# Film and Video Editors

US SOC code 27-4032. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/27-4032

Also called: Video editor, Film editor, Post-production editor, Senior editor (film/video), Assembly editor.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **25,610** US film and video editors, with median pay of **$75,420** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2021, the highest was **32,080**, in May 2022. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.editorsguild.com/About/Guilds-History) of **571** from 1937, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for film and video editors: Streaming platform expansion, 2013 to 2022.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 3.7% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=27-4032&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **47.2%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend.

## Film and Video Editors employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1896
- Latest US employment: 25,610 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $75,420 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [8]
- Outlook: +3.7% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [22]

### All 28 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1937 | 571 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Motion Picture Editors Guild [1] |
| 1938 | n/a | $2,600 (estimate) | Est., Motion Picture Editors Guild [6] |
| 1960 | 4,500 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Encyclopedia.com [2] |
| 1992 | 17,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Avid Technology Inc [3] |
| 2000 | 10,990 | $34,160 | BLS OEWS 2000 [4] |
| 2003 | 15,100 | $40,600 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 15,800 | $43,590 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 15,200 | $46,930 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 17,380 | $46,670 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 17,410 | $47,870 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 18,720 | $50,560 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 17,550 | $50,790 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 19,930 | $50,930 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 20,730 | $52,940 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 21,500 | $51,300 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 21,920 | $54,490 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 24,460 | $57,210 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 27,660 | $61,750 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 29,880 | $62,760 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 30,770 | $61,180 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 28,160 | $62,650 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 27,570 | $63,780 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 22,410 | $67,250 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 28,030 | $62,680 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 32,080 | $63,520 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 29,240 | $66,600 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 28,860 | $70,980 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 25,610 | $75,420 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (89)

### Employment series

1. [Motion Picture Editors Guild -- Guilds History (founding June 7, 1937; 571 members)](https://www.editorsguild.com/About/Guilds-History), Motion Picture Editors Guild / IATSE Local 700
2. [Encyclopedia.com -- "The American Film Industry in the Early 1950s" (179,000 employed in motion picture industry circa 1939; industry workforce context)](https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/culture-magazines/american-film-industry-early-1950s), Encyclopedia.com
3. [Avid Technology Inc. -- History (Media Composer 1989 launch; Lost in Yonkers 1993 first NLE theatrical feature)](https://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/avid-technology-inc-history/), Funding Universe / Avid Technology
4. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

6. [Motion Picture Editors Guild -- Guilds History (first contract 1938, 10% wage increase; studio-era compensation context)](https://www.editorsguild.com/About/Guilds-History), Motion Picture Editors Guild / IATSE Local 700
7. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
8. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
9. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Tool eras

10. [MASV -- "The Evolution of Video Editing: Film Editing History" (early cutting bench era)](https://massive.io/filmmaking/the-evolution-of-video-editing/), MASV
11. [Wikipedia -- Moviola (invention 1924, Douglas Fairbanks Studios first unit, sound Moviola 1931)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moviola), Wikipedia
12. [CinemaMontage -- "Raising Kane: An Overview of Hollywood Film Editing in the 1930s" (Moviola, sound sync, studio editing practice)](https://cinemontage.org/raising-kane-overview-hollywood-film-editing-1930s/), CinemaMontage / Motion Picture Editors Guild
13. [NoFilmSchool -- "From Flatbed to Avid: Has the Switch from Physical to Digital Editing Changed Filmmaking for Good?"](https://nofilmschool.com/2013/06/flatbed-avid-switch-from-physical-digital-editing), NoFilmSchool
14. [Videomaker -- "Edit Suite: Once Upon a Time: The History of Videotape Editing" (CMX 600, CMX 300, linear edit suite history)](https://www.videomaker.com/article/2896-edit-suite-once-upon-a-time-the-history-of-videotape-editing/), Videomaker
15. [TM Television -- "30 Years of Avid Media Composer" (1989 NAB launch, Film Composer 1992, Lost in Yonkers 1993)](https://tmtel.com/30-years-of-avid-media-composer/), TM Television
16. [Wikipedia -- Media Composer (Avid history, 1989 launch, English Patient 1996 Oscar)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Composer), Wikipedia
17. [Wikipedia -- Final Cut Pro (1999 launch at NAB, $999 price point, 49% professional market share by 2007)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Cut_Pro), Wikipedia
18. [Film Independent -- "Hacking Film: A Brief History of Cheap and Free Editing Platforms" (democratization of NLE)](https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/hacking-film-a-brief-history-of-cheap-and-free-editing-platforms-part-one/), Film Independent
19. [Deadline -- "Disruptor of the Decade: How Streaming Changed Everything" (Netflix 2013 originals, streaming expansion arc)](https://deadline.com/2019/12/streaming-hollywood-disruptor-decade-netflix-amazon-disney-2020-outlook-1202817648/), Deadline
20. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook -- Film and Video Editors and Camera Operators (2022 employment baseline ~51,000)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/film-and-video-editors-and-camera-operators.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
21. [Variety -- "Generative Video Enters the Edit Bay" (Apr 2026, AI footage in broadcast deliverables)](https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/generative-video-editing-ai-runway-sora/), Variety

### Forecasts and exposure studies

22. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 27-4032 Film and video editors (2025: 39.4 thousand; 2035: 40.8 thousand; +3.7%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=27-4032&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
23. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 27-4032.00, human-rated β 0.472)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

24. [Wikipedia -- "The Birth of a Nation" (Griffith cross-cutting, editorial grammar establishment)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birth_of_a_Nation), Wikipedia
25. [Wikipedia -- Academy Award for Best Film Editing (established 7th Academy Awards, 1935, Conrad A. Nervig for Eskimo)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Film_Editing), Wikipedia
26. [Motion Picture Editors Guild -- Guilds History (founding May 20, 1937; 571 members by June 7; first contract 1938)](https://www.editorsguild.com/About/Guilds-History), Motion Picture Editors Guild / IATSE Local 700
27. [Criterion Collection / Girish Shambu -- "Hidden Histories: The Story of Women Film Editors" (gender shift in Hollywood editing)](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6582-hidden-histories-the-story-of-women-film-editors), The Criterion Collection
28. [Wikipedia -- Media Composer (English Patient 1996 Oscar, first major NLE editing Oscar win)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Composer), Wikipedia
29. [Brookings Institution -- "Hollywood writers went on strike to protect their livelihoods from generative AI" (WGA strike 2023, AI provisions)](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/hollywood-writers-went-on-strike-to-protect-their-livelihoods-from-generative-ai-their-remarkable-victory-matters-for-all-workers/), Brookings Institution

### Predecessors & successors

30. [MASV -- "The Evolution of Video Editing: Film Editing History" (early cutter role origins)](https://massive.io/filmmaking/the-evolution-of-video-editing/), MASV
31. [Motion Picture Editors Guild -- Guilds History (guild apprentice and assistant classifications in founding membership)](https://www.editorsguild.com/About/Guilds-History), Motion Picture Editors Guild / IATSE Local 700
32. [Videomaker -- "Edit Suite: Once Upon a Time: The History of Videotape Editing" (broadcast tape editor workforce)](https://www.videomaker.com/article/2896-edit-suite-once-upon-a-time-the-history-of-videotape-editing/), Videomaker
33. [Production Hub -- "The Changing Role of the Film Editor in the AI Era 2026" (editor-to-director career path)](https://www.productionhub.com/blog/post/the-changing-role-of-film-editors-in-the-age-of-ai-2026), Production Hub

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Film and Video Editors (27-4032.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/27-4032.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Film and Video Editors, 2024-25](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/film-and-video-editors.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [NoFilmSchool — 5 Reasons AI Will (Probably) Never Replace Human Video Editors](https://nofilmschool.com/will-ai-video-editing-replace-humans), accessed 2026-06-21
- [ProVideo Coalition — Could AI Really Be Our Post Production Friend? (Alan Smithee Round Table)](https://www.provideocoalition.com/the-alan-smithee-round-table-could-ai-really-be-our-post-production-friend/), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Variety — Generative Video Enters the Edit Bay (Apr 2026)](https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/generative-video-editing-ai-runway-sora/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [IATSE — Negotiations Update: Hollywood Basic General Negotiations with AMPTP, AI Discussion](https://iatse.net/negotiations-update-2nd-week-of-hollywood-basic-general-negotiations-with-amptp-wraps-following-discussion-on-ai-wages-and-working-conditions/), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Production Hub — The Changing Role of the Film Editor in the AI Era 2026](https://www.productionhub.com/blog/post/the-changing-role-of-film-editors-in-the-age-of-ai-2026), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Descript — AI-Powered Video Editing and Transcript Assembly](https://www.descript.com/tools/video-editor), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Adobe — Premiere Pro: Auto Transcribe Video Using Speech to Text](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-text-images/insert-captions/auto-transcribe-video-using-speech-to-text.html), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Runway — Gen-4: AI Video Generation with World Consistency](https://runwayml.com/research/introducing-runway-gen-4), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Google — Veo 3: AI Video Generation (May 2026)](https://deepmind.google/models/veo/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [iZotope — RX 11 AI-Powered Dialogue Repair and Production Audio Cleanup](https://www.izotope.com/products/rx-advanced), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.