Animation Artist Salary (April 2024) - Zippia (2024)

Average animation artist salary

$80,929

$38.91 hourly rate

Entry-level animation artist salary

$52,000 yearly salary

Updated March 14, 2024

How much does an animation artist make?

The average animation artist salary in the United States is $80,929. Animation artist salaries typically range between $52,000 and $125,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for animation artists is $38.91 per hour. Animation artist salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Animation artists earn the highest average salary in Nevada.

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Animation artist salary by:

  • State
  • City
  • Company
  • Trends

Where can an Animation Artist earn more?

Compare salary by location

Vs

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Vs

172k

152k

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112k

92k

72k

52k

Microsoft$145,212

Brilliant$81,690

Animation Artist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor, SalaryExpert and Payscale, the average salary for an animation artist typically falls between $61,980 and $85,780.

zippia

$80,929yearly

glassdoor[1]

$85,780yearly

payscale[2]

$61,980yearly

Average animation artist salary by state

The highest-paying states for animation artists are Nevada, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The lowest average animation artist salary states are Nebraska, Missouri, and Ohio.

  • State View
  • County View

Average Salary:

Animation Artist Salary (April 2024) - Zippia (1)

Highest paying states for animation artists

RankStateAvg. SalaryHourly Rate
1Rhode Island$110,247$53.00
2New Hampshire$107,351$51.61
3Connecticut$109,603$52.69
4California$104,493$50.24
5Washington$100,189$48.17
6District of Columbia$104,749$50.36
7Idaho$84,064$40.42
8Oregon$78,952$37.96
9Maryland$91,108$43.80
10New York$80,136$38.53
11Delaware$106,878$51.38
12Nevada$127,398$61.25
13Michigan$73,351$35.26
14New Mexico$78,524$37.75
15Maine$76,081$36.58
16Iowa$69,086$33.21
17Virginia$74,387$35.76
18Indiana$68,001$32.69
19Illinois$76,534$36.80
20Utah$65,980$31.72
21West Virginia$70,585$33.94
22North Dakota$68,869$33.11
23Kentucky$63,837$30.69
24Arizona$69,594$33.46
25Wisconsin$61,742$29.68
26Massachusetts$63,721$30.64
27Colorado$69,135$33.24
28Kansas$68,352$32.86
29Tennessee$63,612$30.58
30Wyoming$53,601$25.77
31Vermont$64,527$31.02
32Arkansas$65,336$31.41
33Texas$60,333$29.01
34North Carolina$61,090$29.37
35New Jersey$68,096$32.74
36Pennsylvania$60,044$28.87
37Georgia$50,670$24.36
38Florida$57,251$27.52
39Oklahoma$55,075$26.48
40Hawaii$53,402$25.67
41Minnesota$51,384$24.70
42Alaska$58,026$27.90
43Nebraska$46,699$22.45
44Mississippi$49,958$24.02
45Alabama$49,869$23.98
46Louisiana$44,543$21.41
47South Dakota$41,317$19.86
48Ohio$44,905$21.59
49Missouri$46,223$22.22
50Montana$47,884$23.02
51South Carolina$40,703$19.57

Top animation artist jobs near you

Highest paying cities for animation artists

The highest-paying cities for animation artists are Las Vegas, NV, San Francisco, CA, and Greenwich, CT.

RankCityAvg. SalaryHourly Rate
1Las Vegas, NV$127,726$61.41
2San Francisco, CA$114,696$55.14
3Greenwich, CT$109,646$52.71
4Seattle, WA$101,108$48.61
5Columbia, MD$91,110$43.80
6New York, NY$80,304$38.61
7Farmington Hills, MI$73,515$35.34
8Durham, NC$62,951$30.26
9San Antonio, TX$60,939$29.30
10Philadelphia, PA$60,558$29.11
11Sunrise, FL$57,511$27.65
12Minneapolis, MN$51,424$24.72
13Atlanta, GA$50,341$24.20

Animation Artist salary details

An animation artist's salary ranges from $52,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $125,000 at the 90th percentile.

Animation Artist Salary (April 2024) - Zippia (2)

What is an animation artist's salary?

PercentileAnnual SalaryMonthly SalaryHourly Rate
90th Percentile$125,000$10,417$60
75th Percentile$102,000$8,500$49
Average$80,929$6,744$39
25th Percentile$64,000$5,333$31
10th Percentile$52,000$4,333$25

Highest paying animation artist jobs

The highest paying types of animation artists are interactive designer, visual designer, and animator.

Job TitleAnnual SalaryMonthly SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
Graphic Designer Internship$35,800$2,983$17.2193,292
Web Graphic Designer$52,574$4,381$25.2851,462
Visual Merchandiser$38,037$3,170$18.2974,351
Graphic Designer$49,450$4,121$23.7745,625
Visual Designer$86,495$7,208$41.5846,815
Designer$66,347$5,529$31.9052,433

Top companies hiring animation artists now:

  1. Microsoft Jobs (10)
  2. The Walt Disney Company Jobs (14)
  3. PlayStation Jobs (3)
  4. Electronic Arts Jobs (6)
  5. Riot Games Jobs (3)

Which companies pay animation artists the most?

Animation artist salaries at Microsoft and The Walt Disney Company are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average animation artist salary at companies like Pixar Animation Studios and Blur Studio are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly Rate
1Microsoft$145,212$69.81
2The Walt Disney Company$129,553$62.29
3Pixar Animation Studios$112,239$53.96
4Blur Studio$98,677$47.44
5PlayStation$98,394$47.30
6DreamWorks Animation$97,647$46.95
7Blue Sky Studios$94,197$45.29
8Electronic Arts$92,115$44.29
9Insomniac Games$92,003$44.23
10Riot Games$91,379$43.93
11Technicolor$91,118$43.81
12Zynga$89,936$43.24
13Lionheart$89,425$42.99
14Activision Blizzard$89,209$42.89
15WhiteMoon Dreams$88,157$42.38
16Valve$85,487$41.10
17Puny Human$85,466$41.09
18Brilliant$81,690$39.27

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$77,000$75,800$74,600$73,400$72,200$71,000

MaleFemale

Animation Artist salary trends

The average animation artist salary has risen by $17,571 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average animation artist earned $63,358 annually, but today, they earn $80,929 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for animation artists over the last decade.

Compare animation artist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average animation artist salary over time

Compare animation artist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

    Animation Artist salary by year

    YearAvg. SalaryHourly Rate% Change
    2024$80,900$38.91+3.1%
    2023$78,400$37.69+3.7%
    2022$75,500$36.31+2.7%
    2021$73,500$35.32+7.4%
    2020$68,000$32.70+2.0%

    Show more

    Recently added animation artist salaries

    CompanyJobLocationDate AddedSalary
    Newscape StudiosFreelance Background Artist for 2D Animation for Youtube StudioAustin, TX04/06/2023$41,740
    Riot GamesAnimation Artist II-TFT, GameplayLos Angeles, CA03/31/2023$102,000
    Riot GamesLos Angeles, CA03/23/2023$151,000
    Riot GamesLos Angeles, CA01/18/2023$123,000
    Riot Games, Inc.Animation Artist IIILos Angeles, CA11/02/2022$110,365
    Riot Games, Inc.Animation Artist IIILos Angeles, CA10/05/2022$110,365
    Bardel Entertainment3D Animation Artist (JR)Los Angeles, CA05/09/2022$60,523
    Bardel Entertainment3D Animation Artist (JR)Orlando, FL05/09/2022$60,523
    Bardel Entertainment3D Animation Artist (JR)New York, NY05/09/2022$60,523
    Bardel Entertainment3D Animation Artist (JR)Seattle, WA05/09/2022$60,523

    Show more

    Animation Artist salary FAQs

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    Updated March 14, 2024

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    Animation Artist Salary (April 2024) - Zippia (2024)

    FAQs

    Animation Artist Salary (April 2024) - Zippia? ›

    As of Apr 28, 2024, the average annual pay for a Media Arts Animation in the United States is $50,453 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $24.26 an hour. This is the equivalent of $970/week or $4,204/month.

    What is the salary of an animation artist? ›

    Animator salary in India ranges between ₹ 0.3 Lakhs to ₹ 8.1 Lakhs with an average annual salary of ₹ 4.5 Lakhs. Salary estimates are based on 822 latest salaries received from Animators.

    Are animators paid well? ›

    When it comes to income, animators can earn a spectrum of salaries based on their expertise level and the industry they are part of. As per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median yearly wage for multimedia artists and animators was $75,270 as of May 2020.

    How much does an animation artist make in the US? ›

    The average animator salary in the USA is $99,998 per year or $48.08 per hour. Entry level positions start at $69,996 per year while most experienced workers make up to $145,840 per year.

    What is the average age of animators? ›

    Age and gender

    The median age of Illustrators (including Animators) is 35 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    Do Disney animators get paid well? ›

    The average salary for an animation career at Disney starts at $80,000. But it can go up to six figures – and beyond.

    Do animators make 6 figures? ›

    Like many other fields, compensation for animators also depends on experience: it's not uncommon for senior-level animators or art directors to earn well into six figures. You should never choose a job based solely on pay, but it's an important consideration for prospective animation students.

    Is animation a good career in 2024? ›

    Are 3D animation jobs in demand? Yes, 3D animators are in demand, with many industries looking for talented animators. Animation jobs are expected to grow by 5% every year until 2031.

    Can you be a millionaire animator? ›

    In terms of salaries, visual development artists, character technical directors, 3D modelers, animation art directors, and forensic animators rank among the top five. So can an animator be rich, yes sir!

    How much are Pixar animators paid? ›

    Average Pixar Animation Studios Animator yearly pay in the United States is approximately $103,017, which is 20% above the national average. Salary information comes from 22 data points collected directly from employees, users, and past and present job advertisem*nts on Indeed in the past 36 months.

    Are us animators underpaid? ›

    But his wages are a far cry from what animators earn in the United States, where average pay can be $65,000 a year or more, and more advanced work pays around $75,000.

    Can you make good money in animation? ›

    Animation is a lucrative avenue for creative individuals seeking opportunities to showcase their artistic talents while generating a sizable income. Animators may be drawn to the profession for its creative flexibility, the chance to work on diverse projects and the potential to earn income both online and offline.

    Is 30 too old to start animation? ›

    What is the Age Limit for Animation? There isn't one! While getting a start in your twenties can be a step up, beginning later is still possible and there is certainly no rule against it. There are many fantastic pieces of animation made by artists who did not start until later in life.

    How many animators are unemployed? ›

    In a letter sent to members on Monday, WIA president Marge Dean noted that she has heard estimates that suggest that as much as 30 percent of the Los Angeles animation workforce is unemployed.

    Is animation a high paying job? ›

    In order to enter into a profession in the field of Animation, the candidates must master various applications such as Adobe After Effects, Autodesk 3ds Max, Adobe Premiere, and Autodesk Maya. They can earn an average salary ranging from INR 4 lakh to 6 lakh.

    Is animation a successful career? ›

    It's like entering a lively job market full of great opportunities. Animation isn't just fun; it also gives you job security because there's a growing need for skilled animators. You can choose different things to do in animation, like working on movies or ads, depending on what you enjoy.

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