How Much Do YouTube Editors Make? Salary, Per Video and Per Clip

How much YouTube editors make depends on the work they do and how they're paid. A salaried YouTube video editor in the US averages about $68,000 a year, according to Salary.com (November 2026). Freelancers who edit a 10 to 20 minute video often charge about $300 to $1,500 per video. Editors who make Shorts and clips usually earn $15 to $75 or more per clip, or about $800 to $3,500 or more a month on a retainer.

Most pay figures online mix these kinds of work together. This guide splits them apart, then shows how the numbers add up over a month.

YouTube editor pay at a glance

Type of work	Typical pay	How it's paid
Salaried YouTube video editor (US)	About $58,000 to $74,000 a year (middle half)	Salary
Long YouTube video (10 to 20 minutes)	About $300 to $1,500 per video	Per video or hourly
Freelance hourly rate	About $25 to $150 an hour	Hourly
Simple Short or clip	$15 to $35 per clip	Per clip
Mid-level Short or clip	$30 to $50 per clip	Per clip
Complex Short or clip	$50 to $75+ per clip	Per clip
Weekly Shorts for one creator	About $800 to $3,500+ a month	Monthly retainer
View-based clipping campaigns	About $0.50 to $3 per 1,000 views	Per view

The salary figures come from Salary.com. The long-form and hourly ranges come from public rate guides we checked in October 2026. The Shorts and clip figures come from our clipper pay rates guide. These are market ranges, not promises of what you will earn.

Salaried YouTube editors

A salaried editor works for one channel, brand or media company and gets a set yearly wage. Salary.com puts the average US YouTube video editor salary at $68,051 a year, as of November 1, 2026. That is about $33 an hour. Its middle half of editors earn $57,960 to $73,552. The full range it shows, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, is $48,772 to $78,561.

Salary.com builds these numbers from job postings. Keep two things in mind:

• They're US figures. Pay in other countries is often much lower or higher.
• They cover full-time jobs. Many YouTube editors work freelance, and their pay works very differently.

Some job posts from bigger channels list pay above these ranges. Those roles usually ask for years of experience and proof that your videos kept viewers watching.

Freelance pay per long-form video

Freelance editors who cut full YouTube videos usually charge per video or per hour. Public rate guides we checked in October 2026 put a 10 to 20 minute YouTube video at about $300 to $1,500, and freelance hourly rates at about $25 to $150 an hour.

That range is wide because the job changes a lot from channel to channel:

• A simple talking-head video with jump cuts sits at the low end.
• Heavy B-roll, sound design, motion graphics and custom thumbnails push the price up.
• Long raw footage takes more time to review before you can start cutting.

For more on how buyers think about these prices, see how much video editing costs.

Pay for YouTube Shorts and clips

Shorts editors, often called clippers, turn long videos and streams into short vertical clips. They are usually paid per clip, using the ranges from our clipper pay rates guide:

• $15 to $35 for a simple clip, like a podcast or talking-head moment with captions
• $30 to $50 for a mid-level clip with B-roll, zooms or branded captions
• $50 to $75 or more for a complex clip with gaming effects, memes or motion graphics

A single clip pays less than a full video. But clips are faster to make, and creators who post Shorts every day need a lot of them. That steady volume is why many YouTube editors now focus on short-form work.

Monthly retainers

Once a creator wants clips every week, they often switch to a monthly retainer. That's a set fee for an agreed number of clips. Clip retainers usually run about $800 to $3,500 or more a month, depending on volume, niche and how complex the edits are.

Retainers often pay a little less per clip in return for steady work. For example, a podcast that pays $1,200 a month for 48 clips is paying $25 a clip.

View-based clipping is a different model

Some clipping platforms, such as Whop Content Rewards or Vyro, pay per view instead of per clip. You post clips on your own accounts and earn a set rate for every 1,000 views. That rate is called CPM. Rates commonly sit around $0.50 to $3 per 1,000 views.

This can pay well when a clip takes off. But most clips earn little, and many campaigns set a minimum view count and a cap per clip. It's a fair option to test, but it isn't the same as being paid to edit for a creator. See how much clippers make for worked view-based examples.

Worked examples

These are examples of how the maths works, not a picture of what a typical editor earns.

Example 1: Part-time Shorts editor

• 20 simple clips a month × $25 = $500 a month

Example 2: Shorts retainer plus extra clips

• One retainer at $1,200 a month for 48 clips
• 8 gaming clips a month for a second creator × $60 = $480
• Total: $1,680 a month

Example 3: Long-form freelancer

• 4 YouTube videos a month × $500 = $2,000 a month
• If each video takes 15 hours, that's about $33 an hour

Track your hours. A video that pays $500 but takes 30 hours works out to about $17 an hour.

What raises your rate

• Niche: editors who know gaming, finance or podcasts well can charge more, because they need fewer notes.
• Turnaround: same-day or 24-hour delivery usually earns a premium.
• Hooks and captions: strong first seconds and clean captions are what creators pay for in Shorts.
• Retention results: proof that your edits kept people watching is the best case for a higher rate.
• Finding the moments: pulling clips from a raw four-hour stream is worth more than cutting from timestamps.
• Steady volume: a weekly batch is easier to price and plan than one-off jobs.

For a step-by-step way to set your prices, see how to price video editing services.

How to find YouTube creators who pay

• Build a small portfolio first. Three to five sample clips in one niche is enough to start.
• Pitch creators who already post Shorts. They know they need clips and often post more than they can edit.
• Apply to job posts. Creators post paid work on marketplaces. You can browse open clipping jobs on Kreatli Marketplace, where creators set the pay and you agree terms with them directly.
• Turn one-off work into a retainer. After a few good batches, offer a monthly package.

If you're new to freelance editing, how to become a freelance video editor covers your first clients, tools and pricing. To see what creators look for, read their side of the process: hire a YouTube clipper.

FAQ

Do YouTube editors get paid per video or per hour?

Both happen. Long-form editors often charge per video, at about $300 to $1,500 for a 10 to 20 minute video, or hourly at about $25 to $150 an hour, based on rate guides checked in October 2026. Shorts and clip editors are usually paid per clip or on a monthly retainer.

How much do YouTube Shorts editors make?

Shorts editors usually earn $15 to $35 per simple clip, $30 to $50 for mid-level clips and $50 to $75 or more for complex edits. Creators who need clips every week often pay a retainer of about $800 to $3,500 or more a month. What you make each month depends on how many clips you deliver.

How much do editors for the biggest YouTubers make?

Some of the largest channels are known to pay top editors far more than the averages in this guide. Those jobs are rare and usually go to editors with years of proven results. Treat stories about them as outliers, not a benchmark for your own pay.

Can beginners get paid to edit YouTube videos?

Yes. Many beginners start with simple Shorts or podcast clips at the low end of the per-clip range, while they build a portfolio. As your samples improve and you get repeat clients, you can raise your rates.

Is editing for YouTube a full-time job?

It can be. Some editors have salaried jobs, and some freelancers build a full week from several clients or retainers. Many start part-time and grow from there. Income depends on your skill, speed and how many repeat clients you keep.