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Film and Video Editors
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.
Other titles employers use
Editor · Film Editor · News Editor · News Video Editor · News Videotape Editor · Non-Linear Editor · Online Editor · Tape Editor
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to creative, organizing and practical work.
- Creative
- Making, designing, writing, or performing without one set answer
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Complex Problem Solving
Subjects to know
- Communications and Media
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Telecommunications
- Fine Arts
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Near Vision
- Oral Expression
- Information Ordering
- Written Comprehension
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.2 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 1.8 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.9 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 2.9 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a bachelor's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A four-year degree 65%
- A two-year degree 17%
- High school or less 17%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Web platform development software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Video creation and editing software
- Desktop publishing software
- Enterprise application integration software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Presentation software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 18,000
- Job openings each year
- 1,600
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 7.8%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 18,000 | 1,600 | 7.8% |
| New York | 5,700 | 10 | 1.1% |
| Florida | 3,440 | 320 | 13.9% |
| Texas | 2,510 | 240 | 18.4% |
| New Jersey | 1,650 | 150 | 5.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,480 | 130 | 8.8% |
| Illinois | 1,210 | 110 | 11.0% |
| Ohio | 1,210 | 110 | 10.0% |
| Utah | 1,140 | 110 | 32.6% |
| Washington | 1,040 | 120 | 19.5% |
| Colorado | 1,030 | 90 | 9.6% |
| Connecticut | 940 | 90 | 20.5% |
| Georgia | 900 | 80 | 12.5% |
| Missouri | 850 | 80 | 6.3% |
| Arizona | 810 | 80 | 14.1% |
| Indiana | 780 | 70 | 6.8% |
| Michigan | 720 | 60 | 4.3% |
| Oregon | 720 | 70 | 28.6% |
| Tennessee | 640 | 60 | 30.6% |
| North Carolina | 580 | 50 | 16.0% |
| Maryland | 570 | 50 | 11.8% |
| Virginia | 470 | 40 | 11.9% |
| South Carolina | 410 | 40 | 10.8% |
| Kentucky | 360 | 30 | 12.5% |
| Alabama | 340 | 30 | 3.0% |
| New Mexico | 320 | 30 | 28.0% |
| Oklahoma | 310 | 30 | 14.8% |
| District of Columbia | 280 | 30 | 3.7% |
| Louisiana | 280 | 30 | 3.7% |
| Wisconsin | 280 | 30 | 27.3% |
| Nevada | 220 | 20 | 22.2% |
| Minnesota | 210 | 20 | 5.0% |
| New Hampshire | 200 | 20 | 17.6% |
| Massachusetts | 190 | 20 | 11.8% |
| Idaho | 170 | 20 | 21.4% |
| Maine | 170 | 20 | — |
| Puerto Rico | 160 | 10 | 14.3% |
| Vermont | 150 | 10 | 7.1% |
| Montana | 140 | 10 | 7.7% |
| Rhode Island | 140 | 10 | 7.7% |
| Iowa | 130 | 10 | 18.2% |
| Arkansas | 120 | 10 | 9.1% |
| Nebraska | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
| South Dakota | 100 | 10 | 11.1% |
| Kansas | 80 | 10 | — |
| West Virginia | 70 | 10 | 16.7% |
| North Dakota | 60 | 10 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
New York University
- Degrees each year
- 884
- Admit rate
- 9%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Savannah College of Art and Design
- Degrees each year
- 748
- Admit rate
- 84%
- Annual cost after aid
- $49,000
Emerson College
- Degrees each year
- 367
- Admit rate
- 47%
- Annual cost after aid
- $42,000
Georgia State University
- Degrees each year
- 381
- Admit rate
- 62%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
California State University-Northridge
- Degrees each year
- 558
- Admit rate
- 93%
- Annual cost after aid
- $8,000
San Francisco State University
- Degrees each year
- 356
- Admit rate
- 96%
- Annual cost after aid
- $12,000
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
- Degrees each year
- 369
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
California State University-Long Beach
- Degrees each year
- 304
- Admit rate
- 47%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Compare every college offering audiovisual communications technologies/technicians