Film and Video Editors Salary
Film and Video Editors in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA make a median of $83,210 a year, or about $40.01 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $172K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 113.57), so that salary is closer to $73,268 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,601/month, about 49.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $83K get you in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim’s Regional Price Parity (113.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About film and video editors
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What this looks like in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Film and video editors pay in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim tracks closely to the national median, $83K locally vs. $75K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,601/month, which is 49.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 113.57), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for film and video editors in metros near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $110K | $95K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $83K | $75K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $64K | $60K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $70K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Entry-level film and video editors (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $83K. Top earners bring in $172K or more, a $130K spread from bottom to top.
Film and Video Editors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Film and Video Editors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $103K | +37% | 3,710 |
| District of Columbia | $99K | +31% | 370 |
| Massachusetts | $92K | +22% | 550 |
| California | $88K | +17% | 8,110 |
| Colorado | $85K | +12% | 380 |
| Connecticut | $84K | +11% | 600 |
| New Jersey | $83K | +10% | 620 |
| Virginia | $79K | +4% | N/A |
| Maryland | $78K | +4% | 250 |
| Utah | $76K | +1% | 370 |
| Alabama | $74K | -1% | 120 |
| Illinois | $72K | -4% | 310 |
| Oregon | $72K | -4% | 360 |
| Louisiana | $67K | -11% | 80 |
| Washington | $67K | -11% | 450 |
| Nevada | $66K | -13% | 320 |
| Vermont | $63K | -16% | 100 |
| Kentucky | $62K | -17% | 60 |
| New Hampshire | $61K | -19% | 100 |
| Texas | $61K | -19% | 1,040 |
| Florida | $60K | -20% | 1,490 |
| North Carolina | $60K | -20% | 400 |
| Michigan | $59K | -22% | 360 |
| Missouri | $58K | -23% | 380 |
| Tennessee | $58K | -23% | 560 |
| Ohio | $56K | -25% | 340 |
| Nebraska | $56K | -26% | 120 |
| Oklahoma | $55K | -27% | 100 |
| Idaho | $54K | -28% | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $53K | -29% | 240 |
| Minnesota | $53K | -30% | 200 |
| Georgia | $51K | -32% | N/A |
| Kansas | $51K | -33% | 70 |
| Mississippi | $50K | -33% | 50 |
| New Mexico | $49K | -35% | 160 |
| Arkansas | $48K | -36% | 80 |
| West Virginia | $48K | -36% | 30 |
| Indiana | $47K | -38% | 450 |
| Arizona | $46K | -39% | 350 |
| Montana | $43K | -44% | 110 |
| South Dakota | $39K | -48% | 30 |
| Alaska | $39K | -49% | 30 |
Showing 1–10 of 42 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track film and video editors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a film and video editor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $83K, rent takes 49.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,601/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for film and video editors in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new film and video editors typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,490/month. At HUD’s $2,601/month FMR, rent would take 104% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is film and video editor a high-paying job in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $83K locally vs. $75K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim compare to the national average for film and video editors?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim pays $83K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 113.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $73K — below the national median.
How much do film and video editors make in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
The median is $83,210 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,500, and experienced film and video editors can clear $171,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $83K enough to live in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,254/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,601/month, which eats 49.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a film and video editors salary go in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim has a Regional Price Parity of 113.57 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median film and video editors salary is worth about $73,268 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do film and video editors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.