What is a good day rate for a freelance videographer?

Industry pricing guides put beginner day rates around $150-$200, mid-level shooters at roughly $300-$400, and experienced specialists at $500 and up — usually for filming only, with editing quoted separately. Your specific number should come from your own cost math, not just the benchmark.

Should I charge hourly, a day rate, or per project?

Use hourly for short, well-defined jobs under about four hours, a day rate for shoots of a half day or more, and project pricing when you control the scope and can cap revisions in writing. Project pricing usually earns the most — but only if the deliverables and revision limits are defined upfront.

How much should I charge for video editing?

Survey data from working editors shows entry-level editors charging about $20-$35/hour, mid-level editors $40-$80/hour, and senior editors handling commercials or heavy effects at $100-$150+/hour. If you shoot and edit, price the edit as its own line item rather than burying it in your day rate.

When should I raise my videography rates?

On a schedule, not a feeling. A 10-15% increase every six to twelve months, applied to new clients first, is a common and defensible cadence. Also raise rates any time you are booked out more than a few weeks in advance — a full calendar at your current rate is the market telling you that you're underpriced.

Creator Business

How Much Should You Charge as a Videographer? A No-BS Rate Guide

Real 2026 videographer rate benchmarks, a day-rate math worksheet, cost-plus vs. value pricing, and the red-flag clients you should walk away from.

Josiah LoveJune 24, 20267 min read

How Much Should You Charge as a Videographer? A No-BS Rate Guide

Every videographer I've met has had the same 11 p.m. moment: proposal open, cursor blinking in the price field, no idea whether the number is embarrassingly low or about to scare the client off. Quote a corporate shoot at $400 and you might leave $600 on the table. Quote $1,500 and you might never hear back. Running a studio in Dallas, I've been on both sides of that email — hiring freelancers and being one — so here's the guide I wish someone had handed me. Pricing feels hard because you're not selling one thing. You're selling shoot time, edit time, gear you're still paying off, insurance nobody sees, and years of taste. Most underpriced videographers aren't bad at negotiating — they're only charging for the first item on that list. So let's fix the math first, then the mindset.

Experience level	Hourly rate	Typical day rate	Editing (hourly)
Beginner (0-2 yrs)	$25-$75	$150-$200	$20-$35
Mid-level (3-7 yrs)	$75-$200	$300-$400	$40-$80
Senior / specialist (7+ yrs)	$200-$500+	$500+	$100-$150+

How Much Should You Charge as a Videographer? A No-BS Rate Guide

Cost-plus vs. value pricing: know which game you're playing

The day-rate worksheet: do this math once

How to raise your rates without losing your clients

Red-flag clients: the bookings that cost you money

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Tools from the JML Studio

Content Engine Blueprint

Brand Film Template — Premiere Pro

Video Revision Workflow: How to Keep Client Rounds From Eating You Alive

How to Write a Video Proposal That Wins the Client (With a Simple Structure)

Why Oneira Drop 01 Is 500 Units — and Why the Counter Can't Lie