How To Make Life-Changing Money As a Video Editor

Video content is one of the most potent forms of marketing today.

87% of marketers feel that video has a direct, positive impact on sales, and 96% of marketers agree that videos have helped increase user understanding of their product or service.

With more people, personalities, brands, and businesses going online to grow their awareness and increase their bottom line, it’s safe to say the demand for video creators and editors is at an all-time high.

With apps like TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram focusing heavily on video content, how can we capitalize on this opportunity to make more money, whether it’s a side hustle or a full-time profession?

Let’s break down how to become a video editor and how much video editors make so you can capitalize on this lucrative skill.

The Golden Age of Video Content 

When TikTok hit the market, it quickly grabbed the public’s attention and sucked people in.

The short-form content model took over, and TikTok became the fastest social media network to cross 1 billion active monthly users.

These quick, short videos kept people’s attention on the platform, allowing seemingly “nobodies” to go viral almost overnight. The public was hooked, and TikTok’s competitors were concerned.

As a result, Facebook and YouTube followed what TikTok created and rolled out “reels” and “shorts” to grab back the stolen eyeballs.

It worked to a degree. The public was still focused on TikTok. However, short-form videos shot strictly for TikTok were now posted on Facebook and YouTube.

Enter the short-form video age.

People who had dreamed of being YouTubers but didn’t have the time or the skill to shoot and edit long-form videos could bypass that entirely and shoot 15-second to 60-second video content. And businesses and brands followed suit.

These social network sites optimizing for short-form videos have brought more people to the platforms to grow their names and businesses.

This is excellent news for video editors because it’s a never-ending list of leads and potential clients who would rather hire a professional to edit their content and produce higher-quality videos versus spending their already pressed time learning the skills from scratch.

So, if you’re going to go into video editing, the time is now.

How to Become a Video Editor

With all of these businesses and brands going online, the demand is exceptionally high. So, how do you learn to edit video?

Now, you could go the traditional route and go to college; however, it’s costly and may not be the quickest way to make money if you’re looking for side income. If you want to become a full-time video editor with aspirations of making Hollywood films, then attending a film school might be your best path.

Regardless—right now—you should learn short-form video editing to capitalize on this opportunity in the marketplace.

To accomplish that goal, you’ll want to look at online courses and educational platforms like Skillshare or Udemy. They are much more affordable, and you won’t spend nearly as much time learning the skill as you would in college or university.

Now, if you’re broke as a joke and can’t spend money, you’ll have to spend your time leveraging YouTube University.

The best method to learn editing if money is tight and experience is light is to learn from a professional for free. Yes, you can learn everything from YouTube. But you’ll need real-world knowledge and proof for a business owner to hire you.

Make a list of the top video editors, reach out to them, and offer to intern for someone currently crushing it in the industry. Yes, for free. If you find a paid position, jump on it, but don’t expect one.

Become their “editing assistant” and get direct work experience from them. You’ll get paid in knowledge and experience, and if you’re great at what you do, going above and beyond, they’ll most likely start paying you after a few months.

Once you know how to edit and are proficient at your craft, you can freelance and build your own thing.

After you’ve learned how to edit short-form videos, it’s wise to diversify your skillset and expand your knowledge by continuing your education. Re-invest some of what you make to get certifications to show proficiency in different software applications such as Adobe or Final Cut Pro X.

How Much Do Video Editors Make?

According to ZipRecruiter, the national hourly average of a video editor is $32 an hour.

Not bad, but remember, that’s the average. It ranges from the highest being $57.69 per hour and the lowest coming in at $11.30 per hour.

This type of pay is expected when you’re a generalist who does everything. Many in-house video editors are editing anything that comes their way, saying “yes” to everything from weddings to commercials to video podcasts.

Getting a paid gig feels great temporarily as a new business owner or freelancer, but it’s shooting yourself in the foot long-term because you become a jack-of-all-trades and master of nothing.

That’s a great way to stay average.

However, we don’t want average. We detest it. The newsletter isn’t called “Average Money Methods.” It’s BIG Money Methods.

So, how can we make big money as a video editor?

To really make more money–like life-changing money–you want to become a specialist. A master.

Take a look at Ryan Magin. Ryan made $2.33 million from his short-form content agency by helping business owners and personal brands grow online. That’s only with short-form video. Talk about life-changing money.

Like Ryan, the key to making more money is to focus on a results-driven business.

Businesses don’t care about how much time you’ve put into a project or your hard work. Businesses, companies, and brands care about one thing: results.

And businesses will pay your dictated price point when you can guarantee the results.

The only way to guarantee that you can get them what they seek is to achieve mastery in your skillset.

Then, once you’ve mastered your skill and have a proven track record of getting results for businesses with accompanying social proof, you’ll want to duplicate yourself.

You could keep it as a solopreneur venture, but you’ll leave money on the table.

Scale your business by either charging more or expanding your team. Hire another video editor–a specialist–and teach them what you do. Repeat that process as many times as needed to achieve your financial goals.

Four versions of you will make 4X the money instead of you doing everything yourself.

If you’re looking to learn from Ryan and replicate his success, you should check out his event.

The BMM Takeaway

To really make more money, you want to become a specialist.

“The riches are in the niches.” So, if you want to get rich, have a niche.

Right now, the demand is short-form video. Make that your focus and go all in on that skill. Take one of the above mentioned paths, and don’t stop until you reach your goal.

And don’t worry about “saturation.” There’s always room at the top for those who master their craft, move with a sense of urgency, and stay relentless in the process.

Don’t sleep on this opportunity.