Film and video editors salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $40,280 | $19.37 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $75,420 | $36.26 |
| Mean (average) | $86,130 | $41.41 |
| 90th percentile | $148,550 | $71.42 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Film and video editors pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 45 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $74,410 | $18,610 | $95,940 | 120 | 0.36 |
| Alaska | $38,800 | $38,230 | $65,340 | 30 | 0.57 |
| Arizona | $45,840 | $38,430 | $82,280 | 350 | 0.66 |
| Arkansas | $48,480 | $38,260 | $65,720 | 80 | 0.36 |
| California | $88,490 | $42,020 | $169,810 | 8,110 | 2.7 |
| Colorado | $84,620 | $50,830 | $131,030 | 380 | 0.81 |
| Connecticut | $83,550 | $47,560 | $134,390 | 600 | 2.15 |
| District of Columbia | $98,830 | $59,990 | $130,350 | 370 | 3.18 |
| Florida | $60,430 | $47,830 | $104,810 | 1,490 | 0.91 |
| Georgia | $51,280 | $33,280 | $131,220 | ||
| Idaho | $54,080 | $38,170 | $77,280 | 100 | 0.67 |
| Illinois | $72,460 | $46,710 | $116,720 | 310 | 0.3 |
| Indiana | $46,780 | $37,720 | $68,540 | 450 | 0.86 |
| Kansas | $50,900 | $22,120 | $84,870 | 70 | 0.31 |
| Kentucky | $62,330 | $45,330 | $83,920 | 60 | 0.18 |
| Louisiana | $66,870 | $44,910 | $87,940 | 80 | 0.25 |
| Maryland | $78,380 | $51,850 | $124,090 | 250 | 0.54 |
| Massachusetts | $92,130 | $56,880 | $129,330 | 550 | 0.92 |
| Michigan | $59,100 | $41,600 | $107,210 | 360 | 0.5 |
| Minnesota | $53,150 | $46,520 | $89,080 | 200 | 0.4 |
| Mississippi | $50,410 | $46,920 | $52,700 | 50 | 0.24 |
| Missouri | $57,950 | $35,670 | $90,590 | 380 | 0.79 |
| Montana | $42,520 | $25,230 | $60,360 | 110 | 1.35 |
| Nebraska | $55,810 | $43,270 | $81,800 | 120 | 0.69 |
| Nevada | $65,720 | $48,020 | $115,680 | 320 | 1.24 |
| New Hampshire | $61,250 | $39,380 | $109,080 | 100 | 0.89 |
| New Jersey | $82,890 | $49,070 | $170,410 | 620 | 0.88 |
| New Mexico | $49,400 | $46,300 | $79,440 | 160 | 1.12 |
| New York | $103,440 | $55,990 | $172,280 | 3,710 | 2.33 |
| North Carolina | $60,020 | $31,200 | $103,160 | 400 | 0.49 |
| Ohio | $56,410 | $28,280 | $91,110 | 340 | 0.37 |
| Oklahoma | $55,210 | $34,800 | $79,510 | 100 | 0.37 |
| Oregon | $72,300 | $34,040 | $134,130 | 360 | 1.11 |
| Pennsylvania | Data unavailable | 850 | 0.85 | ||
| Puerto Rico | $44,490 | $25,240 | $46,530 | 110 | 0.72 |
| South Carolina | Data unavailable | 160 | 0.41 | ||
| South Dakota | $39,090 | $35,360 | $54,460 | 30 | 0.44 |
| Tennessee | $57,880 | $40,820 | $72,470 | 560 | 1.03 |
| Texas | $61,220 | $36,030 | $116,280 | 1,040 | 0.45 |
| Utah | $76,240 | $39,000 | $110,000 | 370 | 1.29 |
| Vermont | $63,080 | $42,380 | $175,460 | 100 | 2.08 |
| Virginia | $78,740 | $56,730 | $107,690 | ||
| Washington | $66,870 | $40,130 | $131,150 | 450 | 0.77 |
| West Virginia | $48,440 | $34,570 | $66,240 | 30 | 0.29 |
| Wisconsin | $53,430 | $34,210 | $95,680 | 240 | 0.5 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for film and video editors
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 3,100. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 35.5%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for film and video editors
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Photojournalism CIP 09.0404
- Radio and Television CIP 09.0701
- Communications Technology/Technician CIP 10.0105
- Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician CIP 10.0202
- Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Other CIP 10.0299
- Cinematography and Film/Video Production CIP 50.0602
- Documentary Production CIP 50.0607
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Organize and string together raw footage into a continuous whole according to scripts or the instructions of directors and producers.
- Edit films and videotapes to insert music, dialogue, and sound effects, to arrange films into sequences, and to correct errors, using editing equipment.
- Select and combine the most effective shots of each scene to form a logical and smoothly running story.
- Review footage sequence by sequence to become familiar with it before assembling it into a final product.
- Set up and operate computer editing systems, electronic titling systems, video switching equipment, and digital video effects units to produce a final product.
- Trim film segments to specified lengths and reassemble segments in sequences that present stories with maximum effect.
- Cut shot sequences to different angles at specific points in scenes, making each individual cut as fluid and seamless as possible.
- Review assembled films or edited videotapes on screens or monitors to determine if corrections are necessary.
Technology skills
- Adobe After Effects (in demand)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (in demand)
- Adobe Illustrator (in demand)
- Adobe InDesign (in demand)
- Adobe Photoshop (in demand)
- TikTok (in demand)
- Adobe Premiere Pro (in demand)
- Apple Final Cut Pro (in demand)
- DaVinci Resolve (in demand)
- Video editing software (in demand)
- AJAX (hot technology)
- Cascading style sheets CSS (hot technology)
- Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- JavaScript (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Coordination, Social Perceptiveness, Persuasion.
Common job titles: Editor, Film Editor, News Editor, News Video Editor, News Videotape Editor, Non-Linear Editor, Online Editor, Tape Editor, Television News Video Editor, Video Editor.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do film and video editors make?
The national median annual wage for film and video editors was $75,420 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $40,280 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $148,550. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do film and video editors need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is film and video editors a growing career?
BLS projects employment of film and video editors to change +3.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 3,100 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay film and video editors the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were New York ($103,440), District of Columbia ($98,830), Massachusetts ($92,130). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.