What are the main factors that influence a 3D Animator I's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

What industry pays the highest salary for 3D Animator I?

The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for 3D Animator I roles, with salaries approximately 40% above the market median.

How does experience change A 3D Animator 's salary?

A 3D Animator 's salary grows with experience: a 3D Animator I (0-2 years)earns $71,861, a 3D Animator II (2-4 years)earns $88,022, a 3D Animator III (4-7 years)earns $106,684, 3D Animator IV (7+ years)earns $146,344, 3D Animator V (7-10 years)earns $177,627,

What are the highest paying cities for a 3D Animator I?

3D Animator I salary varies significantly by city. The top 3 highest paying cities in California for 3D Animator I roles are San Jose $80,100, San Francisco $79,200, Oakland $77,600.

How much do different types of 3D Animator roles make?

Salaries for 3D Animator level roles vary by specialization: 3D Animator V: $157,000; 3D Animator IV: $129,300; 3D Lead Animator: $97,133; 3D Animator III: $94,300; 3d Animator: $90,341.

What specialized skills increase a 3D Animator I's salary?

Skills with high demand and low supply, such as Product Design (up to 12% premium), Commitment (up to 8% premium), Consulting (up to 7% premium), directly translate to higher compensation. Employers pay more for these capabilities to gain a competitive edge.

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3D Animator I Salary in Capitola, CA

How much does a 3D Animator I make in Capitola, CA?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a 3D Animator I in Capitola, CA is $71,900 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $35.

However, a 3D Animator I's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $93,106
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $61,500 to $83,000
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $52,031

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3D Animator I Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$83,000	$6,917	$1,596	$40
Average	$71,900	$5,992	$1,383	$35
25th Percentile	$61,500	$5,125	$1,183	$30

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Key Factors That Influence 3D Animator I Salaries

A 3D Animator I's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects 3D Animator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a 3D Animator I's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

3D Animator I (0-2 years): $71,861
3D Animator II (2-4 years): $88,022
3D Animator III (4-7 years): $106,684
3D Animator IV (7+ years): $146,344
3D Animator V (7-10 years): $177,627

Job Role	Years of Experience	Average Salary
3D Animator I	0-2 years	$71,861
3D Animator II	2-4 years	$88,022
3D Animator III	4-7 years	$106,684
3D Animator IV	7+ years	$146,344
3D Animator V	7-10 years	$177,627

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Top Paying Cities for 3D Animator Is

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $80,100
San Francisco: $79,200
Oakland: $77,600

San Jose, CA $80,100

San Francisco, CA $79,200

Oakland, CA $77,600

New York, NY $73,100

Paramus, NJ $72,300

Queens Village, NY $72,200

Passaic, NJ $72,200

Bergenfield, NJ $72,200

Huntington, NY $72,000

Stamford, CT $72,000

Newark, NJ $71,500

Bridgeport, CT $71,400

Vallejo, CA $71,300

New Brunswick, NJ $71,300

Petaluma, CA $71,200

Middlesex, NJ $71,100

Somerset, NJ $71,100

Santa Cruz, CA $71,000

Boston, MA $70,600

Monterey, CA $70,400

Seattle, WA $70,200

Santa Rosa, CA $70,200

Los Angeles, CA $70,200

Juneau, AK $70,000

Washington, DC $70,000

Orange, CA $69,700

Santa Ana, CA $69,600

Anchorage, AK $69,500

Anaheim, CA $69,500

Long Beach, CA $69,500

Santa Maria, CA $69,300

Everett, WA $69,300

Danbury, CT $69,000

Bremerton, WA $68,900

Tacoma, WA $68,700

New Suffolk, NY $68,700

Sacramento, CA $68,700

San Diego, CA $68,600

Trenton, NJ $68,600

Santa Barbara, CA $68,600

Brockton, MA $68,500

Fairbanks, AK $68,300

Lompoc, CA $68,200

Lowell, MA $68,100

Ventura, CA $68,100

Nashua, NH $68,100

Stockton, CA $68,100

Modesto, CA $67,600

Poughkeepsie, NY $67,500

Olympia, WA $67,400

Kennewick, WA $67,400

New Haven, CT $67,300

Lawrence, MA $67,100

Hartford, CT $67,000

Riverside, CA $67,000

New Bedford, MA $67,000

Richland, WA $67,000

San Bernardino, CA $66,900

Bakersfield, CA $66,900

New Britain, CT $66,800

Atlantic City, NJ $66,800

New London, CT $66,800

Norwich, CT $66,800

Portsmouth, NH $66,800

Boulder, CO $66,700

Portland, OR $66,600

Worcester, MA $66,600

Minneapolis, MN $66,400

Philadelphia, PA $66,300

Honolulu, HI $66,100

Saint Paul, MN $66,000

Vineland, NJ $66,000

Providence, RI $65,800

Chicago, IL $65,700

Bellingham, WA $65,600

Springfield, MA $65,500

Baltimore, MD $65,500

Chico, CA $65,300

Pittsfield, MA $65,200

Manchester, NH $65,100

Spokane, WA $64,800

Denver, CO $64,800

Albany, NY $64,500

Troy, NY $64,400

Nassau, NY $64,400

Schenectady, NY $64,300

Wilmington, DE $64,300

Burlington, VT $64,200

Salem, OR $64,100

Yakima, WA $63,900

Portland, ME $63,900

Rochester, MN $63,700

Reno, NV $63,700

Fresno, CA $63,700

Milwaukee, WI $63,600

Detroit, MI $63,500

Ann Arbor, MI $63,500

Allentown, PA $63,500

Carson City, NV $63,400

Syracuse, NY $63,400

Colorado Springs, CO $63,400

Houston, TX $63,300

Eugene, OR $63,300

Gary, IN $63,200

Springfield, OR $63,100

Bismarck, ND $63,100

Galveston, TX $63,100

Medford, OR $63,000

Fort Collins, CO $63,000

Austin, TX $62,900

Concord, NH $62,900

Mesa, AZ $62,800

Reading, PA $62,800

Phoenix, AZ $62,800

Dallas, TX $62,700

Saint Cloud, MN $62,700

Madison, WI $62,600

Utica, NY $62,400

Raleigh, NC $62,300

Des Moines, IA $62,300

Rochester, NY $62,300

Atlanta, GA $62,200

Battle Creek, MI $62,200

Salt Lake City, UT $62,200

Lancaster, PA $62,100

Harrisburg, PA $62,000

Pittsburgh, PA $61,900

Boca Raton, FL $61,900

Fort Worth, TX $61,900

Columbus, OH $61,900

Kansas City, KS $61,900

Kansas City, MO $61,900

Champaign, IL $61,900

Richmond, VA $61,800

Indianapolis, IN $61,800

Cleveland, OH $61,800

Las Vegas, NV $61,700

Cincinnati, OH $61,700

Petersburg, VA $61,600

Appleton, WI $61,500

Pueblo, CO $61,500

Huntsville, AL $61,500

Lansing, MI $61,500

Lebanon, PA $61,500

Buffalo, NY $61,400

Dayton, OH $61,400

Racine, WI $61,400

Charlotte, NC $61,400

Saint Louis, MO $61,400

Toledo, OH $61,300

Benton Harbor, MI $61,300

Lorain, OH $61,300

Beaumont, TX $61,300

Elkhart, IN $61,300

Gastonia, NC $61,300

York, PA $61,300

Billings, MT $61,300

Elyria, OH $61,200

Fargo, ND $61,200

Springfield, IL $61,200

Rock Hill, SC $61,200

Rockford, IL $61,200

Binghamton, NY $61,200

Flagstaff, AZ $61,100

Fort Lauderdale, FL $61,100

Duluth, MN $61,000

Miami, FL $61,000

Grand Forks, ND $61,000

Cheyenne, WY $61,000

Bangor, ME $60,900

Cedar Rapids, IA $60,800

Durham, NC $60,800

Louisville, KY $60,800

Grand Rapids, MI $60,700

Hialeah, FL $60,700

Casper, WY $60,600

Scranton, PA $60,600

New Orleans, LA $60,600

Akron, OH $60,500

Virginia Beach, VA $60,500

Peoria, IL $60,400

Sarasota, FL $60,400

Nashville, TN $60,400

Omaha, NE $60,400

Green Bay, WI $60,400

Jamestown, NY $60,300

Tucson, AZ $60,300

Davenport, IA $60,300

Charleston, SC $60,300

Baton Rouge, LA $60,300

Saint Petersburg, FL $60,200

Tampa, FL $60,200

Evansville, IN $60,200

Port Arthur, TX $60,200

Bradenton, FL $60,200

Santa Fe, NM $60,000

Orlando, FL $59,900

Clearwater, FL $59,900

Canton, OH $59,800

La Crosse, WI $59,800

Albuquerque, NM $59,700

Newport News, VA $59,700

High Point, NC $59,700

Ogden, UT $59,700

Corpus Christi, TX $59,600

Norfolk, VA $59,600

Laramie, WY $59,600

Rock Island, IL $59,600

Fort Myers, FL $59,500

Moline, IL $59,500

Boise, ID $59,500

Saginaw, MI $59,500

Jacksonville, FL $59,500

Salisbury, NC $59,500

Memphis, TN $59,400

Tulsa, OK $59,400

Waterloo, IA $59,400

Fort Wayne, IN $59,300

Provo, UT $59,300

Lincoln, NE $59,300

Spartanburg, SC $59,300

Cedar Falls, IA $59,200

San Antonio, TX $59,200

Greensboro, NC $59,100

South Bend, IN $59,100

Savannah, GA $59,100

Muskegon, MI $59,000

Birmingham, AL $59,000

Winston Salem, NC $59,000

Greenville, SC $58,800

Lake Charles, LA $58,800

Anderson, IN $58,800

Lexington, KY $58,800

Augusta, GA $58,800

Tuscaloosa, AL $58,700

Columbia, SC $58,700

Lima, OH $58,700

Wichita, KS $58,700

Springfield, OH $58,700

Asheville, NC $58,600

Bloomington, IN $58,500

Knoxville, TN $58,300

Shreveport, LA $58,300

Wilmington, NC $58,200

Roanoke, VA $58,200

Topeka, KS $58,100

Frankfort, KY $58,100

Melbourne, FL $58,000

Longview, TX $58,000

Chillicothe, OH $58,000

Oklahoma City, OK $58,000

Sioux Falls, SD $57,900

Mobile, AL $57,900

Terre Haute, IN $57,900

Altoona, PA $57,800

Amarillo, TX $57,800

Killeen, TX $57,800

Chattanooga, TN $57,700

Fayetteville, AR $57,700

Sioux City, IA $57,600

Idaho Falls, ID $57,600

Lynchburg, VA $57,600

Gainesville, FL $57,500

Portsmouth, OH $57,500

Daytona Beach, FL $57,400

Temple, TX $57,400

Pensacola, FL $57,400

Clarksville, TN $57,400

Youngstown, OH $57,400

Lafayette, LA $57,400

Little Rock, AR $57,400

Hopkinsville, KY $57,200

Erie, PA $57,200

Florence, SC $57,100

Charleston, WV $57,000

Great Falls, MT $57,000

Waco, TX $56,900

Fayetteville, NC $56,900

Tallahassee, FL $56,900

Macon, GA $56,900

Helena, MT $56,800

Pine Bluff, AR $56,800

Vincennes, IN $56,700

Lubbock, TX $56,700

Alamogordo, NM $56,700

Twin Falls, ID $56,600

Rapid City, SD $56,600

Greenville, MS $56,500

Jackson, MS $56,500

Huntington, WV $56,500

Parkersburg, WV $56,400

Montgomery, AL $56,400

Biloxi, MS $56,300

Wichita Falls, TX $56,300

Springfield, MO $56,300

Columbus, GA $56,200

Sumter, SC $56,200

Monroe, LA $56,200

Johnstown, PA $56,200

Pascagoula, MS $56,100

Abilene, TX $56,100

Kingsport, TN $55,900

Albany, GA $55,900

Gulfport, MS $55,900

Alexandria, LA $55,700

Fort Smith, AR $55,500

El Paso, TX $55,300

Las Cruces, NM $55,000

Harlingen, TX $54,900

Pocatello, ID $54,900

Florence, AL $54,800

Brownsville, TX $54,800

Mcallen, TX $54,600

Dothan, AL $54,600

Columbus, MS $54,200

Altus, OK $53,900

Lawton, OK $53,800

Pierre, SD $53,500

What Skills Can Increase a 3D Animator I's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Initiative (Mentioned in 6.13% Job Postings): Taking decisive action and initiating plans independently to address problems, improve professional life, and achieve goals.
Motion Graphics (Mentioned in 4.25% Job Postings): Motion Graphics is essentially graphic design made video. This style combines sound, text, charts, symbols, and animation, to convey hard data and written information in a compelling and clear way.
Software Design (Mentioned in 1.86% Job Postings): Software design is the process by which an agent creates a specification of a software artifact, intended to accomplish goals, using a set of primitive components and subject to constraints. Software design may refer to either "all the activity involved in conceptualizing, framing, implementing, commissioning, and ultimately modifying complex systems" or "the activity following requirements specification and before programming, as ... [in] a stylized software engineering process." Software design usually involves problem solving and planning a software solution. This includes both a low-level component and algorithm design and a high-level, architecture design.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Initiative	6.13%
Motion Graphics	4.25%
Software Design	1.86%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a 3D Animator I's salary.

Product Design: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Consulting: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Product Design	$80,528	12%
Commitment	$77,652	8%
Consulting	$76,933	7%
Insight	$76,214	6%
Analysis	$76,214	6%
Motion Graphics	$75,495	5%

Get Latest Data

3D Animator I Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

3D Animator I salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $80,488. While startup companies pay approximate $68,091.

3D Animator I Salary by Company Size

Company Size	Employees	Average Salary
Startup	1~50	$68,091
Growth Stage	51~500	$72,014
Established	501~5000	$77,725
Enterprise	5000+	$80,488

3D Animator I Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For 3D Animator I roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 105% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Software & Networking sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average. In contrast, 3D Animator positions in Transportation or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view 3D Animator I as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a 3D Animator I

Industry Sector	Average Annual Salary	Average Hourly Rate	Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals	$100,660	$48.0	40%
Software & Networking	$97,065	$47.0	35%
Financial Services	$93,470	$45.0	30%
Biotechnology	$89,875	$43.0	25%
Internet	$86,280	$41.0	20%

3D Animator I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a 3D Animator I's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

$61,500

Average $71,900/year

$83,000

$5,125

Average $5,992/month

$6,917

$1,183

Average $1,383/week

$1,596

$30

Average $35/hour

$40

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$83,000	$6,917	$1,596	$40
Average	$71,900	$5,992	$1,383	$35
25th Percentile	$61,500	$5,125	$1,183	$30

3D Animator I Salary Growth & Career Path

3D Animator I

3D Animator II

3D Animator III

For a 3D Animator I, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the 3D Animator II role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $88,100 - a projected growth of 23% over your current level.

Salaries of jobs related to 3D Animator I

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Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current 3D Animator I job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

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3D Animator I Salary in Capitola, CA

How much does a 3D Animator I make in Capitola, CA?

Key Factors That Influence 3D Animator I Salaries

How Experience Level Affects 3D Animator Salaries?

Top Paying Cities for 3D Animator Is

What Skills Can Increase a 3D Animator I's Salary?

3D Animator I Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

3D Animator I Salary by Company Size

3D Animator I Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

The top paying industries for a 3D Animator I

3D Animator I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

3D Animator I Salary Growth & Career Path

Salaries of jobs related to 3D Animator I

Find Your Next 3D Animator I Job

Cost of Living In Capitola, CA

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?