Learn More About Video Editing Classes in Chicago
Video editing courses largely focus on one of two major video editing tools: Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple’s Final Cut Pro. Both tools are robust and have broad editing capabilities, but Adobe Premiere Pro is more popular because it is available on both Mac and PC. As you gain more experience, you may also want to learn Adobe After Effects so that you can add interactive animations, VR environments, and effects to your finished video.
Video Editing Careers in Chicago
In your study of video editing, you will learn how to storyboard and plan video projects, edit and composite footage, add effects, layer sound and textures, and much more. Careers in video editing include roles editing video for commercials, web video, movies, and television, video editing supervisors, and motion graphics designers. With TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter) all the rage, millions of hours of streaming video are created, edited, and uploaded every single day, making video editing a useful and profitable skill. Creating a portfolio of real-world samples will prepare you to audition for your dream job.
While most Video Editors work in either Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple’s Final Cut Pro, Adobe After Effects is another powerful tool that can add extra functionality and effects to your videos. After Effects can be used to create motion graphics, special effects, animations, captions, photo elements, and much more—all of which can then be used to enhance your final video delivery.
Chicago’s dynamic media and marketing landscape provides abundant opportunities for professionals with video editing expertise. The city is a major hub for advertising and production agencies such as Leo Burnett, Ogilvy, DDB Chicago, and Energy BBDO, all of which depend on skilled editors to produce commercials, brand videos, and digital campaigns for top global clients. In the film and television industry, studios like Cinespace Chicago Film Studios and Answers Media rely on Video Editors to assemble footage, refine pacing, and craft compelling narratives for film, streaming, and broadcast projects. Meanwhile, broadcast networks such as WGN-TV, NBCUniversal Chicago, and Weigel Broadcasting employ editors to create news segments, promotional spots, and special features. With Chicago’s growing demand for multimedia content across entertainment, advertising, and digital platforms, video editing has become a cornerstone skill in the city’s thriving creative industries.
Video Editing Jobs and Salaries in Chicago
Video Editor
Video Editors in Chicago play a key role in crafting high-quality visual content by assembling, editing, and refining raw footage into polished final products. Using advanced editing software like Premiere Pro, they manage pacing, transitions, color correction, and sound design to bring stories to life. The average salary for a Video Editor in Chicago is $62,000 per year, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to $96,000, depending on experience and project scope.
Content Creator
Content Creators produce engaging video content for online platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, using skills in video editing to enhance and finalize their videos before publishing. They handle everything from storyboarding and filming to editing and distribution, often working closely with marketing teams or independently. In Chicago, the average salary for a Content Creator is $84,000, typically ranging between $76,000 and $93,000.
Film Director
Film Directors oversee the entire creative process of a film, including post-production editing. In Chicago’s growing film and TV scene, directors rely on video editing skills to review cuts, adjust timing, and ensure their artistic vision is fully realized. The average salary for Film Directors in the area is $163,000 per year, with a range of $145,000 to $189,000.
Marketing Specialist
Marketing Specialists use video editing skills to craft promotional videos, commercials, and social media ads that align with brand messaging and campaign goals. They combine storytelling, editing, and analytics to create compelling visual content. The average salary for Marketing Specialists in Chicago is $82,000 per year, ranging from $70,000 to $95,000.
Videographer
Videographers capture and edit footage for events, businesses, or creative projects, using applications like Premiere Pro to polish and finalize videos for clients. Their work ranges from corporate storytelling to cinematic productions. In Chicago, the average annual salary for a Videographer is $136,000, with earnings varying between $68,000 and $274,000 based on project scale and clientele.
Multimedia Producer
Multimedia Producers oversee the creation of diverse content, such as videos, animations, and digital presentations. They coordinate creative teams and ensure projects meet both technical and creative standards. In Chicago, they earn an average of $62,000 annually, with salaries ranging from $41,000 to $92,000.
Film Producer
Film Producers manage productions from concept to completion, overseeing budgets, logistics, and post-production editing in applications such as Premiere Pro to ensure the final product meets creative and commercial expectations. The average salary for Film Producers in Chicago is $95,000 per year, with a range between $71,000 and $130,000.
Video Editing Classes in Chicago
Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate
Dive into the world of video editing with the Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate program at Noble Desktop, where Adobe Premiere Pro serves as the centerpiece. Begin by mastering essential video composition techniques and learning to shape a visual narrative through precise clip selection, timing adjustments, and color correction. Premiere Pro provides a comprehensive toolkit for enhancing your footage with the addition of music, voiceovers, and a variety of audio effects, along with instruction in sound refinement and background noise reduction to ensure your audiovisual work excels across all mediums—from broadcast to online.
Advance to the vibrant field of motion graphics and visual effects using Adobe After Effects, where you’ll animate text and graphics and bring still images to life, incorporating elements from Photoshop and Illustrator. You’ll tackle high-level techniques like greenscreen compositing and rotoscoping, seamlessly blending subjects with new backgrounds. Including Cinema 4D Lite will introduce the fundamentals of 3D modeling, adding depth to your projects. This hands-on program enhances your technical prowess and enriches your storytelling skills, culminating in the creation of a professional demo reel that showcases your newfound capabilities in video editing, sound design, and motion graphics—a valuable asset for attracting the attention of potential clients or employers.
Premiere Pro Certification Program
The Noble Desktop Premiere Pro Certification Program is an immersive online training platform for individuals pursuing Adobe Premiere Pro Certified Professional status. With 30 hours of in-depth training across two detailed classes, the program delivers comprehensive knowledge and practical skills. To personalize the learning experience, the program includes six hours of one-on-one tutoring. This focused instruction equips participants with the proficiency needed to excel in the Adobe Certified Professional exam and includes supplemental learning resources such as instructional videos and a custom workbook that reinforces key concepts.
For those seeking more personalized support, students may exchange one of their tutoring hours for a session customized to their learning goals or to focus on certification exam preparation. The enrollment fee includes the certification exam, its administration, and one free retake if necessary. To reinforce mastery of Adobe Premiere Pro, students may retake the group class once within a year of their original enrollment—at no additional tuition cost.
Video Editing & Animation Certificate
NextGen Bootcamp’s Video Editing & Animation Certificate program is designed specifically for high school students and will train students in professional video editing and animation techniques. The curriculum begins with Adobe Premiere Pro, where students learn fundamental editing skills, including footage import, timeline management, transitions, and color correction.
Once students are comfortable with Premiere Pro, the course transitions into Adobe After Effects. Instruction ranges from basic interface navigation to advanced skills such as animating 3D layers and performing motion tracking. With live, remote instruction and flexible scheduling, the program accommodates learners from anywhere with an internet connection.
Upon completing the course, students will have built a foundation in two key post-production applications and will be prepared for further education or entry-level careers in the film, media, or digital marketing industries. The program’s emphasis on real-world tools and workflows makes it a strong launchpad for aspiring editors and animators.
Corporate & Onsite Video Editing Training in Chicago
Video’s exponential growth in popularity over the past few years means that Chicago companies can benefit from learning how to produce it and leverage it in marketing campaigns or in-house applications. For this reason, Noble Desktop offers customized corporate video editing training through virtual and onsite courses. You can schedule private training for your employees or buy discounted group vouchers so they can attend Noble’s open enrollment classes.
Contact Noble Desktop today at corporate@nobledesktop.com to get connected with one of the instructional consultants. They will work with you to develop a course that gives your employees the skills they need to drive your business forward.
Learn From Noble Desktop’s Experienced Video Editing Instructors in Chicago
In the heart of the Midwest’s finance capital, there’s opportunity everywhere. From tech startups in Fulton Market to powerhouse Fortune 500 firms in the Loop, Chicago offers a virtually endless array of ways to level up your skills in tech, business, data, and design. The city thrives on bold ideas, making it the perfect place to grow a career that is not only lucrative but also makes a real impact. With expert instructors with decades of experience, you’ll learn more about the subjects you’re interested in, all while receiving hands-on training. These instructors live and breathe to explore and work within their field, meaning they don’t just teach; they mentor, guide, and connect you to the heart of Chicago’s many successful industries and direct you to the most meaningful path to help you achieve your goals.
Noble Desktop’s partner school, Practical Programming, has state-of-the-art facilities conveniently located in downtown Chicago’s iconic Hayworth Building at 29 E. Madison Street, Chicago, IL, 60602. It’s an easy-to-find location for students from across the city to attend. The campus is modern, equipped with the necessary tech and tools you may need, and provides resources like Wi-Fi, comfortable workstations, and expert instructors and staff ready to help you learn. Getting there is simple, whether you’re commuting from the Loop, River North, or surrounding areas. The school is easily accessible from the CTA trains and buses, with nearby stops for major lines like the Red, Blue, and Brown. If you’re driving, you can park nearby at various parking decks and metered spots within walking distance. The central location means you won’t have to stress about making it to class, and that your training sessions can fit into any schedule with ease.
Video editing combines storytelling, pacing, and technical skill, all key components of Chicago’s vibrant media scene. Students at Noble Desktop will have an opportunity to learn editing fundamentals from professionals who have shaped real projects for diverse industries.
Henry Gonzalez
Henry Gonzalez is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with over 30 years of experience in the federal government, leading engineering, program management, and acquisition initiatives in naval warfare, air traffic management, and homeland security. A retired senior executive, Henry now serves as a part-time instructor in Chicago, where he teaches project and program management, leadership, and strategic planning to professionals of all kinds. He holds the highest level of federal certification one can hold for acquisition program management and systems engineering. In addition, Henry was part of the core team that updated the Project Management Institute’s Standard for Program Management. Henry is also a certified Balanced Scorecard Professional and holds a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering from Florida Atlantic University, along with a dual Master of Science in Ocean Engineering and Ocean Systems Management from MIT.
Robert Simon
Robert Simon is a highly accomplished financial management professional and educator with more than four decades of federal and private sector experience. As a Financial and Management Curricula Instructor at Graduate School USA since 2007, he teaches courses in financial management, federal travel regulations, and organizational leadership, both virtually and in person. Prior to his teaching career, he held senior roles at the General Services Administration, overseeing a six-state regional budget of approximately $100 million, and at the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Management Service, where he led national training initiatives on electronic banking. Robert’s background spans accounting, budgeting, and program analysis, holding certifications as a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Government Financial Manager.
Edward Dillion
Edward (Scott) Dillion is a seasoned financial expert with over three decades of experience in the Department of Defense, where he specialized in a range of financial management areas like budgeting and auditing, as well as performance-based management and cost analysis. He holds an MBA from Southern Illinois University and a B.A. in Business Administration from Grove City College. After retiring in 2014, Scott pivoted to a second career in education and consulting. He teaches project management and marketing at Graduate School USA and has also taught courses in federal budgeting. Additionally, Scott serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Management Concepts Inc., where he helps develop financial management course materials. He also has a lifetime membership with the American Society of Military Comptrollers, holds a Top Secret security clearance with the Department of Defense, and is a recognized Tier 2 instructor at Graduate School USA for his wealth of experience.