A lean in house video team in the US (one producer who also shoots, plus one editor) costs about $266,000 in year one once you add median salaries, benefits, gear, software and studio time. That works out to roughly $5,500 per video at 4 videos a month and $2,800 per video at 8 a month. Managing freelancers yourself lands near $2,000 per video, and subscription agencies charge $2,000 to $2,500 per video at those volumes. In house wins on price only when you produce a lot, every month, and keep the team past year one.
I run a video agency, so you would be right to expect me to say "hire an agency." I am not going to. I have spent five years watching software companies make this decision, and I have seen in house teams do brilliant work and agencies waste money, and the other way around. So in this piece I do the math out loud, with every number sourced, and I tell you where in house genuinely comes out ahead.
I am Heleana, CEO and co founder of Videodeck, which I started with Andrei in January 2022. Since then we have delivered more than 1,000 videos for B2B and software companies, including Intercom, Mercury, ActiveCampaign, Foxit, Harness and Monograph, filmed in our own studios with more than 10 in house spokespeople.
We sit on one side of this decision, and we often work alongside in house marketing and video teams, so we see where each model shines and where it struggles.
Key takeaways
- The median US film and video editor earned $75,420 and the median producer or director earned $90,360 in May 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Benefits make up 30% of total employer compensation in US private industry (June 2026, BLS), so every $1 of salary really costs about $1.43.
- A two person in house video team costs about $266,000 in year one and about $251,000 a year after that, with salaries and benefits making up about 89% of the total.
- At 8 polished videos a month, in house costs roughly $2,800 per video in year one, compared with about $2,000 for self managed freelancers and $2,300 on an agency subscription.
- 59% of businesses make their videos in house, 10% use only external vendors and 32% mix both, per Wyzowl's 2026 survey.
- In house becomes the cheapest option at high, steady volume: a three person team making 24 pieces a month comes to roughly $1,250 per video from year two.
What an in house video team really costs in year one
The biggest cost of an in house video team is people, and it is not close. Gear feels expensive when you are shopping for it, but in my model it is under 5% of the first year.
Here is the setup I priced: one video producer who plans, shoots and directs, plus one full time editor. That is the smallest team I would trust to ship several polished videos a month without burning out. Salaries use the BLS median for producers and directors ($90,360) and the BLS median for film and video editors ($75,420), both from May 2025.
Benefits and employer costs come from the BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation release, which found private employers paid $32.82 an hour in wages and $14.07 in benefits in June 2026. That ratio adds about 43% on top of salary.
| Line item (two person team) | Year one cost | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Producer and director salary | $90,360 | BLS median, May 2025 |
| Film and video editor salary | $75,420 | BLS median, May 2025 |
| Benefits and employer costs | $71,070 | 30% of total compensation, BLS ECEC, June 2026 |
| Camera and lenses | $6,144 | Sony FX3A with 24 to 50mm f/2.8 kit ($5,496) and Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 ($648) |
| Lighting | $1,037 | amaran Halo 200x two light kit ($788) plus a third Halo 200x ($249) |
| Audio | $605 | Rode Wireless PRO ($260) and Sennheiser MKE 600 ($344.95) |
| Tripod | $760 | Sachtler Ace M system |
| Two editing laptops | $4,398 | 14 inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro from $2,199 each, per Macworld |
| Adobe Creative Cloud Pro (two seats) | $2,400 | $99.99 per license per month for business |
| Frame.io Team (two seats) | $600 | $25 per user per month |
| Studio rental, two shoot days a month | $11,040 | 16 hours a month at $57.50, the midpoint of Peerspace's $45 to $70 an hour |
| Recruiting (two hires) | $2,400 | $1,200 median nonexecutive cost per hire, SHRM 2025 |
| Total, year one | $266,234 | About $22,200 a month |
This budget is deliberately generous to in house. It leaves out memory cards, drives, a teleprompter, stock music, set dressing, travel and the hours your marketing lead spends managing the team. It also assumes you hire at median pay, which gets harder in big cities where good producers have options.
Private sector salary data tells a similar story. Glassdoor puts average total pay for a US video producer at $81,278 (updated April 2025), and Indeed lists the average video editor at $35.12 an hour (updated July 2026).
What freelancers and agencies cost
Freelancers are the cheapest way to buy production hours, but you pay for them with your own time. Agencies cost more per hour and less in management, and their prices vary a lot depending on the model.
Freelance video editor and videographer rates
On Upwork, senior video editors charge $61 to $150 an hour, with a median of $100, while mid tier editors sit around a $40 median. Upwork's videographer data shows expert rates of $40 to $60 an hour and a $35 overall median. Keep in mind these figures come from contracts worldwide, and experienced US freelancers usually sit at the top of those ranges or above them.
To compare freelancers with the other models, I priced one polished video like this:
- 4 hours of filming from an expert videographer at $60 an hour: $240.
- 12 hours of editing from a senior editor at $100 an hour: $1,200.
- 4 hours of studio time at $57.50 an hour: $230.
- 8 hours of your own team's time for scripting, booking and feedback, at the $46.89 average hourly employer cost from BLS: $375.
That comes to about $2,045 per video. The hour counts are my working assumptions for a 3 to 5 minute talking head video with light motion graphics, so adjust them to your formats.
Agency price ranges
Agency pricing splits into two worlds: project quotes and monthly subscriptions. On Clutch, video production agencies charge an average of $100 to $149 an hour, and the average project costs $42,280 (updated September 2026). Vidico's 2026 cost guide puts medium corporate and explainer videos at $4,500 to $20,000 each.
Subscription agencies price per video at a fixed monthly volume. At Videodeck, our monthly plans are $2,500 per video at 4 a month, $2,300 at 8 and $2,000 at 12, including scripting, a spokesperson, a custom set, editing, motion graphics and thumbnails. If you have never hired an agency before, my guide to working with a video production agency explains what a good process looks like.
Cost per video at 4, 8 and 12 videos a month
Cost per video is the fairest way to compare the three models, because it spreads the fixed cost of a team across what the team actually ships. Volume changes everything for in house and almost nothing for freelancers.
For the in house numbers, I assume the two person team handles up to 8 polished videos a month and that you add a second editor (loaded cost about $107,750, plus a laptop and software) to reach 12. Year two drops the gear and recruiting costs.
| Model | 4 videos a month | 8 videos a month | 12 videos a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| In house, year one | $5,547 | $2,773 | $2,631 |
| In house, year two | $5,227 | $2,613 | $2,501 |
| Freelancers you manage | $2,045 | $2,045 | $2,045 |
| Subscription agency (Videodeck plans) | $2,500 | $2,300 | $2,000 |
| Project based agency, low end (Vidico range) | $4,500 | $4,500 | $4,500 |
Three things jump out. First, an in house team making 4 videos a month is the most expensive option on the table, because you pay for a full team to work at half capacity. Second, freelancers look cheapest on paper, but that figure includes no strategy, no on camera talent, no thumbnails and no one to replace your editor when they take a bigger client. Third, the gap between in house and outsourced options shrinks as volume rises, and eventually flips.
When in house actually wins
In house wins when video is a daily habit, not a monthly deliverable. The math above counts polished videos, but a good in house team also shoots event clips, sales enablement, internal updates, and dozens of social cuts that never show up in an agency scope.
Push volume high enough and the fixed cost melts. If the three person team from my model ships 24 pieces a month, the year two cost per piece falls to about $1,250, which no agency I know of will match for comparable work. In house also gives you things that are hard to price:
- Speed. A producer down the hall can film a reaction to industry news the same afternoon.
- Product depth. After six months, your team understands the product better than any outside crew.
- Confidentiality. Unreleased features and roadmap content never leave the building.
- Range. One team can cover many of the B2B video formats that matter, from demos to customer stories.
The catch is that an in house team is only as good as its leader. Without a strong creative lead, the most common pattern I see is the same set, the same framing and the same three formats on repeat, with output that drifts toward whatever is easiest to make.
The hidden costs of an in house video team
The costs that sink in house teams are rarely on the spreadsheet. They show up as delays, turnover and slowly declining quality.
- Time to hire. The median time to fill a nonexecutive role is about a month and a half, per SHRM's 2025 benchmarking report, and that is before onboarding and ramp up.
- Single points of failure. With a two person team, one vacation or resignation halves your output.
- Someone has to be on camera. Your subject matter experts lose hours to every shoot, and not all of them enjoy it. If you are weighing alternatives, I compared AI avatars vs real presenters in a separate post.
- Management time. Somebody in marketing becomes the de facto executive producer, reviewing scripts and cuts on top of their real job.
- Gear refresh. Cameras, laptops and lights need replacing or upgrading every few years.
The Build, Borrow, Buy, Blend framework
The Build, Borrow, Buy, Blend framework is a simple way to decide who makes your videos: build an in house team, borrow freelancers, buy from an agency, or blend two of them. Pick the option where you can tick most of the boxes.
Build (in house team) if
- You need 20 or more pieces of video a month, every month, for at least two years.
- Speed matters more than polish, such as daily social content or rapid product updates.
- You already have, or can hire, a creative lead who owns strategy and quality.
- Your video budget can absorb roughly $250,000 or more a year in fixed cost.
Borrow (freelancers) if
- You produce occasionally, or your needs are narrow, like editing webinars.
- You have an experienced producer internally who can brief, schedule and review.
- You are comfortable with variable availability and quality.
Buy (agency) if
- You want 2 to 12 polished videos a month without hiring anyone.
- You need strategy, scripting, on camera talent and a studio included.
- You need to start this month, not after a hiring cycle.
- You want predictable cost per video that you can flex up or down.
Blend (hybrid) if
- You want fast, everyday content and a flagship series at the same time.
- You can fund one in house generalist (about $108,000 loaded for a median editor) plus an agency or freelancers for the heavy lifting.
The hybrid is what I recommend most often to growing software companies. An in house editor turns webinars, events and customer calls into social clips, while an agency handles the scripted, studio quality videos that carry your brand, such as a YouTube series. The two feed each other, because every polished video produces raw material for the in house team to cut.
How to decide in one afternoon
You can make this call without a consultant by answering four questions honestly. Write the answers down, then match them to the framework above.
- How many videos will you need per month for the next 24 months? Be realistic, not aspirational. If the answer is under 12 polished videos, in house will struggle to pay for itself.
- What is your total annual video budget? If you have not set one, my post on how much to spend on video marketing walks through benchmarks.
- Who will own quality and strategy? If nobody internally has done it before, an agency or a blend lowers the risk.
- How will you measure success? Decide on your video KPIs before you hire anyone, so you can compare models on results, not just cost.
Whichever model you pick, run it for six months and then check cost per video and results against the table above. The right answer often changes as you grow.
What it is like to work with Videodeck
If the math says an agency or a hybrid model is right for you, this is what the agency side looks like with us, and why teams that already have in house people still bring us in.
How a project runs
- A 30 minute call. We learn what you sell, who buys it and where the videos will live. You can book one here.
- A content plan and scripts. We write them, you approve them. Nothing gets filmed until the words are right.
- Your presenter and your set. You pick from more than 10 in house spokespeople, and we build a set in your brand colors in our own studios.
- Filming and editing. The first version lands in 5 to 10 business days, with motion graphics, product screens, captions and thumbnails.
- Revisions until it is right. Revisions are unlimited and each round takes about two days. You own every final file.
Why software brands choose us
- Real people on camera. We never use AI avatars. Buyers can tell, and trust is the whole point of a video.
- Prices you can see before the call. Our plans are published: $2,500 a video at 4 a month, $2,300 at 8 and $2,000 at 12, or $5,000 for a single video.
- Speed without chaos. Owning the studio and keeping the team in house is what makes 5 to 10 business days realistic.
- Consistency. Many of our clients work with us month after month, because one video is a campaign and forty videos is a channel.
- We think past the edit. Titles, thumbnails, YouTube optimization and social cuts come with every video, so it gets found after launch day.
A tutorial we produced for the Build with Mercury YouTube channel, part of a weekly series filmed on a custom Mercury set.
"Our VP of Marketing asked me to tell you that you're doing a great job and we're all very impressed with your professional quality."
Charles Verhey, Brand and Content Marketing, Foxit
You can see more on our work page and read what clients say on our wall of love.
FAQ
How much does an in house video team cost?
A two person in house video team in the US costs about $266,000 in year one, based on BLS median salaries for a producer and an editor, a 30% benefits load, gear, software and studio rental. From year two it drops to roughly $251,000 a year. Salaries and benefits make up about 89% of the total.
How much does a video producer make?
The median US producer and director earned $90,360 in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Glassdoor reports an average total pay of $81,278 for video producers specifically. Employers should add about 43% on top of salary for benefits and payroll costs.
How much do freelance video editors charge per hour?
Freelance video editors on Upwork range from under $30 an hour at entry level to $61 to $150 an hour for senior editors, with a senior median of $100. Those figures are based on worldwide contracts, so experienced US editors often charge more. Expect a polished 3 to 5 minute video to take a skilled editor a full working day or more.
Should I hire a videographer or an agency?
Hire a full time videographer only if you need video every week for years and someone internal can direct them. For 2 to 12 polished videos a month, an agency is usually cheaper and faster to start, because it includes scripting, talent, a studio and editing. Many companies do both: one in house generalist plus an agency for flagship content.
Is it cheaper to make videos in house or outsource them?
Outsourcing is usually cheaper below about 12 polished videos a month, and in house becomes cheaper at high, steady volume. In my model, in house costs about $2,800 per video at 8 a month in year one, versus about $2,045 for managed freelancers and $2,300 on an agency subscription. At 24 pieces a month, in house drops to roughly $1,250 per piece from year two.
What percentage of companies make video in house?
According to Wyzowl's Video Marketing Statistics 2026, 59% of businesses create their videos in house, 10% use only external vendors and 32% use a mix of both. Many in house teams still outsource specific projects, such as animation or large shoots.
What equipment does an in house video team need?
A solid starter kit is a cinema camera with two lenses, three LED lights with softboxes, wireless lavalier and shotgun microphones, a fluid head tripod and editing computers. Using current B&H and Apple pricing, that comes to about $12,900. You will also need editing software, review tools like Frame.io and a quiet space to shoot.
How long does it take to hire a video producer?
The median time to fill a nonexecutive role in the US is about a month and a half, according to SHRM's 2025 Recruiting Benchmarking Report. Add a few weeks of onboarding before a new producer is shipping at full speed. If you need videos this quarter, an agency or freelancers will get you there sooner.
The honest bottom line
If you need a lot of video every month and have a strong creative lead, build a team; for most companies making 4 to 12 polished videos a month, buying from an agency or blending the two is cheaper and less risky. Run your own numbers with the table above before you commit to anything, including us.
If you want to see what the agency side looks like in practice, we make scripted, studio shot videos for software companies from our own studios, with real spokespeople and no AI avatars. Take a look at our pricing or our work, and if it is not the right fit, I hope this math helps you build something great in house.
We plan, script, film and edit B2B videos for software companies, from $2,000 a video on a monthly plan. Book a 30 minute call and we will map out what your first month of video could look like. No pitch deck, just a plan.
