Arts, Design, Media & Sports
Film and Video Editors
Also called: Editor, Film Editor, News Editor, News Video Editor
US median pay
$75,420
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+3.7%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
3,100
39,400 employed
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Preparation 4/5 · Considerable preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- 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 editing equipment.
- 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.
- Set up and operate computer editing systems, electronic titling systems, video switching equipment, and digital video effects units to produce a final product.
- Trim film segments to specified lengths and reassemble segments in sequences that present stories with maximum effect.
- Cut shot sequences to different angles at specific points in scenes, making each individual cut as fluid and seamless as possible.
- Review assembled films or edited videotapes on screens or monitors to determine if corrections are necessary.
- Verify key numbers and time codes on materials.
- Manipulate plot, score, sound, and graphics to make the parts into a continuous whole, working closely with people in audio, visual, music, optical, or special effects departments.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Complex Problem Solving3.2/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.9/5
- Systems Analysis2.8/5
- Persuasion2.8/5
- Systems Evaluation2.6/5
Knowledge
- Communications and Media4.9/5
- English Language4.6/5
- Computers and Electronics4.5/5
- Telecommunications4.1/5
- Fine Arts4.0/5
- Production and Processing3.7/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 4 of 5 — Considerable preparation. Usually a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Bachelor's degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Bachelor's degree65%
- Associate's degree17%
- High school diploma16%
Who this job suits
Mostly Artistic
Creating, designing and self-expression
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.