Hire a Video Editor Without a Hiring Process
If you publish video every week, you have probably priced out hiring someone. This page shows what an employed editor costs on wages alone, where an employee or a freelancer is the right call, and when one dedicated editor on a flat monthly plan from $699 fits better.
What an employed video editor costs
Nationally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median pay of $75,100 a year for film and video editors and camera operators combined, across about 72,000 jobs (2025). Pay varies a lot by city. These are the film and video editor figures for four metro areas.
| Metro area | Employed editors | Mean annual wage | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | 3,430 | $110,330 | $104,590 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 6,010 | $98,130 | $83,210 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 260 | $77,240 | $65,360 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 350 | $74,280 | $65,000 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 estimates, film and video editors (SOC 27-4032); national figure from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. The counts cover payroll employees only, so freelancers are not included. Wages exclude benefits, software and the manager's time.
For comparison, our plans come to $8,388 a year for Launch, $17,988 a year for Growth, and $35,988 a year for Dedicated Team. That is not like-for-like: a plan is sized by output, not by one person's working week.
Three ways to get an editor
| Employee | Freelancer | Zasper dedicated editor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Salary, plus benefits and software | Per project or per hour | Flat monthly plan from $699 |
| What you do first | Write the job, interview, onboard | Find, check and brief someone, often again for each project | Choose a plan, send footage and a brief |
| Revisions | Part of the job | Set by the quote | Unlimited, same editor |
| Best when | You can keep one editor busy for a full working week | You have a one-off or occasional project | You publish regularly and want steady, predictable output |
If you would keep one editor busy for a full working week, an employee can cost less per hour than any plan, and sits in your team chat. Our Launch and Growth plans cap short-form at one or two videos a day on purpose; that is the trade for a flat price.
What to ask before you hire any editor
This applies to us as much as to anyone else.
- Ask to see finished work in your format. A reel editor and a podcast editor are different jobs.
- Get the turnaround in writing, per video length, not as a single number.
- Ask how many revision rounds are included. Some quotes cap them at one or two.
- Ask who owns the project files and the finished exports when you stop working together.
- Ask what happens when the editor is ill or booked out, and how you would know.
- Send the same short test brief to every candidate, and compare how each one asks questions.
How it works with us
Send footage and a brief
Upload the raw files and tell us what the video is for, where it will run and which videos you like.
Your dedicated editor cuts it
The same editor handles each request on your account, so the second video needs less explaining than the first.
Review, revise, approve
Ask for changes as many times as you need. Revisions are unlimited on every plan and go back to the same editor.
Turnaround by video length
| Request type | Launch | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Short-form, under 90 seconds | 1 per day | 2 per day |
| Long-form, up to 10 minutes | up to 2 business days | up to 1 business day |
| Long-form, up to 20 minutes | up to 3 business days | up to 1 business day |
| Long-form, up to 30 minutes | up to 4 business days | up to 2 business days |
| Long-form, up to 60 minutes | up to 5 business days | up to 3 business days |
Questions about hiring an editor
How much does it cost to hire a video editor?
For an employee, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median of $75,100 a year (2025) for film and video editors and camera operators combined, before benefits, software and management time. Freelance rates vary too widely for us to quote one honestly. Our plans are Launch $699, Growth $1,499, Dedicated Team $2,999 a month.
Is a monthly plan the same as hiring a full-time editor?
No. A plan is sized by how much we turn around for you, not by hours. Launch covers up to one short-form video a day and Growth two. If you would keep an editor busy for a full working week, an employee, or our Dedicated Team plan, is worth comparing.
What about revisions?
Unlimited on every plan, and the same editor who cut the video makes the changes.
Is there a contract?
No lock-in. You can upgrade, downgrade, pause or cancel at any time, and billing is monthly through PayPal until you cancel. Our refund and cancellation policy has the details.
What do I need to send?
Your raw footage and a short brief: what the video is for, where it will run and a link to one or two videos you like. We edit footage you send us; we do not shoot it.
How quickly will I get a first draft?
It depends on your plan and the video length. On Growth, a long-form video up to 20 minutes takes up to 1 business day; on Launch, up to 3. The full table is on this page.
Start with the plan, not a job post
Choose a plan, upload your first footage with a brief, and you have an editor working on it.