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I know exactly how to make money as a video editor. Because I’ve done it!
And I’ve also hired video editors for many different projects over the years.
The average video editor in the U.S. earns $80,990 per year.1 This might not be six figures, but it’s far higher than the average annual national income of $59,540.2
And even better, many video editors work remotely!
I’ll explain in full detail, but your best options to make money are:
- Sign-up for Upwork and Fiverr, yes, BOTH (it’s free to create your profile as a video editor)
- Create a course teaching others how to edit videos using Teachable
- Upload your videos to Shutterstock
- Message your favorite YouTubers and social media personalities offering your services
- UGC (I'll explain below!)
- Get a freakin’ full-time video editor job (I’ll show you how)
- Create your own YouTube channel to make money from ads (you don’t need to show your face or even use your voice!)
- Edit wedding videos
I’ll give you the pros and cons of each method. Plus, I’ll show you other ways how to make money editing videos.
Table of Contents
How to Make Money as a Video Editor
If you want to learn how to make money as a video editor, consider these killer strategies.
Become a Freelance Video Editor
I’ve hired freelance video editors off of Fiverr and Upwork.
So I know that’s a great way how to make money editing videos. I’ve paid them to edit YouTube videos, Instagram videos, TikTok videos, and more. These video editors lived in various countries, from the U.S. to Ukraine to Moldova.
A freelance video editor is someone who reviews raw footage for different clients at a time and edits it.
You can potentially get video editing work from new clients right away. This makes it a relatively quick way how to make $800 fast.
Create a profile on BOTH Fiverr and Upwork. Then, you can pitch for gigs.
Small business owners and content creators like YouTubers will hire video editors. If you’re good, it’s possible to land long-term projects with these clients.
You can get started by opening an account on Fiverr and Upwork and writing a short summary of your video editing experience and skills. It also helps to attach videos that you’ve edited in the past so potential clients can get an idea of your skill level.
Once you’ve got your first few clients, you can charge a higher rate until you’re making a living as a freelance video editor.
An alternative method is to create your own kick-ass website using Squarespace, where you promote your video editing services. Check out my full list of the best website builders.
It might take a while to get your first inbound client since you’re building an audience from scratch, so I recommend starting with Fiverr and Upwork (they already have a massive audience of buyers) and moving away from them when you have a steady number of clients coming in through your website.
Teach Online Courses on How to Edit Videos
Another way to teach people how to edit videos is to create and upload courses to online teaching platforms like Skillshare and Teachable.
These platforms already have thousands of students looking to learn new skills and hobbies to make money, so you don’t have to create your own audience from scratch. You can market to this existing audience and earn money based on how well your course is selling.
Skillshare and Teachable both pay well, which is why I recommend them, but they have slightly different payment plans.
Skillshare pays instructors based on every minute of your videos watched.
With Teachable, you can create things like digital downloads and courses and even offer one-on-one coaching to your students. Teachable pays you based on how many courses you manage to sell during the month, minus some transaction fees and/or monthly fees.
Teaching an online course like video editing is one of the best low-cost business ideas with high profit.
Start a YouTube Channel / Vlog
On my old YouTube channel, I was the host and the video editor all in one. I made money from advertising, selling memberships, and coaching.
The first thing you have to do on YouTube is to choose a niche. As a video editor, why not make informational videos teaching people how to edit and create beautiful videos?
You already know the ins and outs of video editing. All you have to do is share your knowledge. You can even review products like audio editing software and graphics cards and earn money through affiliate links.
Another niche to consider is travel vlogging. People love watching videos of others going on adventures and documenting their journeys.
YouTube is one of the best ways how to make money as an attractive female and how to make money as an attractive man.
However, if you’re uglier than a donkey’s singing voice, or you’re just not comfortable being on camera, you could buy FliFlik, which is a real-time AI voice changer, and make videos where you don’t have to show your face, such as gaming gameplays, software tutorials, and educational videos.
All you have to do is install the FliFlik app on your computer or laptop, input a sample of your voice, and choose what voice you’d like to change it into. You can choose between a minion, ninja, sweet girl, Darth Vader, and hundreds of other voices. You can then use this new voice as a voiceover for your YouTube videos.
Starting a YouTube channel utilizing your editing skills is one of the best business ideas for women, men, and cute dogs.
Edit Videos For Weddings and Other Special Events
Many video editors partner with videographers and travel photographers to help edit the videos they record during weddings, travels, and other special events.
For example, a company called Wededits allows people to submit all the footage they collected during their wedding day. The company will turn this into short highlight films and 10 to 20-minute feature films that customers can cherish forever.
If this sounds interesting to you, hire a designer/developer to build a beautiful website explaining what you do, and post a couple of videos you edited in the past.
If you don’t have the budget to hire a web designer/developer, consider a simple do-it-yourself platform like Squarespace.
Squarespace makes it easy to get your website online because there’s no coding or complicated setup process required.
Then, you’d use the best email marketing software to email potential clients.
Or you can promote your video editing skills on social media. Encourage people to hire you to edit their wedding videos, graduation videos, bar mitzvah videos, sweet sixteen videos, or foot fetish videos that they’re posting on FeetFinder for foot-loving fans.
Wedding video editor is a business to start with 10k or really, much, much less.
Sell Stock Footage
If you’re wondering how to make money as a video editor and you don’t have the time to create websites, courses, and YouTube channels, a much more hands-off approach will be selling stock footage on a platform such as Shutterstock.
Simply upload videos to Shutterstock, and Shutterstock will pay you every time someone downloads your video.
Shutterstock pays you between 15% to 40% commission based on how many videos you sell per month.
For the effort you’re putting in, it’s easy money, which is why it’s a good way how to make money as a video editor.
If you’re wondering what can I sell to make money, your video footage is a good idea.
But let’s be real, uploading to Shutterstock is NOT a way how to make 20k a month or how to make 30k a month. To reach that level, you’d need to be a freelance video editor, charge high prices because you have outstanding reviews, and then hire junior video editors to help you service all your clients.
Get a Job as a Video Editor in the Marketing Department of a Business
If you’re not into the artistic aspect of video editing and you’re more inclined towards the business and marketing side of things, consider applying to companies and marketing agencies for video editing positions.
I have a friend who is a video editor for a local group of restaurants. He shoots footage of their delicious food and cool-looking restaurants. Then, he edits the videos so they can be posted on social media.
Another cool video editing job is to work with independent artists who make music videos.
Even boring businesses like tax accounting companies create marketing videos nowadays since it’s way beyond the dawn of the digital age, so they need your help to get new customers from the information superhighway on the world wide web of the internet to buy their services. Shew.
Look for video editing jobs on sites like LinkedIn and Indeed.
Sell UGC (User-Generated Content)
Another stellar way how to make money editing videos is by selling UGC (user-generated content). You don’t need any existing audience. That’s because you’re selling to companies.
UGC is content created by users of a particular product or service, not the brand itself. This includes video reviews, social media posts, YouTube videos, and podcasts.
UGC by Linda is an excellent example of selling user-generated content. On her website, you can see how she creates these short TikToks promoting various beauty, wellness, fashion, tech, and crypto products.
If you decide to go this route, you can reach out to brands whose products or services you’ve tried before and believe in.
Or, if you have old videos you’d like to include in your UGC, you can use a tool like PhotoStick OMNI to recover all the old videos on your laptop or computer.
All you have to do is plug the PhotoStick OMNI into your laptop or computer, and it'll collect all the old videos on your camera roll and sort them into relevant folders like travel, shopping, makeup, etc., making them easy to find when you decide to publish them.
Common Questions About How to Make Money as a Video Editor
Do Video Editors Make Good Money?
Heck yeah, video editors make good money! According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the mean income for a video editor is $80,990 annually1, well above the national average of $59,5402. So, if you’re passionate about editing videos, becoming a video editor is a profitable career path.
Can I Earn Money From Video Editing / Can You Make a Living as a Freelance Video Editor?
Yes, it’s 100% possible to make a living as a freelance video editor. I personally know multiple people who do! I’ve paid them for years on Upwork and Fiverr because they do great work. These video editors also have other clients.
Another option is starting your own website with Squarespace and promoting your services there.
You can promote your freelance video editing business on social media. This makes it a great way how to make money on Facebook and how to make money on Pinterest.
Wondering how to make more money? Start freelance video editing!
How Do You Become a Paid Video Editor?
The quickest way to become a paid video editor is to advertise your services on Fiverr or Upwork.
These platforms already have a base of millions of buyers, so you can take advantage of this pre-existing audience by pitching for gigs. You don’t have to build an audience from scratch.
That’s how I’ve found video editors to hire over the years.
Video editing is one of the best hobbies to make money.
How Much Does a Freelance Video Editor Make?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the mean annual income for a film and video editor is $80,990.1 If you compare this to the national average of $59,54092, then it is a really good annual income, especially if you’re passionate about editing videos.
Video editor is often a remote job or work-from-home (WFM) job. There are plenty of freelance video editors who make $50 per hour or more.
Sadly, being a freelance video editor is NOT one of those jobs that pay 1 million dollars a month or jobs that pay over 1 million a year.
However, if you’re excellent and get outstanding reviews, it’s a great way how to make 10k a month.
Is Video Editing Good for Freelancing?
Freelancing as a video editor is a great way to boost your income potential. While a regular video editing job might pay well, freelancing allows you to work with several clients simultaneously, charge higher rates, and ultimately, make more money.
Plus, video editing is often a remote job, so you can work on your own schedule from anywhere in the world, including your couch!
Wondering how to make money on OnlyFans without showing your naughty parts? Edit videos of other humans showing their naughty parts. Hey, someone needs to edit all that foot footage and hot, sweaty romantic rompin’.
How to Make Money as a Video Editor Online?
The best way to make money as a video editor online is to sign up for freelancing platforms like Fiverr and Upwork.
These platforms have pre-existing audiences looking for your services. You just have to create a compelling profile and pitch for video editing gigs.
If you’re really good, you’ll get business clients, YouTubers, wedding clients, and more to make money as a video editor online. This makes video editor one of the best ways:
- How to make money fast
- How to make 400 dollars fast
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- How to make 800 dollars fast
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- How to make 3000 dollars fast
Editing videos is actually a good way how to make money on OnlyFans as a guy, because you’re editing, not being on camera.
How to Make Money Editing YouTube Videos?
An excellent way to make money editing YouTube videos is to find YouTubers who are looking for video editors. You’ll find them on job sites like Fiverr and Upwork.
You can edit some of their videos, and if you’re good at what you do, you might land a long-term position.
You can also message YouTubers to let them know you’re a dope video editor and that you’ll do a terrific job for them because you love their ASMR videos where they gently tickle hedgehog bellies.
YouTube video editor is one of the most profitable online businesses because it only costs your time and your existing software.
How to Make Money as a Video Editor Reddit?
Most Redditors suggest signing up for freelancing websites like Fiverr and Upwork and applying for video editor gigs.
Many Redditors also recommended cold emailing small businesses and YouTubers to find out if they are currently looking for video editors.
Another thing you can do is start a website on Squarespace to promote your video editing business. Or check out the best small business website design.
Related:
- How to Make 10k a Month
- How to Double 10K Quickly
- How to Turn 10k into 100k
- What Can I Sell to Make Money
- How to Make Money as a Travel Photographer
- How do Rappers Make Money
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