What are the main factors that influence an Animator's salary?

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

How does experience change An Animator's salary?

An Animator's salary grows with experience: a Animator (0-2 years)earns $63,281, a Motion Graphic Design Specialist II (2-4 years)earns $77,515, a Motion Graphic Design Specialist III (4-7 years)earns $93,972, a Motion Graphic Design Specialist IV (7+ years)earns $128,895, a Motion Graphic Design Specialist V (7-10 years)earns $156,417,

What are the highest paying states for an Animator?

Animator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Animator roles are District of Columbia $70,870, California $70,601, Massachusetts $69,660. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Animator roles make?

Salaries for Animator level roles vary by specialization: Medical Animator: $138,214; Lead Animator: $126,340; Cinematic Animator: $94,447; Senior Animator: $92,112; Gameplay Animator: $90,116.

How do different companies affect an Animator's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Animator roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Animator Salary in the United States

How much does an Animator make in the United States?

As of March 01, 2026, the average salary for an Animator in the United States is $64,009 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $31.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $82,918
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $54,948 to $73,907
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $46,699

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Animator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$73,907	$6,159	$1,421	$36
Average	$64,009	$5,334	$1,231	$31
25th Percentile	$54,948	$4,579	$1,057	$26

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Key Factors That Influence Animator Salaries

An Animator'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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Animator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Animator'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:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $63,281
Early Career (1-2 years): $77,515
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $93,972
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $128,895
Expert (over 8 years): $156,417

Levels	Salary
Animator Level Animator	$63,281
Motion Gr... Level Animator	$77,515
Motion Gr... Level Animator	$93,972
Motion Gr... Level Animator	$128,895
Motion Gr... Level Animator	$156,417

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Animator Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Animators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $70,870.
California: $70,601.
Massachusetts: $69,660.

District of Columbia $70,870 California $70,601 Massachusetts $69,660 Washington $69,404 New Jersey $69,379 Alaska $69,289 Connecticut $68,406 New York $68,047

Hawaii $66,902 Rhode Island $66,364 Maryland $65,999 Minnesota $65,500 Colorado $65,308 Illinois $65,244 Oregon $65,001 Delaware $64,821

New Hampshire $64,709 Virginia $64,457 Pennsylvania $63,720 Nevada $63,349 North Dakota $63,228 Michigan $63,036 Wisconsin $62,965 Vermont $62,824

Texas $62,434 Maine $62,408 Arizona $62,370 Ohio $62,325 Georgia $61,736 Indiana $61,442 Wyoming $61,384 Utah $61,295

Iowa $61,256 Kansas $60,949 Louisiana $60,859 North Carolina $60,827 Missouri $60,814 Florida $60,565 Montana $60,430 Nebraska $60,302

Kentucky $60,232 South Carolina $59,976 Tennessee $59,816 Idaho $59,752 New Mexico $59,285 Oklahoma $59,182 Alabama $58,805 South Dakota $58,171

Arkansas $57,825 West Virginia $57,640 Mississippi $57,083

Top Paying Cities for Animators

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: $80,734
San Francisco: $79,940
Oakland: $78,167

San Jose, CA $80,734

San Francisco, CA $79,940

Oakland, CA $78,167

New York, NY $74,179

Queens Village, NY $73,699

Paramus, NJ $73,187

Passaic, NJ $73,123

Bergenfield, NJ $73,059

Stamford, CT $72,963

Huntington, NY $72,899

Newark, NJ $72,483

Bridgeport, CT $72,355

New Brunswick, NJ $72,144

Vallejo, CA $72,010

Middlesex, NJ $71,971

Somerset, NJ $71,914

Petaluma, CA $71,766

Santa Cruz, CA $71,517

Boston, MA $71,389

Monterey, CA $71,069

Fairbanks, AK $71,024

Los Angeles, CA $70,902

Washington, DC $70,870

Seattle, WA $70,755

Santa Rosa, CA $70,742

Juneau, AK $70,557

Orange, CA $70,345

Anchorage, AK $70,230

Anaheim, CA $70,185

Santa Ana, CA $70,089

Nassau, NY $70,051

Long Beach, CA $70,025

Danbury, CT $70,006

Santa Maria, CA $69,788

Everett, WA $69,776

Bremerton, WA $69,462

Trenton, NJ $69,340

Sacramento, CA $69,315

San Diego, CA $69,283

Brockton, MA $69,257

Tacoma, WA $69,232

Santa Barbara, CA $69,142

Lowell, MA $68,886

New Suffolk, NY $68,860

Nashua, NH $68,784

Lompoc, CA $68,681

Ventura, CA $68,617

Stockton, CA $68,598

New Haven, CT $68,470

Atlantic City, NJ $68,303

Hartford, CT $68,163

Modesto, CA $68,131

Poughkeepsie, NY $67,990

New Britain, CT $67,958

Olympia, WA $67,868

Kennewick, WA $67,868

New London, CT $67,855

Norwich, CT $67,836

Lawrence, MA $67,804

Bakersfield, CA $67,625

Riverside, CA $67,535

New Bedford, MA $67,535

Richland, WA $67,471

Portsmouth, NH $67,420

Vineland, NJ $67,407

San Bernardino, CA $67,356

Boulder, CO $67,177

Worcester, MA $67,126

Portland, OR $67,068

Saint Paul, MN $66,991

Minneapolis, MN $66,991

Philadelphia, PA $66,902

Honolulu, HI $66,562

Springfield, MA $66,338

Providence, RI $66,332

Chicago, IL $66,146

Bellingham, WA $66,070

Baltimore, MD $65,999

Chico, CA $65,839

Wilmington, DE $65,730

Pittsfield, MA $65,666

Manchester, NH $65,545

Spokane, WA $65,263

Denver, CO $65,257

Albany, NY $64,956

Troy, NY $64,930

Schenectady, NY $64,796

Burlington, VT $64,655

Portland, ME $64,431

Salem, OR $64,380

Yakima, WA $64,367

Ann Arbor, MI $64,348

Rochester, MN $64,169

Fresno, CA $64,137

Reno, NV $64,137

Milwaukee, WI $64,079

Detroit, MI $64,015

Allentown, PA $63,996

Carson City, NV $63,989

Houston, TX $63,893

Colorado Springs, CO $63,887

Syracuse, NY $63,855

Eugene, OR $63,733

Bismarck, ND $63,656

Gary, IN $63,656

Galveston, TX $63,656

Springfield, OR $63,605

Medford, OR $63,452

Fort Collins, CO $63,426

Austin, TX $63,375

Mesa, AZ $63,240

Phoenix, AZ $63,228

Dallas, TX $63,208

Reading, PA $63,170

Saint Cloud, MN $63,144

Concord, NH $63,087

Madison, WI $63,061

Utica, NY $62,888

Raleigh, NC $62,837

Las Vegas, NV $62,831

Rochester, NY $62,786

Des Moines, IA $62,780

Atlanta, GA $62,677

Battle Creek, MI $62,658

Salt Lake City, UT $62,639

Lancaster, PA $62,543

Champaign, IL $62,530

Harrisburg, PA $62,453

Durham, NC $62,395

Kansas City, MO $62,389

Kansas City, KS $62,376

Fort Worth, TX $62,370

Boca Raton, FL $62,344

Cleveland, OH $62,338

Columbus, OH $62,325

Pittsburgh, PA $62,319

Richmond, VA $62,293

Indianapolis, IN $62,280

Cincinnati, OH $62,197

Petersburg, VA $62,101

Billings, MT $61,960

Lansing, MI $61,960

Huntsville, AL $61,960

Lebanon, PA $61,954

Dayton, OH $61,947

Pueblo, CO $61,947

Appleton, WI $61,928

Buffalo, NY $61,903

Racine, WI $61,871

Charlotte, NC $61,864

Saint Louis, MO $61,845

Springfield, IL $61,819

Elkhart, IN $61,807

York, PA $61,807

Gastonia, NC $61,800

Benton Harbor, MI $61,800

Beaumont, TX $61,762

Lorain, OH $61,749

Toledo, OH $61,723

Binghamton, NY $61,691

Rock Hill, SC $61,685

Rockford, IL $61,653

Fargo, ND $61,621

Elyria, OH $61,621

Flagstaff, AZ $61,576

Fort Lauderdale, FL $61,538

Miami, FL $61,499

Duluth, MN $61,397

Bangor, ME $61,314

Cedar Rapids, IA $61,243

Louisville, KY $61,211

Grand Rapids, MI $61,199

Hialeah, FL $61,192

Casper, WY $61,103

Scranton, PA $61,026

New Orleans, LA $61,007

Virginia Beach, VA $61,000

Akron, OH $60,968

Peoria, IL $60,885

Sarasota, FL $60,872

Green Bay, WI $60,827

Baton Rouge, LA $60,795

Charleston, SC $60,782

Nashville, TN $60,763

Jamestown, NY $60,750

Davenport, IA $60,750

Tucson, AZ $60,718

Cheyenne, WY $60,699

Saint Petersburg, FL $60,680

Tampa, FL $60,667

Omaha, NE $60,654

Port Arthur, TX $60,629

Evansville, IN $60,629

Bradenton, FL $60,603

Santa Fe, NM $60,488

Orlando, FL $60,424

Clearwater, FL $60,354

Canton, OH $60,219

La Crosse, WI $60,219

Grand Forks, ND $60,200

Albuquerque, NM $60,181

Tulsa, OK $60,181

Newport News, VA $60,174

High Point, NC $60,155

Ogden, UT $60,130

Corpus Christi, TX $60,078

Laramie, WY $60,040

Norfolk, VA $60,040

Rock Island, IL $60,002

Saginaw, MI $59,989

Jacksonville, FL $59,982

Salisbury, NC $59,970

Memphis, TN $59,957

Moline, IL $59,925

Fort Myers, FL $59,906

Waterloo, IA $59,822

Spartanburg, SC $59,758

Lincoln, NE $59,726

Fort Wayne, IN $59,714

Birmingham, AL $59,643

Cedar Falls, IA $59,630

Provo, UT $59,624

Springfield, OH $59,618

San Antonio, TX $59,605

Greensboro, NC $59,579

South Bend, IN $59,573

Winston Salem, NC $59,566

Boise, ID $59,547

Savannah, GA $59,502

Muskegon, MI $59,387

Lima, OH $59,310

Lake Charles, LA $59,285

Anderson, IN $59,272

Lexington, KY $59,253

Augusta, GA $59,233

Greenville, SC $59,233

Wichita, KS $59,176

Tuscaloosa, AL $59,176

Columbia, SC $59,118

Bloomington, IN $58,958

Roanoke, VA $58,920

Asheville, NC $58,837

Knoxville, TN $58,728

Shreveport, LA $58,721

Wilmington, NC $58,638

Frankfort, KY $58,517

Oklahoma City, OK $58,472

Chillicothe, OH $58,446

Longview, TX $58,440

Topeka, KS $58,421

Mobile, AL $58,325

Terre Haute, IN $58,299

Erie, PA $58,293

Altoona, PA $58,261

Melbourne, FL $58,241

Amarillo, TX $58,216

Killeen, TX $58,197

Fayetteville, AR $58,145

Sioux Falls, SD $58,101

Chattanooga, TN $58,062

Idaho Falls, ID $58,056

Gainesville, FL $57,921

Portsmouth, OH $57,889

Little Rock, AR $57,876

Lynchburg, VA $57,876

Lafayette, LA $57,851

Youngstown, OH $57,851

Temple, TX $57,825

Daytona Beach, FL $57,812

Clarksville, TN $57,806

Pensacola, FL $57,800

Hopkinsville, KY $57,608

Charleston, WV $57,601

Florence, SC $57,569

Sioux City, IA $57,531

Macon, GA $57,345

Tallahassee, FL $57,339

Fayetteville, NC $57,326

Waco, TX $57,313

Wichita Falls, TX $57,313

Pine Bluff, AR $57,288

Vincennes, IN $57,166

Lubbock, TX $57,140

Great Falls, MT $57,102

Alamogordo, NM $57,096

Abilene, TX $57,044

Rapid City, SD $56,961

Monroe, LA $56,961

Albany, GA $56,923

Huntington, WV $56,916

Jackson, MS $56,910

Greenville, MS $56,904

Parkersburg, WV $56,840

Montgomery, AL $56,827

Johnstown, PA $56,814

Springfield, MO $56,763

Biloxi, MS $56,731

Sumter, SC $56,596

Columbus, GA $56,590

Twin Falls, ID $56,552

Pascagoula, MS $56,468

Kingsport, TN $56,302

Gulfport, MS $56,283

Alexandria, LA $56,071

Fort Smith, AR $55,911

El Paso, TX $55,739

Helena, MT $55,655

Las Cruces, NM $55,451

Harlingen, TX $55,271

Pocatello, ID $55,214

Florence, AL $55,195

Brownsville, TX $55,182

Dothan, AL $55,079

Mcallen, TX $55,047

Columbus, MS $54,574

Altus, OK $54,279

Lawton, OK $54,158

Pierre, SD $53,927

What Skills Can Increase an Animator'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 an Animator'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	$71,690	12%
Commitment	$69,129	8%
Consulting	$68,489	7%
Insight	$67,849	6%
Analysis	$67,849	6%
Motion Graphics	$67,209	5%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts an Animator's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Animators enter the field with a No Diploma degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Animator with a No Diploma is between $54,202 and $59,919).

Animator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Animator

No Diploma 10.0%

High School 10.0%

Associates 10.0%

Bachelors 67.0%

Masters 12.2%

Doctorate 0.8%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	10.0%
High School	10.0%
Associates	10.0%
Bachelors	67.0%
Masters	12.2%
Doctorate	0.8%

view as graph

Animator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Animator'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 March 01, 2026

$54,948

Average $64,009/year

$73,907

$4,579

Average $5,334/month

$6,159

$1,057

Average $1,231/week

$1,421

$26

Average $31/hour

$36

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$73,907	$6,159	$1,421	$36
Average	$64,009	$5,334	$1,231	$31
25th Percentile	$54,948	$4,579	$1,057	$26

Salaries of jobs related to Animator

Salary Trends for Animator

Salaries for an Animator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $57,259 in 2023 to around $56,732 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Animator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Animator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$57,259

2024

$57,099

2025

$56,732

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$57,259
2024	$57,099
2025	$56,732
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Animator

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401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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