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How to hire a news editor

News editor hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring news editors in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a news editor 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 news editor to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a news editor, step by step

To hire a news editor, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a news editor, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step news editor hiring guide:

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

What does a news editor do?

A News Editor reviews and changes the content of a publication provided by writers and other contributors. They generally work for newspapers, magazines, and websites.

Learn more about the specifics of what a news editor does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The news editor 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?

    Hiring the perfect news editor 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.

    Here's a comparison of news editor salaries for various roles:

    Type of News EditorDescriptionHourly rate
    News EditorEditors plan, review, and revise content for publication.$16-38
    JournalistA 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
    Staff WriterA staff writer is a professional who works in the television (TV) or entertainment industry to provide standard content such as news reports, reviews, and features. Since writing content is important, staff writers must be able to collaborate and brainstorm ideas with other staff members in the production process... Show more$13-32
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • News Stories
    • News Coverage
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • SEO
    • Facebook
    • News Website
    • News Articles
    • Edit Stories
    • Editorial Content
    • Local News
    • Photography
    • News Content
    • Adobe Indesign
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage the day-to-day production of the Olympics section as needed.
    • Manage online web CMS, updating metadata, optimizing SEO, editing HTML/CSS, and directing UX/UI updates.
    • Manage content on various CMS systems, including HTML coding and training numerous staff members on various CMS systems.
    • Maintain editorial calendar, manage freelance budget and coordinate with photo editor and designers to help ensure optimal presentation of stories.
    • Cover NFL playoffs and NCAA tournament games.
    • Cover UConn s 2014 NCAA tournament championship run on site.
    More news editor duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your news editor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A news editor salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, news editors' average salary in nebraska is 56% less than in new york.
    • Seniority. Entry-level news editors earn 57% less than senior-level news editors.
    • Certifications. A news editor 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 news editor's salary.

    Average news editor salary

    $53,822yearly

    $25.88 hourly rate

    Entry-level news editor salary
    $35,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 5, 2025

    Average news editor salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1New York$74,058$36
    2Connecticut$68,969$33
    3Massachusetts$66,851$32
    4District of Columbia$64,126$31
    5Virginia$62,965$30
    6Minnesota$59,461$29
    7California$58,778$28
    8Pennsylvania$55,008$26
    9Colorado$51,972$25
    10Nevada$51,405$25
    11Illinois$49,663$24
    12Georgia$49,621$24
    13Arizona$49,010$24
    14Tennessee$47,899$23
    15South Carolina$46,253$22
    16North Carolina$45,930$22
    17Wisconsin$44,226$21
    18Texas$43,321$21
    19Florida$38,449$18
    20Louisiana$38,136$18

    Average news editor salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Apple$123,074$59.177
    2LinkedIn$104,933$50.45
    3The New York Times Company$89,227$42.9024
    4Bloomberg$89,136$42.8518
    5Interactive Brokers$83,699$40.24
    6The Washington Post$81,926$39.393
    7Dow Jones$68,444$32.9110
    8Simons Foundation$67,555$32.48
    9Saint Xavier University$66,413$31.93
    10Urban One$64,119$30.83
    11Entravision Communications$63,566$30.564
    12University of Massachusetts Boston$63,275$30.42
    13Bonneville International$61,717$29.675
    14iHeartMedia$61,381$29.5119
    15NBCUniversal$60,898$29.2863
    16Westwood One Radio Networks Inc$59,820$28.761
    17Medical Billing$59,570$28.64
    18AXIOS HR$58,867$28.303
    19University of Nevada, Reno$57,306$27.551
    20Nexstar Media Group$56,668$27.24179
  4. Writing a news editor job description

    A news editor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a news editor job description:

    News editor job description example

    • 2 years of editing and 4+ years of writing and reporting experience at a publisher or website
    • A newshound approach to tracking down news stories using a wide range of resources
    • Sound editorial judgment and a deep knowledge of the Complex brand
    • Exemplary written and communication skills
    • The ability to work under pressure and hit deadlines while maintaining quality work
    • A strong understanding of SEO best practices and experience working in a CMS
    • A positive and winning attitude working with a team, and can also work independently with little to no supervision

    About BuzzFeed, Inc.

    BuzzFeed, Inc. is the world's leading tech-powered, diversified media company that reaches hundreds of millions of people globally through its cross-platform news and entertainment network. The company produces articles, lists, quizzes, videos, and original series; lifestyle content through brands including Tasty, the world's largest social food network; original reporting and investigative journalism through BuzzFeed News and HuffPost; an industry-leading affiliate business, strategic partnerships, licensing and product development through BuzzFeed Commerce; and original productions across broadcast, cable, SVOD, film and digital platforms for BuzzFeed Studios.

    Life at BuzzFeed, Inc.

    We celebrate inclusion and are committed to equal opportunity employment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, and will not be discriminated against based on age, race, gender, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected category.

    You can expect:

    • A supportive, inclusive atmosphere on a team that values your contributions
    • Opportunities for personal and professional growth through work experience, offerings from our in-house Learning @ BuzzFeed team, our Employee Resource Groups, and more

    We want all employees to feel safe and comfortable when they engage in any in-person meetings, when visiting the office, or when working from an offsite production or meeting location. As part of this commitment to health and safety, BuzzFeed requires COVID-19 vaccines for current U.S. employees, including all newly hired employees. Requests for accommodation per applicable law for health and/or religious reasons will be considered. Union employees are subject to what is outlined in their applicable collective bargaining agreement.

    Note: BuzzFeed, Inc. offers remote/flexible work (unless specified to be required to be in-person) and open to hiring remote candidates who are residents in the following states: CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, MI, MS, MT, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, TX, VA, WA, and WV. For non sales roles, we can also hire in AK, AR, AZ, ID, KS, MO, ND, SC, and VT.

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find news editors 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.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your news editor job on Zippia to find and recruit news editor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites such as problogger, media bistro, journalismjobs.com, content writing jobs.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with news editor 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 news editor

    Once you have selected a candidate for the news editor 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.

    It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new news editor 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 a news editor?

Recruiting news editors involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

News editors earn a median yearly salary is $53,822 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find news editors for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $16 and $38.

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