Like most things in life, you get what you pay for when it comes to hiring a video editor. Sure, it’s possible to get a video edited for under $100 on websites like Fiverr, but you’re taking a huge gamble. Nine times out of ten, you’re left disappointed and basically have to start the project over again.
Experienced editors are expensive, but for good reason.
A good video editor can be the sole difference between a video generating six figures in sales or it doing absolutely nothing—maybe even hurting your brand’s reputation. While it may be tempting to save costs upfront by hiring a cheaper video editor, hiring a professional video editor is almost always a worthwhile investment.
So, what are the actual costs of hiring video editors?
This article will break down the average costs for freelance video editors, hiring a video editing agency, or bringing it in-house with a salaried video editor.
Freelance Video Editing Costs
A lot of video editors work freelance, meaning you can hire them on a per-project basis. Compared to salaried video editors, their hourly rates are a bit higher because of the lack of benefits or job stability.
Low End
- Editing Rate: $10–$20/hour
- Project Rate: $50–$300 per video
Average
- Editing Rate: $20–$50/hour
- Project Rate: $300–$1,000 per video
High End
- Editing Rate: $50–$125/hour
- Project Rate: $1,000–$3,500 per video
You can hire freelance video editors on websites like Upwork or Fiverr, in your local Film and Video Facebook group, or by searching Google for video editors in your area.
Agency Video Editing Costs
When hiring an agency or video production company, the cost will always be higher. But the higher cost is justified, as you’re taking less risk and don’t have to spend time managing the project.
The two most common models for agency video editing are per project and retainer or unlimited. Per-project costs can vary depending on scope, so we’ve included equivalent hourly rates to help you make the best decision.
Per-Project Average Costs
- Average: $100–$175/hour
- High End: $175–$250+/hour
Unlimited Video Editing Agencies
- Low End: $500–$1,250/month
- Average: $1,250–$1,750/month
- High End: $1,750–$4,500/month
- Our Price: $1,550–$2,950/month, depending on the plan.
Learn more about our pricing here. FYI, we only work with internal marketing teams.
Full-Time Salaried Video Editor Costs
If your business produces a lot of video content, hiring an internal video editor is a great way to save costs and increase the amount of video your marketing team is putting out.
Salaried video editors’ hourly rates are often lower than freelance video editors’, but the overall yearly cost will be higher because you need to factor in benefits, equipment, training, and the time you need to manage them.
Costs Including Benefits
- Entry Level: $40,000–$55,000
- Mid Level: $55,000–$70,000
- Senior Level: $70,000–$95,000+
What’s Our Pricing?
Capture offers premium, subscription-based video production and video editing services exclusively for in-house marketing teams. Unlike many video agencies, our pricing is fully transparent and listed on our website.
Our unlimited video editing pricing starts at $1,550 per month. View all the details here or book a call to see if we’re a good fit for your marketing team.
