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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