Video editing prices are all over the place. You will see editors charging $15 an hour on marketplaces and others charging thousands for a single brand film. Both can be right. What you should charge depends on your experience, the type of video, and how you package the work.
Below are 2026 market ranges, the four ways editors price their work, and worked examples you can copy.
2026 video editing rates at a glance
| Level | Hourly rate | Who this usually is |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | $20–45/hr | Under 2 years, small portfolio, simple cuts and captions |
| Mid-level | $45–85/hr | Solid portfolio, handles pacing, color, sound, and motion basics |
| Senior / specialist | $85–150+/hr | Brand films, ads, documentaries, advanced motion or color work |
Generic short-form editing is where competition is highest and prices are lowest. Specializing in a niche is the fastest way out of the bottom of the market.
The 4 ways to price video editing
1. Hourly
Easiest when the scope is unclear, like cleaning up years of raw footage. The downside: clients worry about the bill growing, and you earn less as you get faster. Before picking a number, work out your floor with our freelance rate calculator guide.
2. Per finished minute
Common for YouTube and corporate work. $50 to $150 per finished minute is a widely quoted baseline for professional editors, rising with complexity. A 10-minute YouTube video at $60 a minute is $600.
3. Per video (project price)
Clients like a fixed number they can approve. Published 2026 guides put typical project prices around:
| Project type | Typical price range |
|---|---|
| YouTube video | $300–1,500 |
| Short ad creative | $250–1,200 |
| Event highlight video | $500–2,500 |
4. Monthly retainer
The best model for Reels, TikTok, and Shorts. You agree on a number of videos per month for a fixed fee. The client gets consistency, and you get predictable income, which matters: in a survey by Remote, 62% of freelancers named managing an irregular income as a challenge.
How much to charge for Reels and Shorts
Published 2026 guides put short-form edits roughly at $25 to $75 per video for beginners, $75 to $200 for intermediate editors, and $200 to $500 for senior editors. Within that, price by the time it takes, then bundle it. Start by timing yourself on a few edits. A simple talking-head Reel with captions might take 1 hour. One with B-roll, sound design, and motion text might take 2 to 3.
Packages also make upselling easy. For example: Starter (8 Reels), Growth (12 Reels + thumbnails), Full service (20 Reels + one long-form video).
Pricing as a beginner
- Do not work for free indefinitely. Do 2 to 3 discounted projects in exchange for a testimonial and permission to show the work.
- Start at the low end of entry-level, not below it. $20 to $30 an hour, or the per-video equivalent, is a reasonable starting point in most markets.
- Raise your price after every 3 to 5 clients or as soon as you are booked out.
- Quote per video, not per hour. Beginners are slow. Hourly billing punishes the client for that, and per-video pricing lets you earn more as you speed up.
What should increase your price
- Hours of raw footage to review (charge for footage review on long shoots)
- Rush turnaround (charge a percentage rush fee on top)
- Motion graphics, color grading, sound design, or subtitles in multiple languages
- Extra deliverables such as thumbnails, cutdowns, or vertical versions
- Revision rounds beyond what the agreement includes
- Paid ad usage, where your edit directly drives revenue
Put your rates in writing
The biggest profit killer for editors is unlimited revisions. Every quote should state the number of videos, the length, the revision rounds included, the turnaround time, and the price of extra rounds. Take a deposit before starting, and if a client pays late, follow our step-by-step invoice plan.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a beginner charge for video editing?
Entry-level editors typically charge $20 to $45 an hour. Many beginners start around $20 to $30 an hour, or an equivalent per-video price, and raise rates after their first few clients.
How much should I charge to edit a YouTube video?
Published 2026 guides put a typical YouTube video edit at $300 to $1,500 depending on length and complexity. Per finished minute, $50 to $150 is a common professional baseline.
How much should I charge for editing Reels?
Time a few edits, multiply by your hourly rate, add a buffer for revisions, and bundle Reels into a monthly package. For example, 12 Reels at 1.5 hours each and $45 an hour works out to about $950 a month.