and Company or which aid the Company in the selling of commercial airtime.
   
   + Create, write, voice, and edit audio for the purposes of performing a show or commercial production.
   
   + Participate in rehearsals, recording sessions, program and promotion meetings, publicity and photo sessions and other such events relating to Station's business as Company may reasonably request.
   
   + Take direction and execute the plan of the Station's brand with a positive disposition in association with colleagues and management in the company's Programming, Sales, Digital, and Business departments.
   
   + Render services at the facilities of the Station (Studios) or from remote/on-site locations at the Company's discretion.
   
   + Abide by all applicable Employer and Station training requirements and policies, including, but not limited to:
   
   + Programming Content Policy
   
   + Website Content & Social Media Policies
   
   + Code of Conduct
   
   + All laws, rules, and regulations of the FCC, FTC, or any other governmental agency
   
   Interested applicants should indicate where they found the posting when submitting a cover letter and resume to: Eric Johnson, Program Director at:[email protected]
   
   Beasley Media Group, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   Please be aware of fraudulent job postings and offers- Beasley Media Group LLC. will never request money from any applicant or new hire as part of its on-boarding process. We will not hire through text message/social media/email alone.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find morning show hosts for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   To find morning show host candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as problogger, media bistro, journalismjobs.com, content writing jobs.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit morning show hosts, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up 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 morning show host

   Once you've found the morning show host candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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 morning show host 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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