How Much Money Do Pro Video Editors REALLY Make?

I’ve been editing professionally for over 20 years—mostly high-end TV commercials—and I finally decided to tackle the question I’ve avoided since starting this channel: How much should you charge as a video editor?

The truth is, it’s less about an exact number and more about understanding budgets and value from your client’s perspective.

Here’s the framework I use:

• Union benchmarks: For film/TV editors, $3,000–$4,000/week is a solid “doing well” rate. Big studio films can pay more; indie projects often pay less.

• Think top-down: Clients hire editors because their project will make them money. The budget comes from expected returns, not from what you want to charge.

You of course can’t expect a client to pay $3K/week if their entire budget is $1K. So instead of simply raising your rate, prioritize moving into higher-budget projects so your rate can naturally increase.

How to get there:

• Build a reel with higher-quality work.

• Work for free sometimes, but only if the collaborator has real potential to create paid projects and the project will significantly elevate your portfolio.

For example, I recently edited a short film, Treasure Imagination, with my friend Scott Rice. My pay? Zero dollars. But I still did it because:

• I got to work with an incredible crew, including top cinematographers.

• It scratched my creative itch for narrative work.

• It’s a killer piece for my reel and my course.

• It built relationships that could lead to bigger (paid) gigs.

So don’t just think “raise my rate”; think, “work on higher-level projects.” Understand where the money comes from, and strategically position yourself to capture it.

Happy editing!

Austen is an ADDY award-winning film & commercial editor with over 20 years of experience. He has worked with global brands like Meta, KPMG, SAP, and Christianity Today. His PSA work has championed causes like school safety (with Matthew McConaughey), driving safety, and anti-tobacco. A thought leader in the editing field, his online lessons quickly amassed over 100K views after launch.