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3D Character Animation Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Trove Brands

3D Generalist

Lehi, UT · On-site

Portfolios centered on character animation, architectural visualization, automotive rendering, or gaming assets will not be considered. * Expert proficiency in industry-standard 3D software such as ...

Trove Brands

3D Generalist

Lehi, UT · On-site

Portfolios centered on character animation, architectural visualization, automotive rendering, or gaming assets will not be considered. * Expert proficiency in industry-standard 3D software such as ...

William Paterson University

$2.1K/wk

Storyboarding & Production Design, Cell Animation I, 3D Character Animation, Advanced Cell Animation, Projects Drawing for Animators, and other Animation Courses. Department overview: The Department ...

Swaybox Studios

3D Tracking Artist

New Orleans, LA

The 3D Tracking / Matchmove Artist will focus on tracking environments and character features (such as: face, hands, legs, etc.) with a handoff to the layout, animation, and compositing teams. This ...

Swaybox Studios

3D Tracking Artist

New Orleans, LA · On-site

The 3D Tracking / Matchmove Artist will focus on tracking environments and character features (such as: face, hands, legs, etc.) with a handoff to the layout, animation, and compositing teams. This ...

NRG

Motion Graphics & Illustration Specialist

Lehi, UT · On-site

... 3D rendering capabilities. You should be comfortable translating product features into engaging visual narratives and bringing ideas to life through animation-including character-based storytelling ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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All Jobs3D Character Animation Jobs

3D Character Animation information

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$31K

$63.9K

$132.5K

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

As of Jul 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for 3d character animation in the United States is $63,866.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $49,500.00 and $62,500.00 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.
More about 3D Character Animation jobs
What cities are hiring for 3D Character Animation jobs? Cities with the most 3D Character Animation job openings:
What states have the most 3D Character Animation jobs? States with the most job openings for 3D Character Animation jobs include:
What job categories do people searching 3D Character Animation jobs look for? The top searched job categories for 3D Character Animation jobs are:
3D Character Animation jobs near you
Infographic showing various 3D Character Animation job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 56% Full Time, 28% Part Time, 7% Temporary, and 9% Contract. Highlights an 81% In-person, 4% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $63,866 per year, or $30.7 per hour.
Senior 3D Visualization and Animation Technical Artist

Senior 3D Visualization and Animation Technical Artist

Sony Corporation

Culver City, CA • On-site

$140K - $155K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, PTO

Re-posted 10 days ago

Job description

Sony Corporation of America, located in New York, NY, is the U.S. headquarters of Sony Group Corporation, based in Tokyo, Japan. Sony's principal U.S. businesses include Sony Electronics Inc., Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music Publishing and Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. With some 900 million Sony devices in hands and homes worldwide today, a vast array of Sony movies, television shows and music, and the PlayStation Network, Sony creates and delivers more entertainment experiences to more people than anyone else on earth. To learn more: www.sony.com/en.
This is a fixed-term role for one year.
Position Summary
Sony Corporation of America is looking for a skilled and experienced Senior 3D Visualization Animation Technical Artist to join our team in Culver City, CA. The will lead 3D photography and 4D video capturing of talents by ensuring efficient communication with talents as well as technical crew members in all aspects of 3D content production.
Responsibilities:
  • Self-motivated to efficiently and effectively collaborate with R&D and artist teams, to identify detailed requirements of challenging 3D animation projects, and to achieve the best visualization prototypes of state-of-the-art 3D/4D content creation.

  • Develop and maintain comprehensive technical documentation, meticulously recording each step of the R&D process.

  • Share best practices and technical insights with both art and research teams, promoting efficiency and innovation.

  • Facilitate and lead creative discussions, addressing production challenges and identifying opportunities for quality improvement.

Required Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in art, Film, Communications, or a related field.

  • Solid experience with photo-real CG content creation workflow in games, film or other entertainment industries.

  • 5+ years of hands-on experience in 3D computer graphics (3D animation).

  • Familiarity with character animation workflow such as blendshapes, rigging and simulation (hair, garment).

  • Familiarity with 3DCG platforms like Maya, Unreal Engine, and/or Blender.

  • Familiarity with shader development, material creation and rendering.

  • Excellent analytic and communication skills.

  • Authorization to work in the USA.

Preferred Qualifications:
  • M.S. degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or related fields.

  • Research and development skills, including the ability to stay updated on emerging technologies and techniques in computer graphics.

  • Hands-on experience in 3D human modeling of geometry & texture.

  • Familiarity with Unity and/or Marmoset

  • Familiarity with scripting languages such as Python or MEL scripting.

Benefits
SCA offers benefits-eligible fixed-term employees (who are scheduled to work 30 or more hours a week) certain benefits under the Sony Corporation of America Health and Welfare Benefits Plan. The following options are available to you and your eligible dependents.
What we offer you:
  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage with coverage for spouses/domestic partners and child dependents
  • Long Term Care: A voluntary Long-Term Care (LTC) benefit with a life insurance component is offered during a separate new hire LTC enrollment window. This window occurs once a year for all new employees.

Other Programs:
  • Flexible Work Arrangements, including remote and hybrid work schedules
  • Time off to include vacation, paid holidays, sick leave, Summer Fridays (early release), and a winter break between Christmas and New Year's Day (based on business needs)
  • A wide variety of employee business resource groups (EBRGs)

The anticipated annual base salary for this position is $140,000 to $155,000. This range does not include any other compensation components or other benefits that an individual may be eligible for. The actual base salary offered depends on a variety of factors, which may include as applicable, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, specific and unique skills, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.
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All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation.
Disability Accommodation for Applicants to Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America provides reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in job application procedures. For reasonable accommodation requests, please contact us by email at careers@sonyusa.com or by mail to: Sony Corporation of America, People Experience Department, 25 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Please indicate the position you are applying for.
We are aware that unauthorized individuals or organizations may attempt to solicit personal information or payments from job applicants by impersonating our company through fraudulent job postings. We take these matters seriously but cannot control third-party websites. To protect your personal information, please verify that any job posting you respond to also appears on our official Careers page: www.sonyjobs.com. Please also be advised that we never request personal identifying information (such as Social Security numbers, bank details, or copies of identification documents) during the initial stages of our application process. If you have any doubts about the authenticity of a job posting or communication, please contact careers@sonyusa.com before submitting any information.
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