Average Salary for Special Effects Artists and Animators
SOC 27-1014 · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Special Effects Artists and Animators in the United States is $99,800 ($47.98/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $57,220 at the 10th percentile to $174,630 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 21,280 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 32.6% since 2019.
Median Annual
$99,800
Mean Annual
$110,110
10th Pct
$57,220
75th Pct
$135,600
Employment
21,280
Salary Distribution
$57k
10th
$73k
25th
$100k
Median
$136k
75th
$175k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $158,070 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $142,690 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $129,260 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $120,320 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $111,470 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $108,630 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $108,010 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $103,940 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $100,630 |
| Reno, NV | $100,060 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $99,950 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $97,130 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $92,720 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $86,740 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $86,580 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 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 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $99,800 |
| 2023 | $99,060 |
| 2022 | $98,950 |
| 2021 | $78,790 |
| 2020 | $77,700 |
| 2019 | $75,270 |