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Animator / VFX Artist

$102,030
median / year
$58,600 – $177,110
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Create moving images and visual effects for films, games, and ads using animation software.

You may also see this posted as: 3D Artist (Three-Dimensional Artist), Animator, Artist, Graphic Artist, 3D Animator (Three-Dimensional Animator), Digital Artist.

Where you work

Studios, game companies, or freelance from home

The hours

Project-based, long hours near deadlines

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • 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.

Good fit if you like…

Artistic

creating, designing, performing, or working without a rigid script

Realistic

working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

O*NET job zone 4 of 5

High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

InnovationAttention to DetailIntellectual CuriosityAchievement Orientation

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Adobe After EffectsAdobe Creative Cloud softwareAdobe IllustratorAdobe InDesignAdobe PhotoshopAdobe Premiere Pro

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$102,030
per year
Hourly median
$49.06
per hour
What most earn
$58,600–$177,110
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~5,000
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+1.6%
Little change
Working in the U.S.
19,970
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 61.5% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Bachelor's degree + demo reel.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

Find state licensesFind recognized certifications

What it takes

Animation softwareDrawingStorytellingAttention to detail

The honest take

Creative work that is in demand for film and games, though the field is crowded and much of it is freelance.

Similar careers to compare

Graphic Designer

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$62,960
median / year

Art Director

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$114,850
median / year
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Standard Occupational Classification 27-1014. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.