Free tool · 2026 data
Video editor rate calculator
What to charge per hour and per day as a freelance editor. Built on government wage data and union rate cards, with the method shown in full below.
Where you work
Experience as an editor
Billable hours per week: 30
Hours you can charge a client for. Admin, pitching and gaps between jobs don't count.
Freelance rate to aim for
$70 / hour
$560 / day
Staff editors at this level earn $36 an hour, about $75,000 a year (median). This rate covers that pay, the benefits an employer would add, and the hours you can't bill.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Film and Video Editors, May 2025.
How the rate is worked out
In the US and Canada, the starting point is what staff film and video editors earn. Entry level uses the 25th percentile wage, mid level the median, and senior the 75th percentile.
That wage is divided by 0.70, because wages are 70% of what US employers spend on a worker and benefits are the other 30%. Then it's scaled from a 40-hour week down to the hours you can bill. At 30 billable hours, the freelance rate comes out about 1.9 times the staff wage.
The UK works differently. The editors' union Bectu publishes minimum freelance day rates by experience, so the calculator shows those as they are.
The numbers behind it
Staff hourly wages and the freelance rate at 30 billable hours a week.
| Market | Entry | Mid | Senior |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $50 · staff $25 | $70 · staff $36 | $95 · staff $51 |
| Los Angeles | $55 · staff $28 | $75 · staff $40 | $120 · staff $63 |
| New York | $70 · staff $38 | $95 · staff $50 | $125 · staff $65 |
| Canada | C$55 · staff C$29 | C$80 · staff C$41 | C$110 · staff C$57 |
| United Kingdom | £315 / day min | £435 / day min | Negotiated |
Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Film and Video Editors (27-4032). National: 25,610 editors. Los Angeles metro: 6,010. New York metro: 3,430.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, Q2 2026: wages 70.0% of total compensation, benefits 30.0%.
- Government of Canada Job Bank, Film Editor (NOC 51120), updated November 2025: low C$22.00, median C$41.03, high C$70.00 an hour. Job Bank doesn't publish quartiles, so entry and senior wages are estimated from the median using the US wage spread. The US benefits share is applied to Canada as well.
- Bectu Post Production & Facilities Branch, Short Form rate card, online and promo content: Junior Editor (1 to 2 years) £315, Editor (3+ years) £435, Senior Editor (7+ years) negotiated, per 8-hour day plus a 1-hour break. TV commercials minimums are £375 and £565.
Questions
How much should a freelance video editor charge per hour?
In the US, a mid-level freelance editor billing 30 hours a week needs about $70 an hour to match a staff editor's median pay and benefits. Entry-level editors land lower and senior editors higher, and Los Angeles and New York run above the national figure.
Why is the freelance rate higher than staff pay?
Employers pay benefits on top of wages, about 30% of total compensation in the US. Freelancers also can't bill every hour they work. The calculator adds both, so the rate covers the same income a staff job would.
What day rate should a video editor charge?
Multiply your hourly rate by 8. In the UK, the editors' union Bectu sets minimum day rates of £315 for a junior editor and £435 for an editor with 3+ years on online content, and higher for TV commercials.
Where does the data come from?
US figures are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). Canada is from the Government of Canada Job Bank (November 2025). UK rates are from the Bectu post-production rate card. Every source is listed on this page.
Check what you earn per hour now
A quote only works if the job takes the hours you priced. Cut Time tracks your editing time per project. On Pro, log what you charged and it shows the hourly rate each job paid.