For agencies about to hire
Hiring an editor? Compare first.
Put the government's wage data for editors next to a per-short price. Then run the numbers with your own volume before you post the job.
What the official data says editors are paid
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025.
- The median annual wage for film and video editors in the US was $75,420 in May 2025, or $36.26 an hour.1
- For film and video editors working in advertising, public relations and related services, the median was $69,800 ($33.56 an hour).2
- These are wages only. BLS wage figures leave out employer-paid benefits and overtime, and they don't cover freelancers.3
- A median is the middle value: half of editors earned more, half earned less.
Wages aren't the whole cost
- Payroll taxes. Employers pay 6.2% Social Security and 1.45% Medicare tax on wages, 7.65% in total.5 On a $75,420 salary that's about $5,770 a year.
- Benefits. In June 2026, wages and salaries were 70.0% of private employers' compensation costs, and benefits were the other 30.0% ($14.07 of $46.89 per hour worked).4
- An estimate, not a quote. If an editor's benefits matched that private-industry average, a $75,420 wage would come to about $107,700 a year in total compensation, or about $8,980 a month. That 30% already includes payroll taxes, so they aren't added twice.
- Not counted in any of these figures: recruiting, software, hardware, and the time it takes to manage the role.
Side by side
Every plan is month-to-month and billed monthly in advance.
| Detail | One editor at the BLS median | Starter | Growth | Scale (by application) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $6,285 in wages alone; about $8,980 with benefits at the BLS average ratio | $1,190 | $2,090 | $3,290 |
| Annual cost | $75,420 in wages; about $107,700 total compensation (estimate) | $14,280 | $25,080 | $39,480 |
| What you pay for | An employee's time | 12 finished standard shorts a month ($99.17 each) | 24 ($87.08 each) | 40 ($82.25 each) |
| Payroll taxes and benefits | Paid by you as the employer | One monthly invoice | One monthly invoice | One monthly invoice |
| Commitment | An employment relationship | Month-to-month; cancel with 7 days' notice before your next billing date | Same | Same |
| Scope | Whatever you assign them | Editing only. No filming, scripting, strategy or posting. Long-form over 2 minutes is quoted separately. | Same | Same |
Do the per-short math with your own number
Your cost per short = the monthly cost of the hire ÷ the finished shorts a month you expect from them.
Compare that with $99.17 (Starter), $87.08 (Growth) or $82.25 (Scale). For reference, the BLS median wage alone, $6,285 a month, equals the price of about 72 shorts at the Growth per-short rate. That's price math only: Growth includes 24 shorts, and extra shorts are $95 each.
We make no claim about how many shorts one editor finishes. That depends on the person, your footage and the edits you need, so use your own number.
When hiring makes more sense
- You need someone to film, write scripts, post or manage communities. We don't offer those.
- Most of your work is long-form (over 2 minutes), animation-heavy or 3D. That's outside our plans.
- You want a person inside your meetings and tools every day.
- Your own per-short math comes out below our rates. If it does, hire.
Test it before you decide
$199, one time. Covers 3 standard shorts for 1 client brand.
- First drafts of all three arrive within 5 business days after we accept your brief.
- 2 revision rounds per short.
- The full $199 is credited to your first month if you subscribe within 14 days of the final pilot delivery.
- One pilot per agency.
Questions
Where do these numbers come from?
Wages: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). Benefit share: BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (June 2026, released September 9, 2026). Tax rates: IRS Topic 751. Links are in the sources below.
Why aren't payroll taxes added to the $107,700 estimate?
BLS counts Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance and workers' compensation as legally required benefits, and those are already inside the 30% benefits share. Adding 7.65% again would count them twice.
Does pay vary by location?
Yes. For example, the BLS May 2025 median for film and video editors was $61,220 in Texas and $55,160 in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro area.2 Look up your own state or metro in the BLS wage data.
Is a plan cheaper than hiring for every agency?
No. It depends on your volume and on what you need beyond editing. Run the per-short math above with your own numbers. If hiring wins, hire.
Sources
All opened on September 28, 2026. Wage data is updated each spring, the benefits data each quarter.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Film and Video Editors and Camera Operators (median pay for film and video editors, May 2025).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 27-4032 (national, advertising and public relations industry, Texas, and Houston metro medians).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS frequently asked questions (what the wage figures include).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026 (released September 9, 2026).
- Internal Revenue Service, Topic 751, Social Security and Medicare withholding rates.