How to hire a technical editor

How to hire a technical editor, step by step

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

What does a technical editor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The technical 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?

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   Hiring the perfect technical 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of technical editors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Technical Editor	Description	Hourly rate
   Technical Editor	Editors plan, review, and revise content for publication.	$22-38
   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
   Writer	A writer can have different responsibilities depending on which industry or line of work they are involved. There are writers assigned in a corporate setting, some in journalism, while there are also writers in the entertainment Industry... Show more	$19-51

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PowerPoint
   • English Language
   • Proofreading
   • Subject Matter Experts
   • Training Materials
   • XML
   • Technical Editing
   • Java
   • SharePoint
   • DOD
   • Technical Reports
   • Adobe Acrobat
   • Web Content
   • Indesign

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Identify and initiate wholesale computer upgrade to accommodate new CMS while allocating and managing staff resources devote to developing the software.
   • Train course developers in advance features of FrameMaker and PowerPoint.
   • Remove PDF security from each document.
   • Update PDF variables for online help.
   • Research science, military, and historical-relate topics for DOD.
   • Create or obtain all necessary screen shots using SnagIt and Photoshop.

   More technical editor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your technical editor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A technical editor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, technical editors' average salary in mississippi is 53% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level technical editors 41% less than senior-level technical editors.
   • Certifications. A technical editor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a technical editor's salary.

   Average technical editor salary

   $61,717yearly

   $29.67 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level technical editor salary

   $47,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average technical editor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$68,355	$33
   2	Washington	$66,923	$32
   3	District of Columbia	$65,762	$32
   4	New York	$65,752	$32
   5	Hawaii	$64,623	$31
   6	Virginia	$62,149	$30
   7	Illinois	$61,715	$30
   8	Colorado	$57,887	$28
   9	Utah	$53,048	$26
   10	Georgia	$52,742	$25
   11	Ohio	$52,675	$25
   12	Texas	$52,266	$25
   13	Maryland	$50,705	$24
   14	North Carolina	$50,481	$24
   15	Florida	$39,512	$19

   Average technical editor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$102,138	$49.10	29
   2	Amazon	$102,083	$49.08	323
   3	Workday	$79,972	$38.45	4
   4	The New York Times Company	$77,509	$37.26	23
   5	Booz Allen Hamilton	$71,597	$34.42	28
   6	Mashable	$71,049	$34.16
   7	Merck	$68,420	$32.89	11
   8	SAS Institute	$65,006	$31.25	15
   9	AutoZone	$64,911	$31.21
   10	Esri	$64,181	$30.86	5
   11	General Dynamics Mission Systems	$64,033	$30.79
   12	HumRRO	$63,634	$30.59	1
   13	Ziff Davis	$62,930	$30.25
   14	Tesla	$62,631	$30.11
   15	AECOM	$61,900	$29.76	14
   16	Music Maker’s	$61,313	$29.48
   17	Bluehawk Consulting	$61,118	$29.38	1
   18	Broadcom	$61,032	$29.34	22
   19	General Dynamics	$60,561	$29.12	56
   20	Stantec	$59,767	$28.73	7

4. Writing a technical editor job description

   A technical 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. Below, you can find an example of a technical editor job description:

   Technical editor job description example

   Barbaricum is a rapidly growing government contractor providing leading-edge support to federal customers, with a particular focus on Defense and National Security mission sets. We leverage more than 14 years of support to stakeholders across the federal government, with established and growing capabilities across Intelligence, Analytics, Engineering, Mission Support, and Communications disciplines. Founded in 2008, our mission is to transform the way our customers approach constantly changing and complex problem sets by bringing to bear the latest in technology and the highest caliber of talent.
   
   Headquartered in Washington, DC's historic Dupont Circle neighborhood, Barbaricum also has a corporate presence in Tampa, FL and Dayton, OH, with team members across the United States and around the world. As a leader in our space, we partner with firms in the private sector, academic institutions, and industry associations with a goal of continually building our expertise and capabilities for the benefit of our employees and the customers we support. Through all of this, we have built a vibrant corporate culture diverse in expertise and perspectives with a focus on collaboration and innovation. Our teams are at the frontier of the Nation's most complex and rewarding challenges. Join us.
   
   Barbaricum seeks a Technical Editor for an Air Force program enabling operational test, evaluation, and range support to the 346th Test Squadron and 318 Range Squadron, 67th Cyberspace Wing. This individual will integrate with a team of cyber security professionals to ensure instrumented cyber ranges, capable of stimulating operational networks, are provisioned to support the Air Force's cyber mission.
   
   This Technical Editor will review reports for accuracy, grammar, and compliance with AF and DoD guidelines for official documents.
   
   ResponsibilitiesContribute in the development of policies and procedures for constructing and archiving technical reports.Ensure compliance with NIST SP 800-181.
   
   QualificationsActive DoD TS/SCI clearance required Bachelor's degree in a relevant field required At least 3 years of relevant experience
   , please visit our website at www.barbaricum.com. We will contact candidates directly to schedule interviews. No phone calls please.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right technical editor 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 technical editors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit technical editors 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 technical editor job on Zippia to find and recruit technical 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

   During your first interview to recruit technical editors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 technical editor

   Once you've found the technical editor 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new technical editor. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 technical editor?