How to hire a senior writer

How to hire a senior writer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior writer hiring guide:

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

What does a senior writer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a senior writer, 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

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

   Type of Senior Writer	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Writer	Writers and authors develop written content for advertisements, books, magazines, movie and television scripts, songs, blogs, and other online publications.	$25-56
   Publisher	A publisher manages the design, editing, and production process with the help of proofreaders, printers, and editors. Publishers make schedules for every stage of the process and work backward from the planned date for publication... Show more	$20-57
   Managing Editor	Managing editors are individuals who coordinate and oversee the editorial activities of a publication. They administer the daily operations or a website or publication, such as generating ideas and planning and editing content... Show more	$28-63

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Web Content
   • WordPress
   • PowerPoint
   • Content Strategy
   • Subject Matter Experts
   • UI
   • Press Releases
   • Proofreading
   • SEO
   • Instagram
   • Facebook
   • Twitter
   • Blog Posts

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage agency's web site and Facebook page.
   • Volunteer to manage the company s intranet content, learning basic HTML coding.
   • Manage staff & contract writers, editors & proofreaders on large content and copywriting projects.
   • Manage publication review process, including technical and editorial review by in-house and outside reviewers.
   • Provide editorial and proofreading assistance with presentation and marketing materials, speeches and content development.
   • Skil with Snapchat and Instagram.

   More senior writer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, senior writers' average salary in hawaii is 57% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior writers earn 54% less than senior-level senior writers.
   • Certifications. A senior writer 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 senior writer's salary.

   Average senior writer salary

   $80,145yearly

   $38.53 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior writer salary

   $54,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average senior writer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$137,017	$66
   2	District of Columbia	$102,773	$49
   3	Washington	$101,362	$49
   4	New York	$97,357	$47
   5	Wisconsin	$94,474	$45
   6	Massachusetts	$92,911	$45
   7	New Jersey	$89,739	$43
   8	Illinois	$88,802	$43
   9	Virginia	$88,349	$42
   10	Utah	$87,887	$42
   11	Delaware	$85,019	$41
   12	Maryland	$84,512	$41
   13	North Dakota	$82,175	$40
   14	West Virginia	$78,657	$38
   15	Texas	$78,255	$38
   16	North Carolina	$78,024	$38
   17	Oregon	$77,785	$37
   18	Minnesota	$77,569	$37
   19	Michigan	$76,577	$37
   20	Pennsylvania	$75,898	$36

   Average senior writer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$146,393	$70.38	7
   2	Turo	$143,538	$69.01
   3	Amazon	$135,415	$65.10	19
   4	Qualtrics	$128,848	$61.95
   5	Aspiration	$125,927	$60.54
   6	CrowdStrike	$123,736	$59.49
   7	Microsoft	$120,939	$58.14	4
   8	GoDaddy	$120,722	$58.04
   9	Cohen & Steers	$120,673	$58.02
   10	Neiman Marcus Group	$119,548	$57.48
   11	The New York Times Company	$118,817	$57.12	36
   12	J.P. Morgan	$114,095	$54.85
   13	WebMD	$113,862	$54.74	10
   14	Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.c. Or Aza	$108,058	$51.95
   15	Texas Mutual Insurance	$107,649	$51.75
   16	Goodby Silverstein & Partners	$107,486	$51.68
   17	Medtronic	$105,693	$50.81	6
   18	Boston Consulting Group	$104,845	$50.41
   19	NRDC	$104,635	$50.31
   20	AllianceBernstein	$104,611	$50.29

4. Writing a senior writer job description

   A good senior writer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a senior writer job description:

   Senior writer job description example

   Max Pay Rate: $70/hr

   Job Duration: contract with an estimated end date on February 10th, 2023

   Location: San Francisco, CA (remote)

   Hours: 40 hours

   The opportunity

   Our client's cloud team is looking for a highly motivated and innovative Senior Writer in the Bay Area or remote to contribute to a range of projects, developing content, copy, and concepts for both individuals and organizations. You will write across a wide range of mediums and formats, including various workflows and email communications.

   This position provides a big opportunity to grow and to use your creativity as our team is constantly part of many, simultaneous initiatives involving multiple audiences, products, and stakeholders, with a high level of visibility.

   You’ll also work with our larger team of content designers on centralized standards, contribute directly to Spectrum, our industry leading design system, and influence the way that millions of creatives interact with our client’s industry-leading tools.

   What you’ll be working on

   • Write content for UX or eCommerce environments , including complex, copy-driven workflows, notifications, landing pages, communications, and in-app messaging.
   • Work with the product and program teams to understand business objectives and user needs and collaborate with team members to determine conceptual direction for digital experiences and integrated communications solutions.
   • Ensure the use of a consistent voice and approved our client's Genuine messaging hierarchy in every execution.
   • Learn and collaborate with peers , mentors and managers in a multi-disciplinary environment.

   Skills:

   • What you need to succeed

   • 6+ years of experience in a copywriting role in a professional

   services/agency environment.

   • Exceptional writing skills, with the ability to write in a range of voices

   and styles for diverse channels and audiences.

   • Track-record on writing for globalization and understanding cultural

   sensitivities.

   • Experience in technology companies or writing about the technology

   environment.

   • Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize

   workload.

   • Understanding of graphic design, web development, interaction

   design and an appreciation of the relationships between textual,

   visual and functional elements.

   • Desire to learn and apply skills in a dynamic multi-disciplinary environment.

   • Passion for great storytelling and systems thinking.

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5. Post your job

   To find the right senior writer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with senior writers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit senior writers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior writer job on Zippia to find and recruit senior writer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with senior writer 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.

   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 senior writer

   Once you've decided on a perfect senior writer 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.

   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 senior writer 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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