Photo: Ben2742 (CC0)
Job description
Editors review footage sequence by sequence before assembling it into a coherent whole, following a script or a director's instructions, then operate editing software, titling systems, and digital effects tools to build the final product. Beyond straightforward cutting, many also synchronize soundtracks with picture and program computerized graphic effects. On larger productions, an editor may also supervise a team of other editing and assembly staff rather than handling every cut alone.
Pros
- Faster than average projected growth at 4%, outpacing many creative-field occupations
- Top pay reaches nearly $150k for editors who move into supervisory or lead roles
- Creative ownership over pacing and structure, shaping how a story ultimately comes together
Cons
- Bachelor's degree typically required, a higher bar than many production-side roles
- Fast-paced, deadline-driven work with real time pressure to finish on schedule
- Only about 3,600 positions nationwide, so opportunities cluster in major production hubs
A typical day
The edit bay is dark and quiet at 9 as the editor loads yesterday's footage — three hours of interviews for a documentary — and starts pulling selects, tagging the moments where a subject's voice cracks with honesty. Midday is assembly: building a four-minute sequence, testing whether scene 12 lands better before or after the archival montage. The director joins after lunch for a review, and half the afternoon's work gets reordered — which is the collaboration, not a setback. The last hours go to cleanup: trimming frames for rhythm, smoothing audio transitions, and exporting a cut for notes, because every version is one draft closer.
Tasks at the job
- Organize and string together raw footage into a continuous whole according to scripts or the instructions of directors and producers.
- 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.
- Review assembled films or edited videotapes on screens or monitors to determine if corrections are necessary.
- Program computerized graphic effects.
- Supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in film editing, assembling, and recording activities.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens indoors in a climate-controlled setting, and most of the day is spent sitting at a desk.
The pace is often fast, with real time pressure to meet deadlines, and you're expected to exercise significant independent judgment day to day. Precision and accuracy are essential to the work. Almost all of the work is done as part of a team.
Education necessary or common
Bachelor's degree
Common college majors
Licenses & certifications
- Avid Media Composer certification (useful for broadcast/film work)
- Adobe Certified Professional (Premiere Pro)
Career path
Related fields
Courses to take
- Film Studies or Video Production — editing basics taught directly where offered
- English Literature — editing is storytelling; structure is structure
- Music or Band — cutting is rhythm you can feel
- Photography — composition and visual grammar
- Computer Applications — the craft lives in software
Clubs, activities & competitions
- School broadcast/video announcements team
- Edit for local businesses, teams, or your own channel — real deadlines teach fastest
- Film club and student film festivals
- Yearbook multimedia
First steps you can take now
- Learn a real NLE now — DaVinci Resolve is free and industry-grade
- Cut one two-minute piece from found or self-shot footage this week
- Recut a scene: take raw footage from a free stock site and edit it three different ways
- Study one great scene shot by shot and note every cut's purpose
