Guide
Hiring a video editor costs $20 to $150 an hour freelance
Updated
Freelance video editors charge about $20 to $150 an hour, and agencies $100 to $250. A short social media clip costs about $50 to $400 per video.
In short
- A freelance video editor costs about $20 to $150 an hour, depending on experience, according to Krock.io's 2026 rate guide.
- A video editing agency charges $100 to $250 an hour.
- A short social media clip costs $50 to $400 to edit, and an ad of 15 to 30 seconds $250 to $1,200.
- A salaried video editor in the US earns a median $75,420 a year, about $36 an hour (BLS, May 2025).
- Your own time for briefs and reviews, and extra rounds of changes, come on top of the invoice.
- Freelance video editor per hour, per Krock.io's 2026 rate guide
- $20-$150
- Video editing agency per hour
- $100-$250
- US median yearly wage for film and video editors, BLS May 2025
- $75,420
How much does a video editor cost per hour?
The freelance and agency rates come from Krock.io's 2026 rate guide for video editors, read 21 September 2026. The salary comes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Freelance video editors charge about $20 to $150 an hour. Experience and skills like motion graphics move the price most.
- Agencies charge $100 to $250 an hour. The extra pays for a project manager, cover when someone is ill, and a contract.
- A salaried editor in the US earns a median $75,420 a year. That is about $36 an hour over 2,080 hours, before employment costs.
Video editor rates by type
Freelance and agency rates from Krock.io's 2026 guide. Salary from the BLS, May 2025 figures.
| Type of editor | Price |
|---|---|
| Entry-level freelancer (0 to 2 years) | $20 to $45 an hour |
| Mid-level freelancer (2 to 5 years) | $45 to $85 an hour |
| Senior freelancer (motion graphics, colour work) | $85 to $150 an hour or more |
| Agency | $100 to $250 an hour |
| Salaried editor, US median | $75,420 a year, about $36 an hour |
Type of editor: Entry-level freelancer (0 to 2 years)
- Price
- $20 to $45 an hour
Type of editor: Mid-level freelancer (2 to 5 years)
- Price
- $45 to $85 an hour
Type of editor: Senior freelancer (motion graphics, colour work)
- Price
- $85 to $150 an hour or more
Type of editor: Agency
- Price
- $100 to $250 an hour
Type of editor: Salaried editor, US median
- Price
- $75,420 a year, about $36 an hour
How much does a video editor cost per video?
Many editors quote per video instead of per hour. Use these ranges to check a quote you get.
- The price depends on the length, the editor's experience and how many rounds of changes are included.
- An ad of 15 to 30 seconds costs more to edit than a simple social clip: $250 to $1,200.
- Send real footage and a clear brief, so the editor can give you a real price instead of a range.
Common prices per video
From Krock.io's 2026 rate guide, read 21 September 2026.
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Short social clip for TikTok, Reels or Shorts (30 to 60 seconds) | $50 to $400 |
| Ad (15 to 30 seconds) | $250 to $1,200 |
| YouTube video (8 to 12 minutes) | $300 to $1,500 |
| Company interview (2 to 5 minutes) | $400 to $2,000 |
Job: Short social clip for TikTok, Reels or Shorts (30 to 60 seconds)
- Typical price
- $50 to $400
Job: Ad (15 to 30 seconds)
- Typical price
- $250 to $1,200
Job: YouTube video (8 to 12 minutes)
- Typical price
- $300 to $1,500
Job: Company interview (2 to 5 minutes)
- Typical price
- $400 to $2,000
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
Should you pay hourly, per video or a monthly retainer?
Pay per video if you know exactly what you need. Pay by the hour for a one-off or messy project. A monthly retainer only pays off if you need several videos every month.
- Paying by the hour puts the risk on you. A vague brief or messy footage adds hours to the bill.
- Paying per video puts the risk on the editor, so the price includes room for extra work.
- A monthly retainer is cheapest per video if you use all of it, and expensive if you do not.
- Whichever you choose, agree in writing how many rounds of changes are included.
Three ways to pay an editor
Agree these points in writing before the work starts.
Hourly
- Who carries the risk
- You do, because extra hours are billed
- What to agree first
- A cap on the hours, and who pays past it
Per video
- Who carries the risk
- The editor, so it is built into the price
- What to agree first
- What counts as one video, and how many rounds of changes
Monthly retainer
- Who carries the risk
- You do. You pay for the agreed hours, even the ones you do not use
- What to agree first
- Whether unused hours carry over
| Who carries the risk | What to agree first | |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly | You do, because extra hours are billed | A cap on the hours, and who pays past it |
| Per video | The editor, so it is built into the price | What counts as one video, and how many rounds of changes |
| Monthly retainer | You do. You pay for the agreed hours, even the ones you do not use | Whether unused hours carry over |
Where to hire a video editor
You can find a freelance editor on a marketplace, or hire a local agency or production company.
- Upwork lets you post a job and compare editors' hourly rates, reviews and past work.
- Fiverr sells fixed-price packages, such as a short video edit with a set number of revisions.
- Both marketplaces add a service fee to what you pay, on top of the editor's price.
- A local agency or production company costs more, $100 to $250 an hour, but can also film, light and record sound.
Costs that are not on the invoice
The editor's invoice is not the whole cost of an ad.
- Someone on your team writes the brief and reviews every version, and nobody invoices you for that time.
- Each round of changes adds days before the ad can run.
- Krock.io's guide says most quotes include 2 to 3 rounds of changes. Extra rounds are usually billed on top.
- A second version, such as a square one or a shorter one, can be billed as new work, so ask first.
- Edits you decide not to run are still paid in full.
When is hiring a video editor worth it?
An editor is worth it when the video needs skill and judgement. Many similar ad versions are cheaper with a tool.
Editor or tool?
| Job | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Launch film or founder story | An editor |
| Footage with bad sound or harsh light | An editor, or film it again |
| A shoot that needs a film crew | An editor and a crew |
| Many similar vertical ads every month | A tool like Cutroom |
| A new opening on an ad that already works | A tool like Cutroom |
Job: Launch film or founder story
- Best choice
- An editor
Job: Footage with bad sound or harsh light
- Best choice
- An editor, or film it again
Job: A shoot that needs a film crew
- Best choice
- An editor and a crew
Job: Many similar vertical ads every month
- Best choice
- A tool like Cutroom
Job: A new opening on an ad that already works
- Best choice
- A tool like Cutroom
Where Cutroom fits
Cutroom is not an editor you hire. It edits one video of you talking into a finished vertical ad in about a minute.
- You upload a video of a person talking to the camera, up to 3 minutes long.
- You get a finished 9:16 MP4 with cuts, captions and b-roll. There is no square version.
- You change the ad by editing the text of what was said. There is no timeline.
- It cannot fix bad sound or harsh light. For that you need an editor, or a new recording.
- Your first video is free, with no card. It carries a Cutroom mark; Lite at $19.99 a month removes it.
What Cutroom costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Edit (cuts, captions, b-roll) | 100 credits |
| Export | 20 credits per minute of video |
| One 30-second ad, edit plus export | 110 credits |
| Lite | $19.99 a month, 1,250 credits |
| Basic | $39.99 a month, 2,500 credits |
| Premium | $79.99 a month, 5,000 credits |
| First video | Free, no card, within 7 days |
Item: Edit (cuts, captions, b-roll)
- Cost
- 100 credits
Item: Export
- Cost
- 20 credits per minute of video
Item: One 30-second ad, edit plus export
- Cost
- 110 credits
Item: Lite
- Cost
- $19.99 a month, 1,250 credits
Item: Basic
- Cost
- $39.99 a month, 2,500 credits
Item: Premium
- Cost
- $79.99 a month, 5,000 credits
Item: First video
- Cost
- Free, no card, within 7 days
Questions people ask
- How much does a video editor cost per hour?
- About $20 to $150 an hour for a freelancer: $20 to $45 for entry level, $45 to $85 for mid level and $85 to $150 or more for senior editors. Agencies charge $100 to $250. These figures come from Krock.io's 2026 rate guide.
- How much does a salaried video editor cost?
- The US median wage for film and video editors is $75,420 a year (BLS, May 2025). That is about $36 an hour over 2,080 hours, before employment costs.
- How much does it cost to edit a 30-second ad?
- About $250 to $1,200 for an ad of 15 to 30 seconds, according to Krock.io's 2026 guide. A simple social clip costs less, $50 to $400. Agree how many rounds of changes are included before you start.
- Where can I hire a video editor?
- On a freelance marketplace such as Upwork or Fiverr, or through a local agency. Marketplaces show rates, reviews and past work. An agency costs more but can also film.
- Why won't video editors give me a fixed price?
- Because the price depends on your footage and your brief. Send a real sample and a clear brief, and you will get a quote you can rely on.
- Is a retainer cheaper than paying per video?
- Only if you use all of it. A retainer costs the same whether you get ten videos that month or three.
- What if my footage has bad sound or harsh lighting?
- Hire an editor or film it again. Cutroom has no colour grading and no audio repair, and it does not reorder a video that rambles.
Need many short ads rather than one big edit? Film one video and get the finished ad back. Your first video is free.