Sales & Marketing

How to become a Video Editor

From no experience: every step, how long it takes, and the credential it earns.

Time to get there

3–12 months

Typical pay

$45k–$72k

Starting from

No experience

Pay is an estimate of typical US entry-level pay for this role and varies by state, employer and shift. The timeline assumes you are starting from no experience and includes any licence or programme legally required — not just course length.

The route

1. 1

   2–4 months

   Learn one NLE properly

   Premiere Pro, Final Cut or DaVinci Resolve — Resolve has a capable free version.

2. 2

   3–6 months

   Learn pacing and story

   The editing decisions, not the software. Cut other people's footage to practise.

3. 3

   2–4 months

   Build a reel

   Sixty seconds of your best work, front-loaded. Nobody watches to the end.

4. 4

   3–12 months

   Find your market

   YouTube channels, agencies and corporate video all hire steadily; film pays worst per hour.

5. ✓

   Destination

   Video Editor

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