How to hire a sports writer

How to hire a sports writer, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your sports writer 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 sports writer 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a sports writer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a sports writer that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of sports writer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Sports Writer	Description	Hourly rate
   Sports Writer	Reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts inform the public about news and events happening internationally, nationally, and locally. They report the news for newspapers, magazines, websites, television, and radio.	$12-24
   Production Editor	A production editor is responsible for checking publication materials before printing and distribution to ensure error-free and accurate content. Production editors must have excellent writing communication skills to perform editing and proofreading of materials efficiently, following strict requirements of publication deadlines... Show more	$19-32
   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:

   • SEO
   • Game Coverage
   • Feature Stories
   • Twitter
   • Soccer
   • News Stories
   • Softball
   • HTML
   • Local Schools
   • Game Stories
   • Photography
   • NFL
   • NBA
   • Volleyball

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and encourage the Student/Staff in completion of tasks that are present.
   • Achieve worldwide coverage with one particular article criticizing racism in soccer.
   • Manage athletic contest statistics using various programs including Dakstats and other software.
   • Maintain social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and twitterconduct interviews with sourcesWrote local sports stories and take photographs
   • Produce content for multiple MLB and NFL stand-alone publications and special sections.
   • Assist with writing blogs for former Exitos939.com, tweets, facebook, Instagram posts on a daily/weekly basis.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, sports writers' average salary in south carolina is 47% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level sports writers earn 51% less than senior-level sports writers.
   • Certifications. A sports 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 sports writer's salary.

   Average sports writer salary

   $36,041yearly

   $17.33 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level sports writer salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

4. Writing a sports writer job description

   A sports writer 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. Below, you can find an example of a sports writer job description:

   Sports writer job description example

   Santa Clara Valley (Cupertino),California,United States
   
   Marketing
   
   + 8+ years experience writing about sports, including professional soccer.
   
   + Experience managing accelerated timelines and shifting deliverables-while being able to prioritize, communicate tradeoffs, and stay on track.
   
   + Experience partnering with various collaborators (Design, Marketing, UX, Engineering) to tell stories in online environments.
   
   + Excellent communication, cross-department collaboration, and planning skills with an impeccable attention to detail.
   
   + Experience driving editorial strategy and working hands-on to realize that vision.
   
   **Description**
   
   We're looking for a dynamic, highly organized writer to help craft central messaging about soccer and all things sports. Based in Cupertino, this role is responsible for writing copy that will appear on the Apple TV app, as well as additional customer-facing comms (emails, push notifications, and other marketing-specific initiatives). Must be a top-notch writer and skilled editor who can collaborate across a wide variety of teams to ensure that our creative vision is realized in the copy that we produce. Must also play a critical role in evolving our editorial voice and inspiring customers to not only engage with sports content on the Apple TV app, but have the best experience doing so. The role demands being able to articulate a high-level vision and advocate for it, but also dive into the details. It's critical to have experience partnering with executives across an organization to understand and support upcoming priorities. The ideal candidate is a brilliant communicator, both spoken and written, with a deep knowledge and experience writing about live sports.
   
   **Education & Experience**
   
   Bachelor's degree required.
   
   **Additional Requirements**
   
   **Apple Footer**
   
   Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant (Opens in a new window) .
   
   Apple will not discriminate or retaliate against applicants who inquire about, disclose, or discuss their compensation or that of other applicants. United States Department of Labor. Learn more (Opens in a new window) .
   
   Apple is required to comply with a COVID-19 vaccination mandate issued by the New York City Department of Health. We will verify the vaccination status of all New York City team members who are working at an Apple Store, office, or partner store in New York City. New York City Department of Health Learn more (Opens in a new window) .
   
   Apple will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law. If you're applying for a position in San Francisco, review the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance guidelines (opens in a new window) applicable in your area.
   
   Apple participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law. Learn more about the E-Verify program (Opens in a new window) .
   
   Apple is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. Apple is a drug-free workplace. Reasonable Accommodation and Drug Free Workplace policy Learn more (Opens in a new window) .

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find sports writers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any sports writers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level sports writers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your sports writer job on Zippia to find and recruit sports writer 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 sports 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.

   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 sports writer

   Once you've selected the best sports writer 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 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new sports writer. 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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