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Film and Television Production
Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Pictures
Film and Video Editors
Film and video editors take raw footage, sound, graphics, and effects and shape them into a finished story that feels smooth and intentional. The work is distinct because every cut affects pacing, emotion, and clarity, but the job also means living with constant revisions, tight deadlines, and a lot of time in front of screens.
Also known as Video EditorFilm EditorPost-Production EditorOffline EditorDigital Video Editor
Median Salary
$70,980
Mean $83,530
U.S. Workforce
~29K
3.6K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+4%
43.5K to 45.2K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Film and Video Editors sits in the Creative category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~29K workers, with a median annual pay of $70,980 and roughly 3.6K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 43.5 K in 2024 to 45.2K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree in film, video production, media arts, or a related field, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Production Assistant and can progress toward Post-Production Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer & Final Cut Pro, Nonlinear Editing, Multicam Cutting & Sequence Assembly, and DaVinci Resolve, Color Correction & Finishing, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and Reading Comprehension.
Core Responsibilities
- Watch raw footage, pick the strongest takes, and build them into a rough sequence.
- Trim and rearrange scenes so the story flows naturally and matches the director's notes.
- Add titles, graphics, transitions, and visual effects where needed.
- Check timing, color, and sound, then fix anything that feels awkward or unfinished.
Keep exploring: more Creative careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Watch raw footage, pick the strongest takes, and build them into a rough sequence.
02 Trim and rearrange scenes so the story flows naturally and matches the director's notes.
03 Add titles, graphics, transitions, and visual effects where needed.
04 Check timing, color, and sound, then fix anything that feels awkward or unfinished.
05 Review edits with producers or directors and make changes based on their feedback.
06 Manage editing software, project files, and exports so the final cut is organized and ready to deliver.
Industries That Hire
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Streaming Platforms
Netflix, Hulu, Amazon MGM Studios
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Advertising and Brand Agencies
Wieden+Kennedy, Ogilvy, BBDO
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News and Broadcast Media
NBC News, CNN, ABC News
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Corporate Video and Marketing Teams
Apple, Microsoft, Salesforce
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay can be solid for skilled editors, with a median annual salary of $70,980 and a mean of $83,530.
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You can often work from a home office or a shared post-production suite because most of the job happens on a computer.
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There are no required years of experience or on-the-job training in the BLS data, so a strong portfolio can help you break in faster.
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The work combines storytelling, timing, and technical problem-solving, so the day-to-day tasks are varied instead of repetitive.
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With about 3.6K annual openings, people leave and move around often enough to create steady job turnover even though growth is slow.
Challenges
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Job growth is modest at 4.0% over the decade, so the field is not expanding quickly and competition can stay intense.
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A lot of editing work depends on film, TV, ad, and corporate budgets, so project slowdowns can mean layoffs or gaps between contracts.
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The gap between the median pay of $70,980 and the mean of $83,530 shows that earnings are uneven, with a smaller group of editors pulling salaries well above the middle.
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Deadline pressure is built into the job, and late-stage revisions can lead to long hours when a cut needs to be finished quickly.
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AI-assisted editing tools and automated workflows can take over some of the simpler assembly and logging work, which makes the entry-level path less secure than it used to be.
Career Progression
Production Assistant
0-2 years
$35K-$48K
You help organize media, prep files, and handle basic production tasks while learning how edits are built.
Assistant Editor
1-4 years
$48K-$63K
You sync audio, organize footage, make exports, and keep the editing project clean and usable for the lead editor.
Film and Video Editor THIS ROLE
3-7 years
$64K-$92K
You shape the final cut, balance pacing and story, and work closely with directors or producers on revisions.
Senior Editor
7-10 years
$92K-$120K
You handle more complex projects, guide junior editors, and solve problems with pacing, structure, and finishing details.
Post-Production Supervisor
10+ years
$120K-$155K
You oversee schedules, deliverables, and editing teams, making sure multiple projects move from rough cut to final release.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree in film, video production, media arts, or a related field
The most common entry point, held by 65.1% of workers in this role.
Associate's degree in video production or post-production
An alternative route, used by 16.85% of workers, often paired with a strong demo reel and internship experience.
High school diploma plus portfolio and hands-on editing experience
A smaller share of workers, 16.28%, enter with only a high school diploma, but they usually need to prove their skills with real projects.
Certificate in video editing, Adobe Creative Cloud, or a short post-production bootcamp
This non-degree path is another practical option for building software skills and a portfolio, especially for people already working on set or in content production.
Key Skills
Technical
Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer & Final Cut Pro 96%
Nonlinear Editing, Multicam Cutting & Sequence Assembly 92%
DaVinci Resolve, Color Correction & Finishing 90%
Adobe After Effects & Motion Graphics 85%
Media Management, File Naming & Version Control 82%
Audio Sync, Basic Sound Editing & Loudness Balancing 80%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionActive LearningComplex Problem SolvingSpeaking Job Outlook and Trends
+4%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
3.6K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 43.5K to 45.2 K over the next decade, representing 4% growth. Around 3.6 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently High availability. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.