Understanding Freelance Video Editor Rates & What They Mean for Your Project

The decision to hire a freelance video editor or a post-production agency is something that many clients face on a frequent basis. Knowing how much the average video editor is going to charge to deliver post-production editing services for your footage is important early on, when budgeting your film project, but with the price of video editing fluctuating like other creative services, setting an exact estimate can be tough. The average freelance video editor rates range from moderately affordable to over-the-top expensive, but what do these rates mean for your video project?

At Beverly Boy Productions we face clients who have questions about freelance video editor rates and the cost of videography in their area on a daily basis.

While we can easily explain the factors involved in contributing to the overall freelance video editor rates, nailing down a set price is not so simple.

The price of video editing can certainly range based on quality, quantity, and many other factors relative to the project. Here’s what we think you ought to know:

Factors Influencing Freelance Video Editor Rates

Several factors influence the total cost for freelance video editing. Turning raw footage into something that is professionally acceptable and powerfully engaging is both an art form and a professional skill. Not just anyone can do it.

A professional video editor can improve the final footage of your video from something amateur to something magnificent. But post production editing costs are influenced by the following factors:

• Video length
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• Video style
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• Video quality
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• Graphics & special effects
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• Voiceovers, narration, and other needs

Average Freelance Video Editor Rates

Knowing then what factors influence freelance video editor rates, you can expect to spend between about $50 and $200 per hour to hire a video editor.

Now of course, at a rate of $50 per hour, a project that requires 20 hours of editing will cost about $1,000. Likewise, if your freelance video editor rates are double or triple that, say $150 per hour, that same video will cost you $3,000 to edit.

As you can see, the total hourly rate influences that finished video editing rate significantly but what influences the hourly rate that a freelance video editor charges? 

Expertise!

You can likely hire a freelance video editor at $50 an hour if you’re not looking for a lot of experience and expertise.

If you’re seeking simple editing, do not require extensive graphics or special effects, and are not too concerned with the finished quality, it’s possible to get away with a freelance editor that will charge the lowest hourly rate — but keep in mind that you get what you pay for in this industry.

Likewise, if you’re producing videos that you expect to be television ready, complete with special effects and advanced graphics, you’re likely going to have to invest more than $50 per hour.

Additionally, the total number of hours that are spent editing your film will influence the total cost. A film that is shorter will generally take less time to edit than a longer film.

However, a short film that is heavy laden with graphics and special effects or animations could take significantly longer to edit and may require an editor with more advanced level training and expertise, resulting in substantially higher final freelance video editor rates being charged than what you would expect for something simple and short.

At Beverly Boy Productions, our freelance video editor rates are generally within the national average and come between the expected $50 and $200 per hour.

Give us a call at 888-462-7808 to learn more about how we price each of our post-production editing projects and what you can expect in budgeting your film editing for success.