Film and Video Editors Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for film and video editors in the U.S. is $75,420 ($36.26 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $75,420
- Mean annual wage
- $86,130
- Median hourly wage
- $36.26
- Employment
- 25,610
25,610 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $40,280 | $19.37 |
| 25th percentile | $52,720 | $25.35 |
| Median (50th) | $75,420 | $36.26 |
| 75th percentile | $105,310 | $50.63 |
| 90th percentile | $148,550 | $71.42 |
Highest-paying states for film and video editors
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $103,440 | 3,710 |
| District of Columbia | $98,830 | 370 |
| Massachusetts | $92,130 | 550 |
| California | $88,490 | 8,110 |
| Colorado | $84,620 | 380 |
| Connecticut | $83,550 | 600 |
| New Jersey | $82,890 | 620 |
| Virginia | $78,740 | — |
| Maryland | $78,380 | 250 |
| Utah | $76,240 | 370 |
Lowest-paying states
- Alaska: $38,800 median annual wage
- South Dakota: $39,090 median annual wage
- Montana: $42,520 median annual wage
- Arizona: $45,840 median annual wage
- Indiana: $46,780 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Collaborate with music editors to select appropriate passages of music and develop production scores.
- Determine the specific audio and visual effects and music necessary to complete films.
- Confer with producers and directors concerning layout or editing approaches needed to increase dramatic or entertainment value of productions.
- Review assembled films or edited videotapes on screens or monitors to determine if corrections are necessary.
- Piece sounds together to develop film soundtracks.
- Review footage sequence by sequence to become familiar with it before assembling it into a final product.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Bachelor's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 1.0% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 8.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 17.6% |
| Associate's degree | 8.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 55.5% |
| Master's degree | 8.1% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 1.1% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Public Relations Specialists$74,750
- Coaches and Scouts$47,320
- Graphic Designers$62,960
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers$39,390
- Producers and Directors$90,360
- Editors$77,920
- Interior Designers$67,190
- Audio and Video Technicians$58,100
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.