Special Effects Artists and Animators pay in the U.S.
$112,870avg. a year
$54.27 an hour · 19,970 employed
Special Effects Artists and Animators in the U.S. earn an average of $112,870 a year and a median of $102,030. Pay is highest in Washington ($141,450) and lowest in Nebraska ($56,270).
$102,030Median pay
$54.27Average hourly
+28%Avg. pay since 2020
19,970Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for special effects artists and animators
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
11,130 jobs
Washington
$141,450
$68.01 an hour
27,410 jobs
California
$134,360
$64.59 an hour
31,540 jobs
New York
$110,760
$53.25 an hour
4230 jobs
Michigan
$103,090
$49.56 an hour
5370 jobs
Nevada
$97,610
$46.93 an hour
6
Texas
$94,660
$45.51 an hour
71,530 jobs
Florida
$93,850
$45.12 an hour
8210 jobs
Colorado
$93,080
$44.75 an hour
9630 jobs
Illinois
$92,680
$44.56 an hour
10200 jobs
Ohio
$92,130
$44.29 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Special Effects Artists and Animators pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $71k$71k–$84k$84k–$93k$93k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $161,540 | $77.66 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $145,960 | $70.17 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $143,790 | $69.13 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $130,260 | $62.62 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $117,610 | $56.54 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $109,310 | $52.55 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $100,620 | $48.38 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $97,630 | $46.94 |
Related jobs
- Graphic Designers$70,560
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers$42,830
- Interior Designers$74,540
- Art Directors$129,440
- Floral Designers$39,520
- Commercial and Industrial Designers$93,260
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Special Effects Artists and Animators pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $84,890 | $89,650 | 190 |
| California | $134,360 | $130,540 | 7,410 |
| Colorado | $93,080 | $91,290 | 210 |
| Florida | $93,850 | $85,870 | 1,530 |
| Georgia | $77,830 | $81,390 | 350 |
| Illinois | $92,680 | $81,180 | 630 |
| Indiana | $73,530 | $75,250 | 300 |
| Iowa | $59,740 | $47,530 | – |
| Kansas | $70,870 | $62,720 | – |
| Kentucky | $61,110 | $50,970 | 40 |
| Maryland | $83,310 | $85,830 | 170 |
| Massachusetts | $84,280 | $80,640 | – |
| Michigan | $103,090 | $86,630 | 230 |
| Minnesota | $68,440 | $64,990 | 30 |
| Missouri | $74,600 | $65,470 | 80 |
| Nebraska | $56,270 | $50,830 | 90 |
| Nevada | $97,610 | $97,350 | 370 |
| New Mexico | $61,400 | $54,000 | 80 |
| New York | $110,760 | $96,770 | 1,540 |
| North Carolina | $86,020 | $88,350 | 370 |
| Ohio | $92,130 | $67,000 | 200 |
| Oklahoma | $66,380 | $66,980 | – |
| Pennsylvania | $74,780 | $71,760 | 300 |
| Rhode Island | $74,170 | $80,040 | – |
| Tennessee | $91,320 | $83,080 | 90 |
| Texas | $94,660 | $78,930 | – |
| Utah | $91,180 | $88,210 | 320 |
| Virginia | $89,750 | $81,510 | 380 |
| Washington | $141,450 | $133,480 | 1,130 |
| West Virginia | $59,180 | $60,940 | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $81,240 | $64,890 | 210 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$130,260
4,650 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$109,310
1,560 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$145,960
1,440 jobsSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$143,790
1,030 jobsOrlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
$93,820
960 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$93,820
550 jobsSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$161,540
510 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$76,910
290 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do special effects artists and animators make?
The average is $112,870 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $102,030 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $54.27, and the median is $49.06 an hour.
Which state pays special effects artists and animators the most?
Washington, with an average of $141,450 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $161,540.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $58,600 a year, and the top 10% earn over $177,110.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 27-1014. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.