Want to Work at Hulu? Here Are the Degrees You’ll Need.

15 years ago, most people would laugh at the notion that cable TV and radio were on a path to becoming obsolete. Back then, Netflix focused on DVD sales and rental by mail. YouTube was in its infancy. Amazon was growing fast, but Prime Video wouldn’t happen for another six years.

Netflix introduced streaming services in 2007, which in some respect, paved the way for Hulu to take shape. Hulu first appeared in 1999 as a personal blog owned by a woman named Amy Hung who used the site to share photos with family and friends. Over the next eight years, she sporadically updated the site until her last post in May of 2007. Around this time, NBC contacted Hung and purchased the site—likely for its snappy domain name—for an undisclosed amount.

From here, Hulu’s path is relatively conventional. NBC quickly went to work and in October of 2007, relaunched the site as the private beta that we now today as Hulu. Today, the platform offers live and on-demand TV and movies and is the only service that gives viewers instant access to current shows from every major U.S. broadcast network.

It’s no surprise that a company that’s helped revolutionize the way we consume media has put both inventive thought and thorough research into their workspace. Hulu’s Santa Monica headquarters boasts arcade games, televisions, tons of collaborative workspace, a fully stocked bar, multiple fully-stocked kitchens, and more amenities to prevent employee burnout.

Working hard and playing hard is a lifestyle for most “Hulugans,” who participate in weekly “wind downs” and regular outings to Fox’s nearby lot for movie screenings. Medical, dental, and vision is guaranteed—as is a philosophy on wellness that extends beyond just physical health. Because of this, Hulu offers flexible work hours and vacation time, tuition reimbursement, free on-site cooking and fitness classes, and even a monthly stipend to use on whatever helps employees “be well.”

With these perks in mind—plus a focus on transparent leadership, individuality, and empowerment—it’s not at all surprising that Hulu is a company that people love to work for. In 2019, it earned #31 in Best Workplaces in New York (Large Companies), #25 in Best Workplaces for Women (Large Companies), and #14 in Best Workplaces for Diversity.

Thinking of powering up your career with a company at the cornerstone of entertainment and technology? We’ve got you covered with the degrees you’ll need to land a job at Hulu with advice to help you stand out once an interview rolls around.

Where Hulu’s Stands in Today’s Streaming Industry

Hulu was initially established as a joint venture between News Corporation, NBC Universal, and Providence Equity Partners to serve as an aggregation of recent TV series from their respective networks. Today, the company is owned by Hulu LLC, a joint venture of Disney and Comcast.

In May of 2019, Hulu reported having a massive 26.8 million paid subscribers between its video-on-demand library of TV shows, movies, and originals as well as its live TV service. That same year, Disney estimated Hulu’s market value to be a minimum of $27.5 billion.

Working at Hulu

Approximately 2,900 Hulu employees work at the company’s Santa Monica headquarters and offices in Chicago, New York City, Royal Oak, San Antonio, San Francisco, and Beijing. Their expertise spans a range of departments, including IT, customer support, product design, marketing and PR, and business development.

According to PayScale, Hulu employees pull in an average salary of $84,641 per year. This is significantly less than its immediate competitor, Netflix, which reports an average salary of $103,900. YouTube is more comparable, offering employees an average of $89,000 annually.

__Some of the highest-paid jobs at Hulu include the following, listed by average base salary:__

• Senior Product Manager: $183,789
• Senior Software Development Lead: $180,000
• Senior Systems Engineer: $173,000
• Senior Software Engineer: $155,292
• Software Development Engineer: $150,000
• Senior Software Developer: $149,652
• Technical Program Manager: $140,000
• Software Developer: $132,338
• Product Manager: $131,371
• Data Scientist: $129,083

Want to Work at Hulu? Here Are the Degrees You’ll Need.

A look at Hulu’s job site reveals many openings in areas such as technology, data analytics, advertising sales and operations, and accounting and finance.

Technology jobs at Hulu

Hulu tech league is looking to make the most hires of any department to continue accelerating innovation in the streaming video space. Current job postings include associate application security engineer, IT services lead, network architect, principal machine learning specialist, as well as a call for engineering managers in ad serving, Android devices, and metadata ingest.

Many jobs in this category note that candidates should have at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a similar field with a minimum of five to ten years of related work experience.

Principal roles that specialize in software engineering and development require advanced degrees such as a master of science (MS) in computer science and engineering. Principal research positions, on the other hand, note a preference for candidates with a Ph.D. in computer science, electrical engineering, or another quantitative discipline.

Data analytics jobs at Hulu

Hulu’s growing data team is seeking candidates to fit open positions like data engineering ads manager, senior analyst, senior software developer, and senior engineering manager. The department also has listings for software developers with a specialization in big data and data reliability.

The majority of jobs in this area don’t communicate degree requirements but do outline a need for extensive industry experience in fields like software engineering, reliability engineering, and open-source operating systems.

The opportunities within Hulu’s data team that do list degree requirements tend to favor candidates with at least a master’s degree in fields like computer science, statistics, economics, business administration, and operations research.

Advertising sales and operations jobs at Hulu

Amid an ever-increasingly competitive landscape for streaming services, Hulu is expanding its this department to grow business in both awareness and sales. Current openings include an account executive in performance marketing, account managers in local sales and performance marketing, a sales planning manager, as well as senior management positions in the marketplace insights and sales planning.

Once again, most roles in this department prefer a bachelor’s degree, this time in areas like business, finance, or a related field required. While not required, a master of business administration (MBA) or a master’s degree in business analytics or marketing analytics may help candidates stand out in the applicant pool.

Accounting and finance jobs at Hulu

In the financial arena, Hulu’s team has openings for an associate workday integration analyst, a billing and ad revenue analyst, a senior accountant, a senior tax manager, and a strategic sourcing manager. The company is also hiring a senior financial analyst to work in its corporate sphere and financial analysts to focus on content and subscription.

Job seekers in workday analytics will need a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, information systems, or a related area. The majority of roles generally require candidates to have a bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, or similar discipline with an analytical bias.

Other Paths to Become a “Hulugan”: Internships at Hulu

Hulu’s Summer Intern Program is a ten-week experience that operates out of the company’s New York, Santa Monica, and Seattle offices. Each internship offers students the chance to participate in full-time, paid roles in areas spanning software development, marketing, PR, and finance, among others.

As Hulu interns, students will work on significant business and technical challenges and have the opportunity to collaborate across all levels of the company. To be eligible, students must be enrolled and pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree at a four-year university.

Change the Future of TV at Hulu

According to Shannon Sullivan, Hulu’s Director of Talent Management, Hulu is growing at a rate of about one employee a day. According to Sullivan, one of the best ways to prepare for an interview with the company is by connecting with someone who works for it.

“I encourage people to link in with someone who is even a second-degree connection,” she says. “Take them to coffee; get to know more about them and their job and what it’s like to work here. Ask them what they like about the company and get a sense of what you might like about working here.”

While there can be some variation based on a candidate’s level of experience in their field, the company typically follows an interview format that includes a recruiter screen, phone screens with a hiring manager and peers within the organization, and an onsite meeting.

Sullivan describes Hulu’s in-person interviews as an experience in which hiring managers try to suss out if candidates truly identify with the company’s values or are just paying lip service. She also points out that one of the biggest mistakes that candidates make is not researching the company and having questions ready.

“I suggest candidates set up a Google alert before an interview so that they can get updates about the company and know what we’re doing,” she says. “We’re in the news a lot lately.”

(Last Updated on February 26, 2024)

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