Film and Video Editors: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media · SOC 27-4032 · O*NET 27-4032.00
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.
Film and Video Editors fall under the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media category in the U.S. occupational classification. Film and Video Editors earn a median salary of $70,980 per year, ranking in the top 33% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +4.0% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do film and video editors earn?
The median annual wage for film and video editors is $70,980. That puts film and video editors at #264 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $39,170 |
| 25th percentile | $50,230 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $70,980 |
| 75th percentile | $101,570 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $145,900 |
| Median hourly wage | $34.12/hr |
Is film and video editors a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for film and video editors is +4.0%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 43K positions in 2024 to 45K in 2034, a net change of 2K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do film and video editors do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working film and video editors, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Select and combine the most effective shots of each scene to form a logical and smoothly running story.
- 2.Review footage sequence by sequence to become familiar with it before assembling it into a final product.
- 3.Program computerized graphic effects.
- 4.Organize and string together raw footage into a continuous whole according to scripts or the instructions of directors and producers.
- 5.Review assembled films or edited videotapes on screens or monitors to determine if corrections are necessary.
- 6.Verify key numbers and time codes on materials.
- 7.Supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in film editing, assembling, and recording activities.
- 8.Set up and operate computer editing systems, electronic titling systems, video switching equipment, and digital video effects units to produce a final product.
Top skills for film and video editors
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become film and video editor?
The standard path into film and video editors begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about film and video editors
What is the median salary for film and video editors?
The median annual salary for film and video editors is $70,980 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is film and video editors a growing career?
BLS projects +4.0% growth for film and video editors from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become film and video editor?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to film and video editors?
Related occupations within the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.