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Role hub · Film and Video Editors

Video Editor: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of video editors earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$75,420
Hourly
$36.26
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Video Editors edit moving images on film, video, or other media. The median pay is $75,420 a year ($36.26 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a bachelor's degree (65% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$75,420
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
25,610
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 4 of 5
considerable preparation
Most common education
Bachelor's Degree
65% of workers

Data Government data groups this job as Film and Video Editors (O*NET-SOC 27-4032.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Key facts

Video Editors at a glance

  • Film and video editors in the United States earned a median annual wage of $75,420 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for film and video editors in the United States.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS projects employment of film and video editors in the United States to grow 3.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,100 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS estimated that 25,610 people were employed as film and video editors in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the role

Every page for Video Editors

SalaryVideo Editor salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →How to becomeVideo Editor how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

Open →ResumeVideo Editor resume

Keywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.

Open →Interview questionsVideo Editor interview questions

Questions with what they test, plus practice mode.

Open →Career changeVideo Editor career change

Where these skills transfer, with skill match and pay change.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

Parsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.

Open →
The work

What video editors do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Organize and string together raw footage into a continuous whole according to scripts or the instructions of directors and producers.
  2. Edit films and videotapes to insert music, dialogue, and sound effects, to arrange films into sequences, and to correct errors, using editing equipment.
  3. Select and combine the most effective shots of each scene to form a logical and smoothly running story.
  4. Review footage sequence by sequence to become familiar with it before assembling it into a final product.
  5. Set up and operate computer editing systems, electronic titling systems, video switching equipment, and digital video effects units to produce a final product.
  6. Trim film segments to specified lengths and reassemble segments in sequences that present stories with maximum effect.
  7. Cut shot sequences to different angles at specific points in scenes, making each individual cut as fluid and seamless as possible.
  8. Review assembled films or edited videotapes on screens or monitors to determine if corrections are necessary.
Where this career works

Industries that employ it

Data Share of all video editor jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).

  1. Motion picture and sound recording industries31.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +7.3% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $93,060
  2. Broadcasting and Content Providers8.3% of all jobs in this occupation · +3.5% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $83,410
  3. Professional, scientific, and technical services8.1% of all jobs in this occupation · +8.6% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $70,980
  4. Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations3.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +2.2% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $73,720
  5. Educational services; state, local, and private2.5% of all jobs in this occupation · +3.3% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $59,260
  6. Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries2.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +7.0% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $69,980

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Active ListeningcoreCritical ThinkingcoreReading ComprehensioncoreComplex Problem SolvingSpeakingActive LearningJudgment and Decision MakingTime ManagementWriting

Knowledge areas: Communications and Media, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Telecommunications, Fine Arts, Production and Processing.

Tools and technology

Software video editors use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Adobe After EffectsGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • Adobe Creative Cloud softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • Adobe IllustratorGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • Adobe InDesignDesktop publishing softwareIn demand
  • Adobe PhotoshopGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • TikTokVideo creation and editing softwareIn demand
  • Adobe Premiere ProVideo creation and editing softwareIn demand
  • Apple Final Cut ProVideo creation and editing softwareIn demand
  • DaVinci ResolveVideo creation and editing softwareIn demand
  • Video editing softwareVideo creation and editing softwareIn demand
  • Extensible markup language XMLEnterprise application integration softwareHot technology
  • Adobe DirectorVideo creation and editing software

Also called: Film Editor, Editor, News Editor, News Video Editor, News Videotape Editor, Non-Linear Editor.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.