Hire a content marketer
Content marketing managers plan and ship the articles, guides, newsletters and videos that bring in an audience and turn it into customers. Here's when you need one and how to hire well.
When to hire a content marketing manager
- Your buyers research for weeks before talking to sales, and you have nothing for them to read
- Founders and experts know a lot that never gets written down
- You're publishing, but nothing you publish drives signups or pipeline
What it costs
Base salaries on full-time content marketing posts on HeyMarketers run $205k to $221k (median $207k, from 6 posts with published pay in the last 12 months).
- Job post
- Free
- AI Talent Agent
- $399 per role
- Concierge recruiting
- $6,000 flat
Recruiting agencies typically charge 20–25% of first-year salary. On a $207k hire that's $41k–$52k.
How competitive it is
26 content marketing roles are open on HeyMarketers right now, 27% of them remote. Companies hiring include Stripe, Harvey, Okta, Paddle, Spotify. Good candidates have options, so move quickly and publish your pay range.
What to look for
- A portfolio with pieces that drove a business result, and how they know
- Strong editing: ask for a before-and-after of something they edited
- Experience turning interviews with experts into original content
- A process that uses AI for speed without lowering the bar
Red flags
- Only volume metrics (posts per month, word counts)
- A portfolio of generic listicles that could be on any site
- No opinion on distribution
Questions to ask
How do you decide what not to publish?
Listen for: Clear goals, audience fit and the discipline to cut ideas.
Tell me about a piece that flopped. What did you learn?
Listen for: Honest analysis and a change in process afterward.
How do you get time from busy subject matter experts?
Listen for: Short interviews, making it easy, and giving them credit.
How do you measure content that doesn't convert directly?
Listen for: Assisted conversions, sales usage and leading indicators, with honesty about limits.
See all content marketing manager interview questions · Job description template
The first 90 days
- A content strategy tied to one or two business goals
- An editorial calendar and the first pieces shipped
- A repeatable interview-to-article process with your experts
Full-time, fractional or freelance?
Full-time once content is a core channel. A freelance writer plus a fractional content lead works well earlier: the lead sets strategy and edits, freelancers write.
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a content marketer?
On full-time content marketing job posts on HeyMarketers, base salaries run $205k to $221k, with a median of $207k. Hiring through HeyMarketers: posting a job is free, the AI Talent Agent is $399 per role, and Concierge recruiting is a flat $6,000 per full-time hire, compared with the 20–25% of first-year salary agencies typically charge.
Should I hire a full-time or fractional content marketing manager?
Full-time once content is a core channel. A freelance writer plus a fractional content lead works well earlier: the lead sets strategy and edits, freelancers write.
How long does it take to hire?
With Concierge you get a shortlist of three screened candidates within 10 business days. Job posts and the AI Talent Agent depend on the role and how quickly you review candidates.
Are you a content marketing manager yourself? Read the career guide.