Film and Video Editors Career, Salary and Skills
Film and Video Editors have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $75,420 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 25,610. Wage data is published for 119 locations.
Occupation description
Edit moving images on film, video, or other media. May work with a producer or director to organize images for final production. May edit or synchronize soundtracks with images.
O*NET code
27-4032.00
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$75,420
Hourly median
$36.26
Employment
25,610
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.38 | 3.75 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Active Learning | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Speaking | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Writing | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Time Management | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | 3.00 | 3.00 |
Typical tasks
- Mark frames where a particular shot or piece of sound is to begin or end.
- 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.
- Record needed sounds or obtain them from sound effects libraries.
Technology
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Director
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- AJAX
- Apple DVD Studio Pro
- Apple Final Cut Pro
- Apple QuickTime
- Apple Xsan
- Autodesk Maya
- Autodesk Smoke
Film and Video Editors salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Film and Video Editors Salary in CAMedian $88,490 · Employment 8,110
- Film and Video Editors Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $83,210 · Employment 6,010
- Film and Video Editors Salary in NYMedian $103,440 · Employment 3,710
- Film and Video Editors Salary in New York, NYMedian $104,590 · Employment 3,430
- Film and Video Editors Salary in FLMedian $60,430 · Employment 1,490
- Film and Video Editors Salary in TXMedian $61,220 · Employment 1,040
- Film and Video Editors Salary in San Francisco, CAMedian $109,930 · Employment 740
- Film and Video Editors Salary in NJMedian $82,890 · Employment 620
- Film and Video Editors Salary in CTMedian $83,550 · Employment 600
- Film and Video Editors Salary in TNMedian $57,880 · Employment 560
- Film and Video Editors Salary in Washington, DCMedian $91,750 · Employment 560
- Film and Video Editors Salary in MAMedian $92,130 · Employment 550
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- Video Game DesignersNational median $104,000
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.