How to Price Your Video Editing Services as a Beginner

Getting Started with Pricing on Upwork

Beginner video editors on Upwork typically charge between $20 to $40 an hour, with the median rate hovering around $32-$35 per hour. As for fixed-price projects, you can expect short-form packages to fall within the $300-$650 range, while YouTube edits will generally cost anywhere from $200 to $600 per video, depending on complexity. The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all rate, your price should factor in your time, revisions, software costs and platform fees, while also remaining competitive for your skill level.

Key Takeaways

• Beginner editors should aim for a rate of $20-$40 an hour or $200-$600 per project, depending on the scope .
• Hourly pricing works great for ad-hoc work, but project-based pricing is usually better for defined deliverables.
• To calculate your rate, estimate the hours required for a job, factor in potential revisions, cover all your expenses, and then account for platform fees.
• Motion graphics, color grating, and sound design can bump up your rate by $15-$40 an hour.
• Charge too little and you’ll attract some tricky clients. Charge fairly and build those glowing reviews. And one more thing: never offer unlimited revisions – define the scope clearly right from the start.

Introduction

You’ve got the software down pat, you’ve put in the practice, and you’ve even built a small portfolio. Now when someone asks: “How much do you charge?” you freeze up.

Pricing is one of the toughest parts of freelancing for beginners: charge too little and you’ll attract clients who expect nothing but perfection for pennies on the dollar, charge too much and you’ll lose jobs to more experienced editors. There’s no single “right” number.

The good news is that pricing is a skill you can learn with a little practice. It’s a logical process: you calculate your costs, research the market and set a rate that reflects your skill level and the value you bring to the table.

This guide will walk you through every step. You’ll learn about hourly versus project pricing, reasonable rates for beginners, a simple formula to calculate your own rate and how to raise your prices as you get more experience under your belt.

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Hourly vs Project Pricing

Two pricing models dominate freelance video editing. Each has its pros and cons.

Hourly Pricing

With hourly pricing you charge per hour of work. It’s easy to understand and track.

When to use hourly pricing:

• When the project scope is unclear
• Ongoing work with a load of revisions
• Consulting or regular consultation calls
• Ad-hoc edits where the time involved is up in the air

Pros: You get paid for every hour, so even if a project runs longer than expected, you still earn a buck.
Cons: If you get faster at what you do, you’ll earn less for the same work. Clients may also be put off because they can’t get a handle on the total cost.

Project-Based Pricing

With project-based pricing you charge a fixed fee for the entire project. The client knows exactly what they’ll be paying upfront.

When to use project-based pricing:

• When the deliverables are clearly defined
• One-off projects with a clear start and end date
• Packages with set numbers of videos
• Clients that need budget certainty

Pros: Clients love predictability – they know exactly what they’re getting themselves into. You’ll earn more if you work efficiently.
Cons: If the project expands beyond the original scope, you may end up working more than expected – that’s why defining the scope so clearly is so important.

How Much Should a Beginner Video Editor Charge?

Here are some realistic ranges based on current marketplace data.

The average hourly rate for video editing work on the Upwork platform sits somewhere between $32-$35. Newbies on Upwork tend to come in at the lower end, between $15-$30 for fairly basic edits.

For short-form stuff like Reels and TikToks, freelancers are charging anywhere from $15 to $40 an hour just for the basics. A batch of 3-5 short-form clips is typically going to cost anywhere from $300 to $1,200, depending on what assets you’re working with and how quickly you need to get it done.

For YouTube editing, you’re looking at long-form videos with retention cuts, graphics and audio – that’s usually going to be $50-$100 an hour, or you can do it on a fixed price basis and get $200-$600 per clip.

HOW TO FIGURE OUT YOUR EDITING RATE

Here’s a simple formula to help you work out your minimum rate.

Step 1: Break Down Your Time

Make a list of all the tasks involved in a project. Here’s an example:

• Watching through all the footage to get a sense of what you’ve got (1 hour)
• Putting together a rough cut and laying everything out (2 hours)
• Going in for a fine cut and polishing up the whole thing (2 hours)
• Doing some color correction (30 minutes)
• Fixing up the audio levels (30 minutes)
• Dealing with client revisions (1 hour)
• Exporting everything and getting it delivered to the client (30 minutes)
• That’s a total of 7.5 hours

Step 2: Decide On Your Hourly Rate

Choose a rate that reflects your level of experience. If you’re just starting out, $20-$30 an hour is a good place to start.

Step 3: Work Out Your Base Project Fee

Multiply the number of hours by your hourly rate. Let’s say you’ve estimated 7.5 hours – that’s $25 an hour, so: 7.5 hours × $25 per hour = $187.50

Step 4: Allow For Revisions

Clients often need a few more revisions than you’re expecting. Add 20-30% to your base fee – so for our example, that’s $187.50 × 1.25 = $234

Step 5: Work Out Your Take-Home Pay

You’ll need to factor in the fees that Upwork will take out – that’s 10% of your total, so to get $234 after Upwork’s taken its cut, you need to charge $234 ÷ 0.90 = $260

Step 6: Finalize Your Project Price

So, in this case, that would be $260 for the whole shebang.

This should give you a decent starting point – just be sure to adjust the hourly rate and time estimates to fit your own needs and experience.

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HOW TO PRICE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VIDEO EDITING

Different types of projects require different prices.

Factors That Should Increase Your Price

Not all projects are the same, so be selective about who you work with and how much you charge. That means upping your rates when these factors apply:

Complex editing. Fast-paced cuts, multiple camera angles and complex transitions all take more time to get right.

A lot of raw footage. If a client sends you three hours of footage for a five minute video, you’re going to spend hours reviewing and selecting the best clips – that’s time you need to be paid for.

Motion graphics and VFX. These are the fancy bits of animation and text effects that add an extra layer of polish to a video – and they require some serious skills. As a result, they can easily add 15 to 40 dollars an hour to your rate.

Colour grading. If a client wants their video to look as good as a Hollywood movie, they’re going to need professional colour work – and that takes some special tools and training.

Sound design. Mixing dialogue, music and effects so they all sound professional takes time and some serious know-how.

Tight deadlines. If a client wants you to rush a project, that means rearranging your schedule and potentially taking on extra work – so charge a premium for these urgent delivery requirements.

Multiple rounds of revisions. Each time a client wants to make a change, it costs you time – and that should be reflected in the price. Beyond a certain number of agreed revisions, start charging extra for the additional work.

Common Pricing Mistakes Beginners Make

There are a few traps that are easy to fall into when it comes to pricing – and they can cost you dearly in the long run.

Charging too little. If you set your rates too low, you’ll attract clients who just don’t value your work – and that’s a recipe for disaster. They’ll ask for more, pay less and leave bad reviews because they don’t think you’re worth the money. And let’s face it, a low price sends out the wrong signal – one of low quality.

Not copying another editor’s rates – but understanding why their rates are what they are. Another editor’s rate is going to reflect their experience, their portfolio and the niche they work in. Those are things you need to take into account when setting your own rates.

Not accounting for revisions. Revisions take time – and you should be paid for that time. Make sure to build them into your price from the start and clearly define how many rounds are included.

Offering unlimited revisions. While it’s nice to be accommodating, unlimited revisions can destroy your profitability. Set a clear limit and charge extra for additional rounds.

Forgetting to account for platform fees. If you’re on a platform like Upwork, they take a 10% cut – so you need to factor that in when you’re setting your rates. Don’t forget to calculate your take-home pay, not just your listed rate.

Offering a fixed price without defining scope. This is a classic trap. If you agree a fixed price without clearly defining what you’re going to deliver, it leaves too much room for ambiguity. Make sure to clearly state what you’re including: video length, number of revisions, delivery format and timeline.

How to Raise Your Rates

As you gain experience and build a track record of producing great work, your rates should go up. Here are some signs that it’s time to raise them:

After 3-5 positive reviews. Once you’ve got some solid proof that you consistently produce high-quality work, you can start to charge more.

When you specialise. Generalists tend to earn less than specialists. If you’ve become the go-to editor for a particular niche, you can command higher rates.

When demand exceeds capacity. If you’re turning down work because you’re too busy, that’s a sign that you should be charging more. You’ll earn more from working with fewer clients.

When your portfolio improves. A stronger portfolio justifies higher rates – so update your samples and raise your prices.

Annually. Even without major changes, it’s a good idea to raise your rates 10-15% each year to account for inflation and your growing experience.

Sample Beginner Pricing Packages

Packages can make pricing a lot easier for your clients – and here’s a simple three-tier structure to get you started:

This structure gives your clients a bunch of options, while also helping to keep you from getting taken advantage of for the more difficult work.

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The Bottom Line

Pricing up your video editing services when you’re just starting out isn’t about finding some magic number. It’s about balancing your costs, valuing your own time, and putting yourself in a good position to grow.

Start with hourly rates somewhere in the $20-$30 range or per-project rates of $200-$500. Use a calculation to make sure you’re covering any revisions and platform fees that might come up. Be super clear about what you’re including, limit the number of revisions you’re willing to do – and don’t be afraid to bump up your rates as you get more reviews and gain some experience under your belt.

The most important thing is just to get started. Charge something, deliver top-notch work, get that first review and then you can use what you’ve learned to start adjusting your prices. Your rate will grow right along with your skills and reputation – and that’s the path from being a beginner to being a pro.