Film and Video Editors Salary
Film and Video Editors in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC make a median of $78,660 a year, or about $37.82 an hour. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.94), that's roughly $80,314 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,713/month, about 33.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $79K get you in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk’s Regional Price Parity (97.94). 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Film and video editors pay in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk tracks closely to the national median, $79K locally vs. $75K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,713/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.94) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for film and video editors in metros near Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $92K | $84K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $59K | $62K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $47K | $48K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $80K | $76K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
Entry-level film and video editors (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $46K 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a film and video editor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 34.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,713/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new film and video editors typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,577/month. At HUD’s $1,713/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $79K locally vs. $75K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk compare to the national average for film and video editors?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $80K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do film and video editors make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?
The median is $78,660 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,610, and experienced film and video editors can clear $105,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,976/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,713/month, which eats 34.4% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk has a Regional Price Parity of 97.94 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median film and video editors salary is worth about $80,314 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.