How to Become a Film and Video Editor
Assemble raw footage into finished stories for film, streaming, and social video. It typically requires a bachelor's degree, with a median salary of $75,420 per year and about average projected job growth.
Median pay
$75,420/yr
Middle half
$52,720 to $105,310
Job growth
About average
Openings / yr
3,600
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Video Editing
- Storytelling
- Color and Sound Basics
- Editing Software
- Collaboration
Helpful certifications
- Adobe Certified Professional (Premiere Pro)
- Avid certification
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
63/100
Work-life balance
64/100
Stress level
56/100
Related careers
- Art Director$114,850 median
- Animator / Special Effects Artist$102,030 median
- Industrial Designer$83,910 median
- Fashion Designer$80,960 median
- Editor$77,920 median
- Writer / Author$76,910 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Film and Video Editor make?
The median pay for a Film and Video Editor is $75,420 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $52,720 and $105,310 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Film and Video Editor?
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree. Common majors are Film and Media Production, Digital Media, and Communications.
Is Film and Video Editor a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is about average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 3,600 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Film and Video Editor use most?
Common skills for this role are Video Editing, Storytelling, Color and Sound Basics, Editing Software, and Collaboration.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).