Special effects artists and animators salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $58,600 | $28.17 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $102,030 | $49.06 |
| Mean (average) | $112,870 | $54.27 |
| 90th percentile | $177,110 | $85.15 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Special effects artists and animators pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 34 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Data unavailable | 110 | 0.4 | ||
| Arizona | $89,650 | $59,870 | $100,230 | 190 | 0.45 |
| California | $130,540 | $71,710 | $206,160 | 7,410 | 3.17 |
| Colorado | $91,290 | $57,350 | $124,990 | 210 | 0.56 |
| Florida | $85,870 | $71,140 | $114,920 | 1,530 | 1.2 |
| Georgia | $81,390 | $40,000 | $106,120 | 350 | 0.56 |
| Illinois | $81,180 | $60,760 | $136,710 | 630 | 0.81 |
| Indiana | $75,250 | $50,920 | $93,090 | 300 | 0.73 |
| Iowa | $47,530 | $39,300 | $104,000 | ||
| Kansas | $62,720 | $56,470 | $102,530 | ||
| Kentucky | $50,970 | $44,700 | $89,930 | 40 | 0.16 |
| Maryland | $85,830 | $52,710 | $110,750 | 170 | 0.49 |
| Massachusetts | $80,640 | $57,900 | $109,820 | ||
| Michigan | $86,630 | $54,260 | $194,550 | 230 | 0.4 |
| Minnesota | $64,990 | $62,070 | $77,990 | 30 | 0.08 |
| Missouri | $65,470 | $48,020 | $103,740 | 80 | 0.21 |
| Nebraska | $50,830 | $43,340 | $80,520 | 90 | 0.65 |
| Nevada | $97,350 | $72,720 | $129,470 | 370 | 1.84 |
| New Jersey | Data unavailable | 320 | 0.58 | ||
| New Mexico | $54,000 | $52,070 | $82,180 | 80 | 0.68 |
| New York | $96,770 | $60,190 | $176,190 | 1,540 | 1.24 |
| North Carolina | $88,350 | $53,790 | $120,150 | 370 | 0.58 |
| Ohio | $67,000 | $45,310 | $166,260 | 200 | 0.28 |
| Oklahoma | $66,980 | $50,820 | $77,860 | ||
| Oregon | Data unavailable | 870 | 3.43 | ||
| Pennsylvania | $71,760 | $49,680 | $103,940 | 300 | 0.39 |
| Rhode Island | $80,040 | $45,810 | $99,060 | ||
| Tennessee | $83,080 | $60,320 | $170,300 | 90 | 0.21 |
| Texas | $78,930 | $56,020 | $150,000 | ||
| Utah | $88,210 | $29,990 | $152,720 | 320 | 1.44 |
| Virginia | $81,510 | $47,140 | $138,210 | 380 | 0.73 |
| Washington | $133,480 | $65,270 | $209,400 | 1,130 | 2.48 |
| West Virginia | $60,940 | $50,860 | $77,740 | 40 | 0.46 |
| Wisconsin | $64,890 | $53,270 | $154,340 | 210 | 0.55 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for special effects artists and animators
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 4,200. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 62.9%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for special effects artists and animators
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects CIP 10.0304
- Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design CIP 11.0801
- Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation CIP 11.0804
- Digital Arts CIP 50.0102
- Graphic Design CIP 50.0409
- Game and Interactive Media Design CIP 50.0411
- Drawing CIP 50.0705
- Intermedia/Multimedia CIP 50.0706
- Painting CIP 50.0708
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
- Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.
- Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.
- Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.
- Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.
- Apply story development, directing, cinematography, and editing to animation to create storyboards that show the flow of the animation and map out key scenes and characters.
Technology skills
- Adobe After Effects (in demand)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (in demand)
- Adobe Illustrator (in demand)
- Adobe InDesign (in demand)
- Adobe Photoshop (in demand)
- Canva (in demand)
- Cascading style sheets CSS (in demand)
- Figma (in demand)
- Hypertext markup language HTML (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Adobe Premiere Pro (in demand)
- Autodesk Maya (in demand)
- Maxon Cinema 4D (in demand)
- SideFX Houdini (in demand)
Transferable skills for career changers: Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, Time Management, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Persuasion.
Common job titles: 3D Animator (Three-Dimensional Animator), 3D Artist (Three-Dimensional Artist), Animator, Artist, Digital Artist, Graphic Artist, Motion Graphics Artist, Multimedia Producer.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do special effects artists and animators make?
The national median annual wage for special effects artists and animators was $102,030 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $58,600 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $177,110. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do special effects artists and animators need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is special effects artists and animators a growing career?
BLS projects employment of special effects artists and animators to change -0.3% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 4,200 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay special effects artists and animators the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Washington ($133,480), California ($130,540), Nevada ($97,350). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.