Film and Video Editors Salary: $70,980 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 28,860 film and video editors work nationally, and $70,980 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 11% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.8% annual growth.
Film and Video Editors: what the data shows
Common questions about film and video editors careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a film and video editors?
Film and Video Editors is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 27-4032.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 28,860 workers.
What does a film and video editors do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Thinking Creatively, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a film and video editors make?
BLS national median annual wage: $70,980 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $101,742 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,425 |
| 25th percentile | $65,585 |
| Median (50th) | $85,461 |
| 75th percentile | $125,398 |
| 90th percentile | $171,836 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving, Speaking, and knowledge areas including Communications and Media, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Telecommunications. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is film and video editors in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.8% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 9.1%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 19.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 28,860.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do film and video editorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 28,860 | 19.8% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 28,370 | 19.5% |
| Information | 18,900 | 13.0% |
| Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries | 14,230 | 9.8% |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries | 13,760 | 9.4% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5,200 | 3.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Film and Video Editors in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Interpreters and Translators | 53,360 | $59,440 |
| Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners | 7,600 | $30,460 |
| Technical Writers | 55,530 | $91,670 |
| Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks | 11,960 | $49,130 |
| Writers and Authors | 47,800 | $72,270 |
| News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists | 41,550 | $60,280 |
| Editors | 95,480 | $75,260 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Film and Video Editors workforce.
Employment Over Time
28,860 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Film and Video Editors grew from 26,980 in 2009 to 35,700 in 2025 (32.3%).
Historical employment for Film and Video Editors from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$70,980 Median pay (BLS national)
Film and Video Editors earn $70,980 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Film and Video Editors.
Salary distribution for Film and Video Editors.
Employment Growth Projections
1.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
38,965 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 9.1%
42,528 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 19.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.8% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Film and Video Editors.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Film and Video Editors and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Film and Video Editors employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Film and Video Editors.
Wage Trends by Industry
28.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Film and Video Editors.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Film and Video Editors.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 9,110 employees, $99,050 avg wage
- NY: 4,060 employees, $110,080 avg wage
- FL: 1,190 employees, $65,050 avg wage
- TX: 1,100 employees, $68,930 avg wage
- GA: 1,000 employees, $60,420 avg wage
- PA: 790 employees, $60,870 avg wage
- NJ: 740 employees, $92,490 avg wage
- WA: 620 employees, $77,990 avg wage
- CO: 590 employees, $72,060 avg wage
- TN: 560 employees, $59,830 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Film and Video Editors.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 6,730 employees, $99,210 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,900 employees, $110,720 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 1,020 employees, $106,790 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 690 employees, $91,670 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 450 employees, $66,700 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 450 employees, $85,030 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 410 employees, $67,230 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 410 employees, $70,630 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 370 employees, $88,010 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 360 employees, $71,050 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Film and Video Editors.
Diversity
Demographic information on Film and Video Editors in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Film and Video Editors is about 28,860 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Film and Video Editors.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Film and Video Editors.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Film and Video Editors.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Film and Video Editors in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Communications.
Common majors for Film and Video Editors.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Film and Video Editors workers.
Education level distribution for Film and Video Editors.
Skills
Film and Video Editors need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving.
Required skills for Film and Video Editors.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Film and Video Editors.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Film and Video Editors include Communications and Media, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Telecommunications, Fine Arts.
Knowledge areas required for Film and Video Editors.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Film and Video Editors include Oral Comprehension, Near Vision, Oral Expression, Information Ordering, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Film and Video Editors.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Film and Video Editors.
Daily Activities
Film and Video Editors spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Thinking Creatively, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.
Most important work activities for Film and Video Editors.
About
Film and Video Editors
Film and Video Editors earn $70,980 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
27-4032 - Film and Video Editors
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Film and Video Editors reports an average salary of $101,742, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 28,860 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.8%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.