Special Effects Artists and Animators: Job Description
Create special effects or animations using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.
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What Tasks Do Special Effects Artists and Animators Do?
Typical responsibilities of special effects artists and animators span:
- 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.
What Special Effects Artists and Animators Need to Know
Effective special effects artists and animators draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Special Effects Artists and Animators Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- 3D Animator (Three-Dimensional Animator)
- 3D Artist (Three-Dimensional Artist)
- 3D Designer (Three-dimensional Designer)
- 3D Modeler (Three-Dimensional Modeler)
- 3D Specialist (Three-Dimensional Specialist)
- Animation Artist
- Animation Producer
- Animator
Employment and Demand
There are about 38,587 special effects artists and animators working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +6.1% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Special Effects Artists and Animators
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $57,836 |
| Hourly median | $27.81 |
| 10th percentile | $38,750 |
| 25th percentile | $48,293 |
| 75th percentile | $67,379 |
| 90th percentile | $76,922 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Special Effects Artists and Animators Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $128,360 |
| New Jersey | $124,300 |
| Oregon | $108,630 |
| New York | $102,170 |
| Colorado | $95,130 |
| Texas | $88,620 |
| Nevada | $86,290 |
| Ohio | $83,530 |
| Kansas | $83,210 |
| Maryland | $81,700 |
| Tennessee | $81,660 |
| Michigan | $80,780 |
| Virginia | $79,100 |
| Georgia | $79,040 |
| Louisiana | $76,720 |
| Massachusetts | $76,500 |
| Rhode Island | $76,170 |
| Illinois | $74,850 |
| Florida | $73,820 |
| Missouri | $72,320 |
| Arizona | $67,510 |
| Alabama | $66,060 |
| North Carolina | $65,000 |
| Utah | $62,820 |
| Oklahoma | $62,370 |
| Minnesota | $61,790 |
| Iowa | $60,950 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,390 |
| Indiana | $56,260 |
| Wisconsin | $55,970 |
| West Virginia | $53,440 |
| Nebraska | $52,660 |
| New Mexico | $50,250 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for special effects artists and animators differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $97,311 | 13.6% | 1.17 |
| Far Western US | $96,878 | 59.0% | 3.45 |
| Rocky Mountains | $80,853 | 2.3% | 0.70 |
| Southeast | $74,581 | 15.9% | 0.97 |
| Great Lakes | $74,388 | 4.7% | 0.43 |
| Plains States | $61,544 | 1.6% | 0.44 |
| Southwest | $50,250 | 0.3% | 0.42 |
| New England | $41,310 | 2.7% | 0.75 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Special Effects Artists and Animators
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $158,070 | 400 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $142,690 | 2,160 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $129,260 | 4,780 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $120,320 | 1,740 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $111,470 | 60 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | OR | $108,630 | 370 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | CA | $108,010 | 30 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $103,940 | 1,750 |
Top Industries Employing Special Effects Artists and Animators
Most special effects artists and animators work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Information | 11,750 | $112,650 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5,420 | $95,390 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 1,360 | $86,070 |
| Manufacturing | 710 | $85,170 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 470 | $95,700 |
| Educational Services | 400 | $64,340 |
| Wholesale Trade | 390 | $85,030 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 370 | $75,670 |
Below are examples of industries where special effects artists and animators work:
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Video creation and editing software: Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: AJAX (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (hot technology)
- Development environment software: C (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Cascading style sheets CSS (hot technology)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of special effects artists and animators tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Spend Time Sitting
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Education and Training
Most special effects artists and animators positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Computer Programmers (Supplemental)
- Web Developers (Supplemental)
- Web and Digital Interface Designers (Primary-Long)
- Video Game Designers (Primary-Short)
- Art Directors (Primary-Short)
- Craft Artists (Supplemental)
- Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators (Supplemental)
- Commercial and Industrial Designers (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring special effects artists and animators typically earn programs in:
Visual and Performing Arts
6 programs across 3 majors
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
2 programs across 1 majors
Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 27-1014.00 (Special Effects Artists and Animators).
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