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Animator / VFX Artist

$99,800
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

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

Where you work

Studios, game companies, or freelance from home

The hours

Project-based, long hours near deadlines

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$99,800
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~5,000
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+2%
About average
Working in the U.S.
57,100
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.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Bachelor's degree + demo reel.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

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.

Standard Occupational Classification 27-1014. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.