Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 27-4032

Film and Video Editors

The published band from $40,280 to $148,550 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Producers and Directors.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Film and Video Editors: Producers and Directors ($90K) , Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners ($72K) , Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film ($75K) , Commercial and Industrial Designers ($84K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Film and Video Editors publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 27-4032 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Organize and string together raw footage into a continuous whole according to scripts or the instructions of directors and producers
  2. 2. Edit films and videotapes to insert music, dialogue, and sound effects, to arrange films into sequences, and to correct errors, using edi…
  3. 3. Select and combine the most effective shots of each scene to form a logical and smoothly running story
  4. 4. Review footage sequence by sequence to become familiar with it before assembling it into a final product
  5. 5. Set up and operate computer editing systems, electronic titling systems, video switching equipment, and digital video effects units to pr…
  6. 6. Trim film segments to specified lengths and reassemble segments in sequences that present stories with maximum effect
  7. 7. Cut shot sequences to different angles at specific points in scenes, making each individual cut as fluid and seamless as possible
  8. 8. Review assembled films or edited videotapes on screens or monitors to determine if corrections are necessary
  9. 9. Determine the specific audio and visual effects and music necessary to complete films
  10. 10. Mark frames where a particular shot or piece of sound is to begin or end
  11. 11. Verify key numbers and time codes on materials
  12. 12. Manipulate plot, score, sound, and graphics to make the parts into a continuous whole, working closely with people in audio, visual, musi…

O*NET skills and knowledge for Film and Video Editors

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 27-4032 - entity-keyed; sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.8
  2. 2. Critical Thinking 3.5
  3. 3. Reading Comprehension 3.4
  4. 4. Speaking 3.3
  5. 5. Active Learning 3.3
  6. 6. Complex Problem Solving 3.3
  7. 7. Writing 3.1
  8. 8. Judgment and Decision Making 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Communications and Media 4.9
  2. 2. English Language 4.6
  3. 3. Computers and Electronics 4.5
  4. 4. Telecommunications 4.1
  5. 5. Fine Arts 4.0
  6. 6. Production and Processing 3.7
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$40,280 to $148,550
median $75,420 · ~3.7× spread
$75K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
3,600
Annual openings
25,610
Estimated US jobs
Producers and Directors
Highest-pay peer · $90K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Film and Video Editors

1. District of Columbia $98,830
2. Virginia $78,740
3. Maryland $78,380
4. Massachusetts $92,130
5. New York $103,440
6. Connecticut $83,550
7. Colorado $84,620
8. Utah $76,240
9. California $88,490
10. New Jersey $82,890

Other Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations titles

  1. 1. Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $74,990
  2. 2. Commercial and Industrial Designers $83,910
  3. 3. Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners $72,420
  4. 4. Producers and Directors $90,360
  5. 5. Fashion Designers $80,960
  6. 6. Writers and Authors $76,910

The OEWS band for Film and Video Editors runs from $40,280 (10th) to $148,550 (90th), about 3.7× wide, with median $75,420. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 3,600 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: District of Columbia at $98,830. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Producers and Directors at $90,360. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

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Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034.

Dive into Film and Video Editors in more depth or explore nearby career data.

Full Salary Details

State, metro, and percentile breakdown

Jobs in District of Columbia

Top-paying state for this role

Jobs in Virginia

Second-highest state pay

Producers and Directors

Highest-pay peer · $90K

Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners

Lower-pay peer · $72K

All Career Cards

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Highest-Paying Rankings

Top careers nationwide

Compare Side-by-Side

Head-to-head with another role
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Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

What do film and video editors do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Film and Video Editors. Leading ones include: Organize and string together raw footage into a continuous whole according to scripts or the instructions of directors and producers; Edit films and videotapes to insert music, dialogue, and sound effects, to arrange films into sequences, and to correct errors, using edi…; Select and combine the most effective shots of each scene to form a logical and smoothly running story; Review footage sequence by sequence to become familiar with it before assembling it into a final product. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for film and video editors? ▼
For SOC 27-4032, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.8), Critical Thinking (3.5), Reading Comprehension (3.4), Speaking (3.3). Knowledge areas emphasize Communications and Media, English Language, Computers and Electronics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How does Film and Video Editors sit next to other Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations titles? ▼
On this card, neighboring same-major-group titles include Producers and Directors, Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners, Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film, Commercial and Industrial Designers. Among those peers, Producers and Directors holds the highest published national median ($90,360). Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners sits lower at $72,420. Peer titles are hash-ordered per card so adjacent SOC pages do not share an identical ladder.
What is the median salary for Film and Video Editors? ▼
The median salary for Film and Video Editors is $75,420 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 OEWS data). This means half of workers in this occupation earn more and half earn less. The full range is $40,280 (10th percentile) to $148,550 (90th percentile). For context beside Producers and Directors ($90,360), this role's median is the OEWS national figure above.
Is Film and Video Editors a growing occupation? ▼
The BLS projects +4% employment change for Film and Video Editors from 2024 to 2034. There are approximately 3,600 projected annual openings. This is about as fast as average relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%.
What education do you need to become a film and video editors? ▼
BLS assigns Film and Video Editors to Bachelor's degree for typical education needed for entry. These occupation-level categories are not requirements for every employer or worker.
Which states pay film and video editors the most? ▼
The highest published state medians in this ranking for Film and Video Editors are District of Columbia ($98,830), Virginia ($78,740), Maryland ($78,380). The table does not identify why state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

All federal data sources used on this page
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - wage estimates by area + occupation. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - occupation task statements (importance-ranked). onetcenter.org
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) - quarterly employment and wage totals by industry. bls.gov/cew
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for metro/state aggregates. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics (CES) - monthly nonfarm payroll baselines. bls.gov/ces
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context. irs.gov/statistics
  • BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) - unemployment context for labor-market comparisons. bls.gov/lau