Film and video editors
SOC Code: 27-4032
Film and video editors carries a 48% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $70,980 and +4.0% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 43,500 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 48% AI exposure, Film and video editors sits 11 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 85% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
51/100
Film and video editors, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage B- $70,980
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth B- +4.0%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 48% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Film and video editors in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Bachelor's band with mid-pack BLS pace
Film and video editors shares the Bachelor's gate with 178 peer occupations and lands in Average (378 of 832). Neither the rarest nor the most crowded growth shelf - use wage and AI desks on this page for the differentiator.
Where Film and video editors sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Film and video editors sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
48% Higher than most higher than 85% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Film and video editors vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Film and video editors is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Film and video editors's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 27-4032) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Film and video editors be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Film and video editors. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Organize and string together raw footage into a continuous whole according to scripts or the instructions of directors and producers.
- 2. Edit films and videotapes to insert music, dialogue, and sound effects, to arrange films into sequences, and to correct errors, using editing equipment.
- 3. Select and combine the most effective shots of each scene to form a logical and smoothly running story.
- 4. Review footage sequence by sequence to become familiar with it before assembling it into a final product.
- 5. Set up and operate computer editing systems, electronic titling systems, video switching equipment, and digital video effects units to produce a final product.
- 6. Trim film segments to specified lengths and reassemble segments in sequences that present stories with maximum effect.
- 7. Cut shot sequences to different angles at specific points in scenes, making each individual cut as fluid and seamless as possible.
- 8. Review assembled films or edited videotapes on screens or monitors to determine if corrections are necessary.
- 9. Determine the specific audio and visual effects and music necessary to complete films.
- 10. Mark frames where a particular shot or piece of sound is to begin or end.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Complex Problem Solving
- Writing
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Time Management
- Monitoring
Knowledge Areas
- Communications and Media
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Telecommunications
- Fine Arts
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- Engineering and Technology
- Administration and Management
- Design
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Film and video editors?
Film and video editors has an AI exposure score of 48%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Film and video editors?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Film and video editors is projected to grow by 4.0% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 43,500 workers.
What skills are needed for Film and video editors?
Key skills for Film and video editors include Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, and others. Typical entry-level education is Bachelor's degree.
How much do Film and video editors earn?
The median annual wage for Film and video editors is $70,980, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Film and video editors?
The typical entry-level education for Film and video editors is Bachelor's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Film and video editors?
Film and video editors roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Film and video editors: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (48% here).
- Biological scientists, all other · AI exposure 48%
- Disc jockeys, except radio · AI exposure 48%
- Graphic designers · AI exposure 48%
- Operations research analysts · AI exposure 48%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+4.0% here).
- Aircraft mechanics and service technicians · growth +4.0%
- Environmental science and protection technicians, including health · growth +4.0%
- Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers · growth +4.0%
- Physicists · growth +4.0%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 12 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Film and video editors' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Film and video editors side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).