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

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

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 $59,004, a 3D Animator II (2-4 years)earns $72,275, a 3D Animator III (4-7 years)earns $87,611, 3D Animator IV (7+ years)earns $120,175, 3D Animator V (7-10 years)earns $145,846,

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

3D Animator III salary varies significantly by city. The top 3 highest paying cities in Virginia for 3D Animator III roles are San Jose $118,900, San Francisco $117,600, Oakland $115,100.

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

Salaries for 3D Animator level roles vary by specialization: 3D Animator V: $156,900; 3D Animator IV: $129,300; 3D Lead Animator: $97,125; 3d Animator: $90,332; 3D Animator II: $77,800.

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

Skills with high demand and low supply, such as Scheduling (up to 9% premium), Animation Design (up to 6% premium), Technical Skills (up to 3% premium), directly translate to higher compensation. Employers pay more for these capabilities to gain a competitive edge.

Click or scroll to view upper level job

3D Animator III Salary in Java, VA

How much does a 3D Animator III make in Java, VA?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a 3D Animator III in Java, VA is $87,700 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $42.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $100,309
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $79,200 to $94,300
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $71,461

Compensation Planning

Develop a Job Description

Pay Equity

2025 Compensation Trend

Recruit with AI

Smart Recruiting

Salary Salary + Bonus Benefits

View as table

3D Animator III Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$94,300	$7,858	$1,813	$45
Average	$87,700	$7,308	$1,687	$42
25th Percentile	$79,200	$6,600	$1,523	$38

Get accurate pay by adjusting the below factors.

Change Search Criteria

Check out 3D Animator III Job Openings in Java, VA

Travel OT

Focus Staff - MONMOUTH, IL

Travel RN

Focus Staff - LEBANON, NH

Travel L&D RN

Focus Staff - RAPID CITY, SD

Travel RN ICU

Focus Staff - RAPID CITY, SD

Search More 3D Animator III Jobs in Java, VA

Key Factors That Influence 3D Animator III Salaries

A 3D Animator III'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 III'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): $59,004
3D Animator II (2-4 years): $72,275
3D Animator III (4-7 years): $87,611
3D Animator IV (7+ years): $120,175
3D Animator V (7-10 years): $145,846

Job Role	Years of Experience	Average Salary
3D Animator I	0-2 years	$59,004
3D Animator II	2-4 years	$72,275
3D Animator III	4-7 years	$87,611
3D Animator IV	7+ years	$120,175
3D Animator V	7-10 years	$145,846

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for 3D Animator IIIs

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: $118,900
San Francisco: $117,600
Oakland: $115,100

San Jose, CA $118,900

San Francisco, CA $117,600

Oakland, CA $115,100

New York, NY $108,500

Paramus, NJ $107,200

Queens Village, NY $107,200

Passaic, NJ $107,100

Bergenfield, NJ $107,100

Huntington, NY $106,900

Stamford, CT $106,900

Newark, NJ $106,200

Bridgeport, CT $106,000

Vallejo, CA $105,800

New Brunswick, NJ $105,800

Petaluma, CA $105,700

Middlesex, NJ $105,500

Somerset, NJ $105,500

Santa Cruz, CA $105,300

Boston, MA $104,800

Monterey, CA $104,400

Seattle, WA $104,200

Santa Rosa, CA $104,200

Los Angeles, CA $104,200

Juneau, AK $103,900

Washington, DC $103,800

Orange, CA $103,500

Santa Ana, CA $103,200

Anaheim, CA $103,100

Anchorage, AK $103,100

Long Beach, CA $103,100

Santa Maria, CA $102,800

Everett, WA $102,800

Danbury, CT $102,400

Bremerton, WA $102,300

Tacoma, WA $102,000

New Suffolk, NY $102,000

Sacramento, CA $101,900

Santa Barbara, CA $101,800

Trenton, NJ $101,700

San Diego, CA $101,700

Brockton, MA $101,600

Fairbanks, AK $101,400

Lompoc, CA $101,200

Lowell, MA $101,100

Ventura, CA $101,100

Nashua, NH $101,000

Stockton, CA $101,000

Modesto, CA $100,400

Poughkeepsie, NY $100,100

Kennewick, WA $100,000

Olympia, WA $100,000

New Haven, CT $99,900

Lawrence, MA $99,600

Hartford, CT $99,500

Riverside, CA $99,500

New Bedford, MA $99,400

Richland, WA $99,400

New London, CT $99,200

Atlantic City, NJ $99,200

San Bernardino, CA $99,200

Bakersfield, CA $99,200

New Britain, CT $99,200

Norwich, CT $99,100

Portsmouth, NH $99,100

Boulder, CO $98,900

Portland, OR $98,800

Worcester, MA $98,800

Minneapolis, MN $98,500

Philadelphia, PA $98,400

Honolulu, HI $98,000

Saint Paul, MN $98,000

Vineland, NJ $98,000

Providence, RI $97,700

Chicago, IL $97,400

Bellingham, WA $97,300

Springfield, MA $97,200

Baltimore, MD $97,200

Chico, CA $97,000

Pittsfield, MA $96,700

Manchester, NH $96,500

Spokane, WA $96,100

Denver, CO $96,100

Albany, NY $95,700

Troy, NY $95,600

Nassau, NY $95,500

Wilmington, DE $95,400

Schenectady, NY $95,400

Burlington, VT $95,200

Salem, OR $95,200

Portland, ME $94,900

Yakima, WA $94,800

Rochester, MN $94,500

Reno, NV $94,500

Fresno, CA $94,500

Milwaukee, WI $94,400

Allentown, PA $94,300

Ann Arbor, MI $94,300

Detroit, MI $94,300

Colorado Springs, CO $94,100

Syracuse, NY $94,100

Carson City, NV $94,100

Houston, TX $93,900

Eugene, OR $93,900

Gary, IN $93,800

Springfield, OR $93,700

Bismarck, ND $93,700

Galveston, TX $93,600

Medford, OR $93,500

Fort Collins, CO $93,400

Concord, NH $93,400

Austin, TX $93,300

Mesa, AZ $93,200

Reading, PA $93,100

Phoenix, AZ $93,100

Dallas, TX $93,100

Saint Cloud, MN $93,000

Madison, WI $92,900

Utica, NY $92,600

Rochester, NY $92,500

Des Moines, IA $92,500

Raleigh, NC $92,500

Atlanta, GA $92,300

Battle Creek, MI $92,300

Salt Lake City, UT $92,300

Lancaster, PA $92,100

Harrisburg, PA $92,000

Columbus, OH $91,900

Fort Worth, TX $91,900

Kansas City, MO $91,900

Kansas City, KS $91,900

Champaign, IL $91,900

Boca Raton, FL $91,800

Pittsburgh, PA $91,800

Richmond, VA $91,800

Cleveland, OH $91,700

Indianapolis, IN $91,700

Cincinnati, OH $91,600

Las Vegas, NV $91,600

Petersburg, VA $91,500

Huntsville, AL $91,300

Lansing, MI $91,300

Lebanon, PA $91,300

Pueblo, CO $91,200

Appleton, WI $91,200

Buffalo, NY $91,200

Dayton, OH $91,200

Saint Louis, MO $91,100

Racine, WI $91,100

Charlotte, NC $91,100

Lorain, OH $91,000

York, PA $91,000

Elkhart, IN $91,000

Gastonia, NC $91,000

Billings, MT $91,000

Beaumont, TX $91,000

Binghamton, NY $90,900

Rock Hill, SC $90,900

Benton Harbor, MI $90,900

Toledo, OH $90,900

Rockford, IL $90,800

Springfield, IL $90,800

Elyria, OH $90,800

Fargo, ND $90,800

Flagstaff, AZ $90,700

Fort Lauderdale, FL $90,600

Duluth, MN $90,600

Miami, FL $90,600

Cheyenne, WY $90,500

Grand Forks, ND $90,500

Bangor, ME $90,300

Cedar Rapids, IA $90,200

Durham, NC $90,200

Louisville, KY $90,200

Grand Rapids, MI $90,100

Hialeah, FL $90,100

Casper, WY $90,000

Virginia Beach, VA $89,900

New Orleans, LA $89,900

Scranton, PA $89,900

Akron, OH $89,800

Peoria, IL $89,700

Sarasota, FL $89,700

Nashville, TN $89,600

Omaha, NE $89,600

Green Bay, WI $89,600

Baton Rouge, LA $89,600

Jamestown, NY $89,500

Charleston, SC $89,500

Davenport, IA $89,500

Tucson, AZ $89,400

Saint Petersburg, FL $89,400

Tampa, FL $89,400

Bradenton, FL $89,300

Evansville, IN $89,300

Port Arthur, TX $89,300

Santa Fe, NM $89,100

Clearwater, FL $88,900

Orlando, FL $88,900

Canton, OH $88,700

La Crosse, WI $88,700

Albuquerque, NM $88,600

Newport News, VA $88,600

High Point, NC $88,600

Ogden, UT $88,600

Corpus Christi, TX $88,500

Jacksonville, FL $88,400

Saginaw, MI $88,400

Norfolk, VA $88,400

Laramie, WY $88,400

Rock Island, IL $88,400

Salisbury, NC $88,300

Boise, ID $88,300

Moline, IL $88,300

Fort Myers, FL $88,200

Memphis, TN $88,200

Tulsa, OK $88,200

Waterloo, IA $88,100

Fort Wayne, IN $88,000

Spartanburg, SC $88,000

Lincoln, NE $88,000

Provo, UT $87,900

Cedar Falls, IA $87,800

San Antonio, TX $87,800

Greensboro, NC $87,800

South Bend, IN $87,800

Winston Salem, NC $87,600

Savannah, GA $87,600

Muskegon, MI $87,600

Birmingham, AL $87,600

Lake Charles, LA $87,300

Anderson, IN $87,300

Lexington, KY $87,300

Augusta, GA $87,300

Greenville, SC $87,300

Wichita, KS $87,200

Tuscaloosa, AL $87,200

Lima, OH $87,200

Springfield, OH $87,100

Columbia, SC $87,100

Asheville, NC $86,900

Bloomington, IN $86,800

Knoxville, TN $86,500

Shreveport, LA $86,500

Wilmington, NC $86,400

Roanoke, VA $86,400

Topeka, KS $86,200

Frankfort, KY $86,200

Melbourne, FL $86,100

Longview, TX $86,100

Chillicothe, OH $86,100

Oklahoma City, OK $86,100

Sioux Falls, SD $85,900

Mobile, AL $85,900

Terre Haute, IN $85,900

Altoona, PA $85,800

Amarillo, TX $85,800

Killeen, TX $85,700

Fayetteville, AR $85,700

Chattanooga, TN $85,600

Sioux City, IA $85,500

Idaho Falls, ID $85,500

Lynchburg, VA $85,400

Gainesville, FL $85,300

Portsmouth, OH $85,300

Little Rock, AR $85,300

Daytona Beach, FL $85,200

Clarksville, TN $85,200

Lafayette, LA $85,200

Youngstown, OH $85,200

Pensacola, FL $85,100

Temple, TX $85,100

Hopkinsville, KY $84,900

Erie, PA $84,800

Florence, SC $84,800

Charleston, WV $84,700

Great Falls, MT $84,600

Tallahassee, FL $84,500

Macon, GA $84,500

Helena, MT $84,400

Fayetteville, NC $84,400

Waco, TX $84,400

Pine Bluff, AR $84,300

Vincennes, IN $84,200

Lubbock, TX $84,200

Alamogordo, NM $84,100

Twin Falls, ID $84,000

Rapid City, SD $84,000

Greenville, MS $83,800

Huntington, WV $83,800

Jackson, MS $83,800

Parkersburg, WV $83,700

Montgomery, AL $83,700

Wichita Falls, TX $83,600

Springfield, MO $83,600

Biloxi, MS $83,600

Monroe, LA $83,500

Columbus, GA $83,400

Sumter, SC $83,400

Johnstown, PA $83,400

Pascagoula, MS $83,200

Abilene, TX $83,200

Kingsport, TN $82,900

Albany, GA $82,900

Gulfport, MS $82,900

Alexandria, LA $82,600

Fort Smith, AR $82,400

El Paso, TX $82,100

Las Cruces, NM $81,700

Harlingen, TX $81,400

Pocatello, ID $81,400

Florence, AL $81,300

Brownsville, TX $81,300

Mcallen, TX $81,100

Dothan, AL $81,000

Columbus, MS $80,400

Altus, OK $80,000

Lawton, OK $79,800

Pierre, SD $79,400

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

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Collaboration (Mentioned in 1.32% Job Postings): Works cooperatively and shares ideas with coworkers and managers to achieve common goals and objectives.
Software Design (Mentioned in 3.67% 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.
Advertising (Mentioned in 1.29% Job Postings): Advertising is a marketing communication that employs an openly sponsored, non-personal message to promote or sell a product, service or idea.:465 Sponsors of advertising are typically businesses wishing to promote their products or services. Advertising is differentiated from public relations in that an advertiser pays for and has control over the message. It differs from personal selling in that the message is non-personal, i.e., not directed to a particular individual.:661,672 Advertising is communicated through various mass media, including traditional media such as newspapers, magazines, television, radio, outdoor advertising or direct mail; and new media such as search results, blogs, social media, websites or text messages. The actual presentation of the message in a medium is referred to as an advertisement, or "ad" or advert for short. Commercial ads often seek to generate increased consumption of their products or services through "branding", which associates a product name or image with certain qualities in the minds of consumers. On the other hand, ads that intend to elicit an immediate sale are known as direct-response advertising. Non-commercial entities that advertise more than consumer products or services include political parties, interest groups, religious organizations and governmental agencies. Non-profit organizations may use free modes of persuasion, such as a public service announcement. Advertising may also help to reassure employees or shareholders that a company is viable or successful.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Collaboration	1.32%
Software Design	3.67%
Advertising	1.29%

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 III's salary.

Scheduling: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Animation Design: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Technical Skills: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Scheduling	$95,593	9%
Animation Design	$92,962	6%
Technical Skills	$90,331	3%
Leadership	$90,331	3%
Innovation	$90,331	3%
Initiative	$90,331	3%

Get Latest Data

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

Understanding how a 3D Animator III'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 May 01, 2026

$79,200

Average $87,700/year

$94,300

$6,600

Average $7,308/month

$7,858

$1,523

Average $1,687/week

$1,813

$38

Average $42/hour

$45

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$94,300	$7,858	$1,813	$45
Average	$87,700	$7,308	$1,687	$42
25th Percentile	$79,200	$6,600	$1,523	$38

3D Animator III Salary Growth & Career Path

3D Animator III

3D Animator IV

3D Animator V

For a 3D Animator III, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the 3D Animator IV role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $120,200 - a projected growth of 37% over your current level.

Salaries of jobs related to 3D Animator III

Find Your Next 3D Animator III Job

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

For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Cost of Living In Java, VA

Cost of Living in Java, VA is

-6.5% Lower

than the National Average

Use Salary.com's Cost of Living Calculator to find out what income you need to maintain your standard of living in a different city and how much more or less money you need to budget for basic expenses.

Explore Cost of Living Calculator

Empower Your Team

Salary.com experts will help you thrive your workplaces.

Find Salary.com Comp Consulting

See Salary Trends in 2025

Salary.com provides salary survey data for thousands of industry Jobs.

Price Your Company Jobs and Make Pay Fair

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
Job and employee pricing reports
Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.

Learn about

Click or scroll to view lower level job