Rates, 2026
What should a video editor charge in a smaller market?
About $475 a day for a video editor who is working and booked in a smaller US market. $350 in the first years, $575 when senior. Editing a piece runs about $1,425.
Other markets: New York or LA · a major city · remote
First years
$350
a day · $45 an hour
Working, booked
$475
a day · $60 an hour
Senior, sought after
$575
a day · $70 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$475 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$60 per hour
- Editing a piececut, two rounds of notes, delivery$1,425 per project
Sold a project fee, by the day, by the hour. The outcome is the unit; the day rate is for when a client wants your time instead.
What to charge for each thing
Ranges for a smaller US market: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Short social cut (under 60 seconds)$150 to $425 per video
- Long-form YouTube edit (10 to 20 minutes)$425 to $1,400 per video
- Podcast episode, video and audio$150 to $350 per episode
- Brand film or commercial edit$1,050 to $3,500 per project
- Event or wedding highlight$550 to $1,750 per project
- Revision round past the two included$70 to $175 per round
- Color grade$200 to $850 per project
- Captions and delivery in three crops$35 to $100 per video
- Rush, under 72 hours30 to 50% of the fee
How the number is made
Video editors at this level in this market day at about $475 ($450 to $900 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
Editing a piece runs $600 to $3,500 and takes about 16 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $950. The number is the higher of the two, because the client is buying the outcome, not the hours.
Questions
- What is a fair day rate for a video editor in a smaller US market?
- About $475 a day for someone working and booked, $350 in the first years, $575 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is editing a piece?
- $1,425 at a working level in this market. The client is buying the outcome, so the price is the higher of what the market pays for it and what your hours in it are worth.
- Are these rates a rule?
- No. They are US 2026 ranges for the role, placed by level and moved for the market. What a client actually paid you beats all of it. The tool has a box for that, and it wins.
Your number, in five seconds.
Pick your level and market, get a card you can send the next client who asks. Then RostrLab quotes, papers, invoices and chases every job with it: free for 14 days, $29 a month, never a cut.
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