Working editors commonly assume only about 65% of their hours are billable. Community rate guidance: an editor targeting $85 an hour effectively needs to charge over $90 (formula output $92.50) to hit it.
Line
Your numbers
Worked reference
Per-video price
$
$200 mid-band paid test example
Hours per video (cutting + feedback + admin)
90 min per short clip + feedback rounds (illustrative)
Billable percentage of all hours
~65%
Effective hourly rate
$
20 clips x $25 at 90 min each = under $20/hr
3. Retainer Builder
Rule: per-video rate x promised monthly count, trimmed roughly 15 to 20% for the guarantee of steady work. Every retainer caps its included volume in writing; extra clips billed as extras. Nobody starts at a retainer: first deliverable is always a paid test project.
Line
Your numbers
Per-video rate
$
Videos included per month (the cap)
Subtotal (rate x count)
$
Less retainer discount (15 to 20%)
$
Monthly retainer price (billed in advance)
$
4. Expense Tracker Lines
Line
Course reference
Your numbers
Editing software
about $20/mo rented (Premiere Pro $22.99/mo; CapCut Pro $19.99/mo; Resolve Studio $295 once; Resolve free tier $0)
whole tool bill stays under $60/mo against revenue in thousands
$
Tax set-aside per payment
25 to 30% moved before spending; self-employment tax alone is 15.3% on net earnings
$
5. Revenue-over-Hours Scoreboard
Month
Revenue $
Hours
Revenue over hours $/hr
Retainers held
Worked: 20 clips x $25 one-off
$500
calendar: full
under $20/hr
0
Worked: 4 retainers, 20 clips x $50
$4,000+
same calendar
healthy
4
Volume at low prices is a treadmill; the escape is fewer, deeper clients paying rates that reflect what the retention craft actually earns them. Every later decision (raising rates, taking a subcontractor, dropping a client) is made against revenue over hours.