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3D Character Animation Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Roblox

3D Animator (Short Term)

San Mateo, CA · On-site

We're seeking a talented Senior 3D Animator to join our team at Roblox for a 6-month engagement ... Strong experience in character animation , with a focus on creating believable, game-ready ...

Roblox

3D Animator (Short Term)

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$9.1K - $11K/mo

We're seeking a talented Senior 3D Animator to join our team at Roblox for a 6-month engagement ... Strong experience in character animation , with a focus on creating believable, game-ready ...

Spellbrush

3D Game Programmer (Unity)

San Francisco, CA · On-site

You're good at 3D character animation Bonus if you have used mocap and understand the mocap workflow at a studio. Bonus for having your assets on the Unity store. You're excited about the potential ...

Human Computer Lab

Character Artist

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$142K - $149K/yr

Are pursuing a degree in screen-writing, animation, character design, industrial design, or a ... Have a portfolio that shows character design or expressive design work, in 2D or 3D. * Document ...

New

Cloud Chamber

Senior Gameplay Animator

Novato, CA

$124K - $142K/yr

... 3D animation, using Maya and/or Motion Builder. * Experience working in Unreal Engine for animation implementation and debugging. * Strong understanding of character performance, form, gesture, and ...

Cloud Chamber

Senior Gameplay Animator

Novato, CA · On-site

$124K - $142K/yr

... 3D animation, using Maya and/or Motion Builder. * Experience working in Unreal Engine for animation implementation and debugging. * Strong understanding of character performance, form, gesture, and ...

2K

Senior Gameplay Animator

Novato, CA

$124K - $142K/yr

... 3D animation, using Maya and/or Motion Builder. * Experience working in Unreal Engine for animation implementation and debugging. * Strong understanding of character performance, form, gesture, and ...

2K

Senior Gameplay Animator

Novato, CA · On-site

$124K - $142K/yr

... 3D animation, using Maya and/or Motion Builder. * Experience working in Unreal Engine for animation implementation and debugging. * Strong understanding of character performance, form, gesture, and ...

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All Jobs3D Character Animation Jobs3D Character Animation Jobs in California

3D Character Animation information

See California salary details

$30.6K

$63K

$130.8K

How much do 3d character animation jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for 3d character animation in California is $63,030.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $48,900.00 and $61,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a 3D character animator, and why are they important?

To thrive as a 3D Character Animator, you need strong artistic skills in character movement, an understanding of anatomy, and typically a degree in animation or a related field. Mastery of industry-standard software like Autodesk Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max, and familiarity with rigging and motion capture systems are highly valuable. Creativity, attention to detail, and strong collaboration and communication skills make animators stand out in team-based environments. These abilities ensure the creation of lifelike, engaging characters that effectively tell stories and enhance visual projects.

What are some common challenges 3D character animators face when working on collaborative projects?

3D Character Animators frequently collaborate with modelers, riggers, and technical artists to bring characters to life. One common challenge is ensuring that the animation matches the intended style and technical specifications set by the art and design leads, especially when multiple animators are involved. Integrating animations seamlessly with game engines or film pipelines can also pose technical hurdles. Effective communication and regular feedback sessions are vital to overcoming these challenges and ensuring a consistent, high-quality result.

What is the difference between 3D Character Animation vs 3D Modeler?

Aspect3D Character Animation3D Modeler
Primary FocusCreating movement and performance for charactersBuilding and designing 3D models, including characters
Skills RequiredAnimation, rigging, storytellingModeling, texturing, topology
Work EnvironmentAnimation studios, game development, filmModeling studios, game design, visual effects
Tools UsedAutodesk Maya, Blender, 3ds MaxAutodesk Maya, ZBrush, Blender

While both roles involve 3D software and creative skills, 3D Character Animation focuses on bringing characters to life through movement, whereas 3D Modelers create the detailed models that serve as the foundation for animation. Both roles often collaborate in the same industry settings like gaming and film production.

What is 3D character animation?

3D character animation is the process of creating and manipulating digital characters in a three-dimensional space to make them move, act, and express emotions. Animators use specialized software to design characters, rig their skeletal structure, and animate their movements for films, video games, and other media. The goal is to bring characters to life in a way that is believable and engaging to the audience.
What are popular job titles related to 3D Character Animation jobs in California? For 3D Character Animation jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching 3D Character Animation jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for 3D Character Animation jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for 3D Character Animation jobs? Cities in California with the most 3D Character Animation job openings:
3D Character Animation jobs near you
Infographic showing various 3D Character Animation job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 57% Full Time, 27% Part Time, 7% Temporary, and 9% Contract. Highlights an 81% In-person, 4% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $63,030 per year, or $30.3 per hour.

Research Scientist - Avatar Animation

HoYoverse

Mountain View, CA • On-site

$250K - $450K/yr

Other

Medical, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 16 days ago

Job description

About the job


Who Are We?

HoYoverse is committed to providing immersive virtual world experiences to players around the world. We have brought fans popular games including Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, Honkai Impact 3rd, Tears of Themis, and Zenless Zone Zero, as well as a wide range of entertainment content.


Community is at the heart of everything we do. We are devoted to engaging fans and fostering an enthusiastic and inclusive global community that provides access and encouragement for people to share their passion for ACG (Animation, Comics, and Games) through their own creativity and skills.


Pushing the boundaries of imagination, we consistently explore cutting-edge game development technologies, and have accumulated leading technical capabilities in cel shading, cloud gaming, and other fields.


In the future, we will continue to expand our content production, technology research, and publishing duties through operations in offices in Singapore, Montreal, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Seoul, and other areas.


When you apply to a position with HoYoverse, we will process your personal data. To learn more about how we process your data, we encourage you to review our comprehensive Global Applicant and Candidate Privacy Policy. This policy provides detailed insights into how your information is collected, used, and protected throughout the application process.


What You Will Do:

  • Conduct original research and develop efficient generative models for creating high quality character motions and facial expressions for both offline content creation and online gameplay.
  • Take ownership of research project roadmaps, collaborating with engineers to iterate on feature requirements and managing risk for production deployment and maintenance.
  • Explore and implement advanced techniques in asset processing to ensure high-quality and optimized assets for the game development cycle.
  • Stay up to date with the latest advancements in image/video generative models, character animation, generative model optimization, and applying these technologies to improve the overall gaming experience.


What We Are Looking For:

  • PhD degree in Computer Science, or a related field, or 5+ years of equivalent high-level research experience.
  • Strong background in 3D character animation, 3D generative models, or video diffusion models
  • Hands-on experience on video or 3D representative learning, generative model training, 3D character animation.
  • Solid knowledge or experience on following topics are preferred: RL, diffusion model distillation, infra optimization for model training and inference, CUDA programming.
  • Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment.
  • Record of publications or contributions to the video generative models, character animation, 3D avatar.


Benefits:

The base pay range for this position is $250,000 to $450,000 USD per year. Actual pay is based on location and may vary depending on relevant knowledge, skills, and experience from the candidate. Total compensation may include salary, company bonuses, sign-on bonuses, relocation package, and other benefits such as:

  • 100% employer-paid healthcare premiums for you and your dependents
  • Generous paid time off
  • 401K / RRSP plan
  • Employer-paid life and disability insurance
  • Team-building activities throughout the year
  • Flexible working hours

We are an equal opportunity employer that believes diverse backgrounds are key to bringing our concepts to life. If you're looking to play a key role in creating the best immersive virtual world experience for our users, we invite you to join our team.


Apply