ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

2D Character Artist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Human Computer Lab

Character Artist

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$142K - $149K/yr

What to expect We're looking for a character artist to help define how LeLamp looks, moves, and ... Have a portfolio that shows character design or expressive design work, in 2D or 3D. * Document ...

SciPlay

Technical Artist

Austin, TX

$125K - $150K/yr

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Position Summary The Technical Artist acts as aresource within the art team, mentoring other ... Animation - 2D character specific * Scripting ability to common art tooling (Photoshop, 3dx Max ...

SciPlay

Senior Technical Artist

Austin, TX · On-site

$125K - $150K/yr

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Position Summary The Senior Technical Artist acts as a resource within the art team, mentoring ... Animation - 2D character specific * Scripting ability to common art tooling (Photoshop, 3dx Max ...

POWERHOUSE ANIMATION STUDIOS I

2D Animator

Austin, TX · On-site

$34.13/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

Experienced 2D animator with a strong command of character acting and performance. * Proficiency in ... artists and directors. * Experience working within tight deadlines while maintaining a high level ...

Arrow International, Inc

Senior Artist

$130K - $155K/yr

  • Retirement

  • PTO

... 2D and/or 3D animations. * Exceptional artistic skills including composition, color theory, typography, visual hierarchy, and character design. * Ability to quickly learn and effectively utilize ...

Arrow International Inc

Senior Artist

Cleveland, OH · On-site

$123K - $147K/yr

  • Retirement

  • PTO

... 2D and/or 3D animations. * Exceptional artistic skills including composition, color theory, typography, visual hierarchy, and character design. * Ability to quickly learn and effectively utilize ...

Arrow International, Inc.

Senior Artist

Chicago, IL

$80 - $120K/hr

  • Retirement

  • PTO

... character design skills to help push our games to new heights. You'll play a key role in the ... Create and animate high-quality 2D game assets and VFX. * Ensure timely delivery of assets to meet ...

Arrow International, Inc

Senior Artist

Chicago, IL · On-site

$80 - $120K/hr

  • Retirement

  • PTO

... character design skills to help push our games to new heights. You'll play a key role in the ... Create and animate high-quality 2D game assets and VFX. * Ensure timely delivery of assets to meet ...

Arrow International Inc

Senior Artist

Chicago, IL · On-site

$80 - $120K/hr

  • Retirement

  • PTO

... character design skills to help push our games to new heights. You'll play a key role in the ... Create and animate high-quality 2D game assets and VFX. * Ensure timely delivery of assets to meet ...

Nintendo

Concept Artist [Contract] (Retro Studios)

Austin, TX · On-site

$125K - $144K/yr

  • Medical

  • PTO

... character and environment concept art. * Excellent 2D drawing skills with a strong grasp of ... Mastery of fundamental artistic principles. * Experience executing a wide range of artistic styles.

Netflix

Storyboard Artist- Ink

Los Angeles, CA

$74.52/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Use knowledge of 2D and/or CG animation to ensure that posing, staging, and cutting is both ... storytelling, character development, composition, and editorial pacing. * Advanced working ...

Netflix

Storyboard Artist- Ink

Vancouver, WA · On-site

$74.52/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Use knowledge of 2D and/or CG animation to ensure that posing, staging, and cutting is both ... storytelling, character development, composition, and editorial pacing. * Advanced working ...

Netflix

Storyboard Artist- Ink

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$74.52/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Use knowledge of 2D and/or CG animation to ensure that posing, staging, and cutting is both ... storytelling, character development, composition, and editorial pacing. * Advanced working ...

Netflix

Storyboard Artist- Ink

Los Gatos, CA

$74.52/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Use knowledge of 2D and/or CG animation to ensure that posing, staging, and cutting is both ... character development, composition, and editorial pacing. Advanced working knowledge of digital ...

Netflix

Storyboard Artist- Ink

Los Gatos, CA

$74.52/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Use knowledge of 2D and/or CG animation to ensure that posing, staging, and cutting is both ... storytelling, character development, composition, and editorial pacing. * Advanced working ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All Jobs2D Character Artist Jobs

2D Character Artist information

See salary details

$104.5K

$120.5K

$128.5K

How much do 2d character artist jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for 2d character artist in the United States is $120,531.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $121,000.00 and $127,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a 2D character artist do?

A 2D Character Artist creates visually appealing characters for games, animations, comics, and other media. They design characters based on concept art, style guidelines, and creative direction, ensuring consistency and personality. Their work involves sketching, digital painting, refining character designs, and sometimes creating model sheets for animators and 3D artists. They collaborate closely with designers, writers, and animators to bring characters to life. Strong artistic skills, proficiency in digital tools like Photoshop or Procreate, and an understanding of anatomy, color, and composition are essential for this role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a 2D character artist?

To thrive as a 2D Character Artist, you need strong drawing skills, a solid understanding of anatomy, color theory, and character design, often supported by a relevant art degree or portfolio. Proficiency with digital illustration tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, and drawing tablets is typically required, while industry certifications can be advantageous. Creativity, open communication, and the ability to accept feedback help artists excel within collaborative and iterative development environments. These combined skills are essential to produce compelling, high-quality character designs that align with project goals and meet client or studio expectations.

What are the common career advancement opportunities for a 2D character artist?

As a 2D Character Artist, you can progress into lead or senior artist roles, where you may oversee teams and provide creative direction on character style and development. With experience, you might also transition into related roles such as Art Director, Concept Artist, or even specialize in animation or visual development. Opportunities to mentor junior artists and contribute to shaping a studio’s visual identity are common as you gain expertise. Many companies also offer training and learning resources to support ongoing professional growth. Career advancement is closely tied to your portfolio, ability to work collaboratively, and staying current with industry trends.

More about 2D Character Artist jobs

What are the most commonly searched types of 2D Character Artist jobs?

The most popular types of 2D Character Artist jobs are:

What job categories do people searching 2D Character Artist jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for 2D Character Artist jobs are:

2D Character Artist jobs near you
Infographic showing various 2D Character Artist job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 50% Full Time, and 50% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $120,531 per year, or $57.9 per hour.

Character Artist

Human Computer Lab

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$142K - $149K/yr

Full-time

Posted 12 days ago

Job description

Human Computer Lab is a research lab building character robots that feel alive and responsive. Our first robot, LeLamp, explores a new category of consumer robotics where everyday objects become interactive and help us reshape our attachment to technology.
Our goal is to push the frontier of human-robot interaction by making technology more legible, emotionally intuitive, and human-centered. We are building the foundation for a new generation of robots designed for everyday environments.
What to expect
We're looking for a character artist to help define how LeLamp looks, moves, and feels - the visual and expressive language that makes a robot read as alive rather than mechanical. You'll work on everything from early concept sketches and mood boards to the motion, gesture, and lighting cues that give the robot its personality, translating character intent into something the hardware and software teams can actually build and ship. This role requires tight, fast-cycling collaboration with electrical, mechanical, and software teams - character decisions here don't stay on paper, they become motor curves, timing, and light behavior. You'll work closely with the CEO and founding team to shape the character identity of LeLamp and the robots that follow.
In this role, you will:
  • Create concept art, mood boards, and character studies that define LeLamp's personality and visual identity.
  • Collaborate with the hardware team on form factor, silhouette, materials, and color to keep the physical design aligned with the character.
  • Design expressive motion - gestures, "emotional" states, and behaviors expressed through movement, light, and sound.
  • Prototype and iterate quickly, moving between sketches, renders, and physical mockups.
  • Partner with robotics and software engineers to translate character intent into concrete behavior parameters (motion curves, timing, lighting cues).
  • Build and maintain style guides and a character bible to keep the robot's expression consistent as the team grows.
  • Review hardware and software prototypes against the character vision and give clear, actionable feedback.
  • Support brand and marketing assets to keep the character consistent across every touchpoint.

You may be a good fit if you:
  • Are pursuing a degree in screen-writing, animation, character design, industrial design, or a related field - or have equivalent hands-on portfolio experience.
  • Have a portfolio that shows character design or expressive design work, in 2D or 3D.
  • Document clearly and can explain the reasoning behind a design choice, not just the choice itself.
  • Are comfortable iterating quickly, moving from rough sketch to testable prototype without waiting for a perfect brief.
  • Are genuinely interested in physical products, not just screen-based or purely digital characters.

You will be a strong fit, if you:
  • Have designed characters or mascots that had to work within real hardware or physical constraints, not just on a screen.
  • Understand core animation principles (timing, weight, squash and stretch, anticipation) and know how to translate them into motors, servos, and lighting.
  • Are comfortable collaborating directly with engineers, turning an abstract sense of "feel" into concrete specs they can build against.
  • Move quickly through iteration cycles and don't wait for perfect information to make progress.
  • Take ownership over your work end to end, from first sketch to a behavior that's live in the robot.
  • Work well in small, collaborative teams where character, electrical, and mechanical are in constant conversation.
  • Care about what the character enables: warmth, expressiveness, and the feeling that the robot is alive.

The early team becomes the DNA of the company. We set ourselves and others to a high standard, and we respond with kindness when things get hard but keep everyone accountable. This requires us to be curious, creative, and diverse in our thinking and approach.
We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer and consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Even if you don't meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. Studies show that women and underrepresented groups often hold back unless they meet 100% of the criteria - we don't want that to be the reason we miss out on great talent.

Apply