How to hire a senior video editor

How to hire a senior video editor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior video editor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior video editor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior video editor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a senior video editor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a senior video editor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect senior video editor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of senior video editors.

   Type of Senior Video Editor	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Video Editor	Film and video editors and camera operators manipulate moving images that entertain or inform an audience.	$35-82
   Producer	A producer is an individual who is responsible for providing infrastructure, resources, and logistics in making a movie, television show, or stage production. Producers hire production staff such as director, crew, and sometimes actors to coordinate their activities throughout the production process... Show more	$20-57
   News Producer	A News Producer supervises the editorial content of the news to ensure that news stories are produced and presented to the public in a quality manner. They collaborate with the news director to select and prioritize content to make the broadcast more attractive.	$18-36

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Motion Graphics
   • Video Content
   • Adobe Premiere
   • Color Correction
   • Adobe Creative Suite
   • Animation
   • Sound Design
   • Video Projects
   • YouTube
   • Facebook
   • Promotional Videos
   • Digital Video
   • Video Editors
   • Video Assets

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and resolve editorial disagreements across relevant departmental staff to join up an organizational narrative on each output.
   • Produce segments & graphics for both television and Youtube platform.
   • Maintain video archive system and retrieve important clips when necessary.
   • Serve as DV, HD, and DSLR video camera operator.
   • Edit, encode and enhance content for DVD and web delivery.
   • Hold responsibility in transcoding, encoding audio and video files, and uploading media to YouTube.

   More senior video editor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior video editor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A senior video editor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, senior video editors' average salary in arkansas is 50% less than in oregon.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior video editors 57% less than senior-level senior video editors.
   • Certifications. A senior video editor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a senior video editor's salary.

   Average senior video editor salary

   $112,084yearly

   $53.89 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior video editor salary

   $73,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average senior video editor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$142,797	$69
   2	New York	$124,402	$60
   3	Massachusetts	$112,723	$54
   4	Washington	$110,420	$53
   5	Arizona	$103,838	$50
   6	District of Columbia	$102,867	$49
   7	Utah	$93,700	$45
   8	Florida	$91,364	$44
   9	North Carolina	$68,172	$33
   10	Texas	$65,721	$32

   Average senior video editor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Amazon	$139,927	$67.27	28
   2	Hearst	$139,137	$66.89	58
   3	Npr	$126,550	$60.84
   4	TASER Self-Defense	$120,554	$57.96
   5	Estée Lauder	$116,872	$56.19
   6	Vox Media	$113,338	$54.49	15
   7	CTP Ltda	$105,167	$50.56
   8	Thrasio	$105,167	$50.56
   9	Valve	$103,952	$49.98
   10	Sinclair Broadcast Group	$102,830	$49.44	18
   11	Movement Strategy	$101,390	$48.75
   12	Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC	$99,156	$47.67
   13	Spectrum	$98,907	$47.55
   14	Fidelity National Information Solutions	$95,462	$45.90
   15	TriMark Digital	$94,720	$45.54
   16	Kabam	$90,882	$43.69
   17	Gannett	$88,906	$42.74	8
   18	Feld Entertainment	$76,986	$37.01	2
   19	The City University of New York	$57,578	$27.68

4. Writing a senior video editor job description

   A senior video editor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a senior video editor job description:

   Senior video editor job description example

   Bullhorn is the global leader in software for the staffing industry. After more than 20 years, more than 10,000 companies rely on Bullhorn's cloud-based platform to power their staffing processes from start to finish. Led by the original co-founder, partnered with venture capital, and powered by seasoned leaders across a global workforce with an eye toward innovation, Bullhorn has had year over year growth, making it the market leader in the recruitment software space while allowing for new opportunities for over 35% of our employees to advance their careers in 2021.
   
   We are a remote-first organization and over 30% of our employees reside outside the United States. Headquartered in Boston, we also have offices in St. Louis, London, Brighton, Rotterdam, Frankfurt and Sydney (just in case you're in the area to stop by). Whether you're local or remote, our vision is to ensure every employee has a sense of belonging, a voice that is heard, and a clear path for success. Your incredible experience as an employee will consist of flexible work hours to ensure a positive work-life balance and use Zoom, Slack, and other tools to stay connected.
   About the Role:
   Reporting to the Executive Creative Director on the Marketing team, this is a mid to senior position in the creative team at Bullhorn. You are an accomplished storyteller and visual problem solver with a talent for creating engaging content through sound and vision. You possess professional experience editing and producing video and motion graphics. You will work on every aspect of production, including developing scripts, creating storyboards, and preparing timelines. In addition, you will assist in project management administratively and logistically. Strong interpersonal skills are required to collaborate with other editors, motion graphics artists, internal business partners, and freelance talent. Additionally, your ability to tell stories and communicate through video, motion graphics and sound will help convey the Bullhorn brand voice and humanize our technology and the staffing industry. Your work will directly impact brand awareness, demand generation, and bringing the voice of the customer to life. Your work will have high visibility and be seen worldwide by both internal and external audiences through many channels.
   A typical day will include:Being a vital part of the creative team within the marketing department.Working cross-functionally and collaborating with the global marketing team, executive leadership, HR, sales, and others as a key player.Editing, compositing, mixing, color correcting, and bringing ideas to life through video, sound, and motion graphics.Overseeing and directing junior videographers and freelancers.Coordinating and sourcing assets such as b-roll, stock footage, music, photography, SFX, etc.Helping develop video strategy by analyzing video engagement and performance data.Continuously learn and expand your skills and interests. Keeping an eye out for trends and technologies in film, video, design, and marketing.
   You have 3 - 5 years of experience in professional video, film, or related production environments.You deeply understand the components of good storytelling, visual narratives, and brand voice and tone.You have a keen eye for detail with an understanding of film theory and graphic design principles.You possess strong project management skills with the ability to organize your time and work, manage multiple projects in different production phases, and hit deadlines.You have fluency in Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Illustrator, and Photoshop.You have knowledge of video cameras, lighting, audio equipment, and video streaming technology.You have excellent verbal and written communication skills.You have an enthusiasm for collaborating and brainstorming concepts and ideas with other creatives.You like to try new things, disrupt the status quo, and have fun.
   What we offer...
   
   -Benefits eligibility effective DAY ONE including Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), 401(k) Match, and more
   -Unlimited Vacation
   -Mental health benefits (EAP & 98point6)
   -Full Access to LinkedIn Learning
   -Quarterly paid volunteer days
   -Lucrative Employee Referral Program (eligible for prior to your first day)
   -Career development opportunities up/across Bullhorn
   
   Bullhorn's core purpose is to create an incredible customer experience, which starts with first creating an incredible employee experience. Our vision is for every employee to have a sense of belonging, a voice that is heard, and a clear path for success. We are committed to building diverse and inclusive teams, and our culture is shaped by our five core values: Ownership, Energy, Speed & Agility, Service, and Being Human.
   
   We're looking for real-life humans, each with their own unique set of thoughts, beliefs, cultures, identities, and a background and body that is completely individual. We also love humans who have taken less traditional paths of education and believe that experience and learning come in many forms. Together, all these unique individuals make Bullhorn stronger. If you're reading this, you're probably applying for/considering applying for a job with us, and we want you to know that Bullhorn is an equal opportunity employer. For us, that means we always have, and will always, strive to be as inclusive as possible in all aspects of employment and that we do not and will not tolerate discrimination of any kind.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find senior video editors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any senior video editors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level senior video editors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior video editor job on Zippia to find and recruit senior video editor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit senior video editors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior video editor

   Once you've selected the best senior video editor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new senior video editor. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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