Find your exact rate
Typical project work, moderate complexity.
Factor in AI tool subscriptions
Your Rate
Day Rate
$450
Project Est.
$2,200
Retainer
$8,350/mo
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Community Data
What do you actually charge?
Anonymous. Helps improve market benchmarks.
How much should you charge for video editing?
Get a defensible rate for every video editing engagement — from short-form social clips to long-form corporate productions.
Video editors charge between $50 and $175 per hour. Per-video rates range from $200 for short-form (Reels/TikTok) to $5,000+ for long-form corporate or documentary work. Rates vary significantly by content type, turnaround, and post-production complexity.
Floor
$50
per hour
Typical
$85
per hour
Premium
$150
per hour
Find your exact rate
Typical project work, moderate complexity.
Factor in AI tool subscriptions
Your Rate
Day Rate
$450
Project Est.
$2,200
Retainer
$8,350/mo
Was this helpful?
Community Data
What do you actually charge?
Anonymous. Helps improve market benchmarks.
How we calculated this
The rates on this page are derived from BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data for the closest matching occupation code, adjusted for freelance overhead using a transparent four-step formula.
- 01
Floor calculation
Your target income × 1.153 (SE tax) + annual software and tool costs, divided by billable hours. This is the minimum rate that covers your costs.
- 02
Market benchmarking
The base rate is positioned against BLS percentile data for your metro. You see exactly where you land — p10 through p90.
- 03
Skill and complexity adjustments
Multipliers of 0.85×–1.65× reflect your skill level and the complexity of the work. High-stakes, strategic work earns more.
- 04
Regional cost adjustment
BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) adjust the final rate for local cost of living. San Francisco commands more; Austin less.
What changes the price
- Content type (short-form, long-form, corporate, wedding)
- Raw footage duration
- Final output length
- Motion graphics/animation
- Color grading complexity
- Sound design/mixing
- Revision rounds
- Turnaround time
Real quote breakdowns
YouTube Video Edit
10-12 minute YouTube video. Talking head with B-roll, lower thirds, background music, color grade, and thumbnail image. 3-4 hrs raw footage.
Breakdown
~5.5 hrs × $90/hr. One revision round included. Client provides script notes and brand kit.
Corporate Promotional Video
3-minute corporate promo with interviews, B-roll, motion graphics package, custom color grade, music licensing, and professional sound mix.
Breakdown
Rough cut assembly (8 hrs), motion graphics (6 hrs), color grading (4 hrs), sound design (3 hrs), revisions (3 hrs) × $145/hr effective rate.
Short-Form Batch (Monthly Retainer)
10 short-form videos per month (Reels/TikTok/Shorts). 30-90 seconds each. Captions, transitions, trending sound integration, aspect ratio variants.
Breakdown
$200/video × 10 videos. Batch efficiency discount applied. 48-hour turnaround per video. 2-day buffer for revisions.
Frequently asked questions
Should video editors charge per video or hourly?
Per-video pricing works for repeatable content types (YouTube videos, Reels, corporate talking heads) where you can estimate time accurately. Hourly works for complex projects with undefined scope, documentary work, or clients who change direction frequently. Most experienced editors quote per-video with an hourly rate for out-of-scope work.
How do I price short-form video editing differently from long-form?
Short-form (under 3 minutes) rates range from $150-400 per video. Long-form (10+ minutes) ranges from $400-1,500+ depending on complexity. Short-form has a lower per-video price but can be batched efficiently. The key differentiator is motion graphics, sound design, and color grading complexity, not just length.
What is a fair revision policy for video editing?
One to two revision rounds is standard. Define what counts as a revision (minor changes to cuts, text, music) versus a new direction (re-cutting from scratch, changing the narrative structure). Charge your hourly rate for revisions beyond scope. A clear revision policy prevents the most common source of unpaid overtime in video editing.
How does raw footage volume affect video editing pricing?
More raw footage means more review time before you cut a single frame. A 2:1 ratio (2 hours of footage for a 1-hour output) is manageable. A 20:1 ratio (20 hours of footage for a 1-hour documentary) requires logging, transcription, and organization time that should be scoped separately. Always ask for footage volume before quoting.
Do AI video editing tools change what video editors should charge?
AI tools accelerate assembly cuts, auto-captioning, and basic color correction. They do not replace pacing judgment, storytelling instinct, or complex motion graphics work. Use AI tools to reduce turnaround time and take on more projects — not to justify lower rates for the same quality of output.
Related professions
The short version
- →Floor rate: $50/hr. Typical: $85/hr. Premium: $150/hr.
- →Video editors charge between $50 and $175 per hour.
- →The biggest rate drivers: Content type (short-form, long-form, corporate, wedding), Raw footage duration, Final output length.
- →Rates are based on BLS OEWS May 2024 data, adjusted for freelance overhead, skill level, complexity, and regional cost of living.