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3D Character Animation Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Socket.dev

$189K - $315K/yr

As a TDiA, you will use your animation sense and technical understanding of character animation to ... and 3D content that bring environments to life like never before. Epic\'s award-winning Unreal ...

Trov

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 ...

Epic Games

Senior Technical Designer in Animation

Cary, NC · On-site

$98K - $112K/yr

As a TDiA, you will use your animation sense and technical understanding of character animation to ... and 3D content that bring environments to life like never before. Epic's award-winning Unreal ...

HumanitApp

$60 - $90/hr

To get the evaluation right, we are bringing in senior character animators to help define what ... 3D artists. Layout, previsualization, environment and effects work will not qualify on their own.

aitrainer

Core Qualifications * 4+ years as a hands-on character animator, with human or character ... 3D artists. Layout, previsualization, environment and effects work will not qualify on their own.

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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 Sep 10, 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 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 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.

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Cities with the most 3D Character Animation job openings:

What states have the most 3D Character Animation jobs?

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3d Character Animation jobs near you
Infographic showing various 3D Character Animation job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 86% Full Time, 12% Part Time, and 1% Temporary. Highlights an 97% Physical, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $63,866 per year, or $30.7 per hour.

Senior Software Engineer, Avatar Animation

San Mateo, CA • On-site

Roblox
Software Development • 51 - 200 employees
Learn more about Robloxexternal

$242K - $293K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 26 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Help develop experiences that push the quality of avatar animation on the platform.

  • Analyze existing animation technology and tools to identify improvements needed to meet project objectives.

  • Collaborate with gameplay engineers and content teams to implement and improve animation features and solutions.

Job description

Every day, tens of millions of people come to Roblox to explore, create, play, learn, and connect with friends in 3D immersive digital experiences- all created by our global community of developers and creators.
At Roblox, we're building the tools and platform that empower our community to bring any experience that they can imagine to life. Our vision is to reimagine the way people come together, from anywhere in the world, and on any device.We're on a mission to connect a billion people with optimism and civility, and looking for amazing talent to help us get there.
A career at Roblox means you'll be working to shape the future of human interaction, solving unique technical challenges at scale, and helping to create safer, more civil shared experiences for everyone.
As Senior Software Engineer on the Avatar Animation team, you will leverage the Roblox game engine and tools to build groundbreaking experiences that push the boundaries of what is possible on the platform. Your efforts will not only help create amazing content, but more importantly, will help us highlight issues, improve and extend our animation tech, tools and pipeline for all developers. These efforts will enable our game developers to create engaging and delightful experiences for our millions of players.
We are looking for a software engineer who is passionate about animation and world class user experiences including both usability and performance. You need to be proficient in C++ and have experience working on animation systems and tools. Prior experience with animation for games / interactive experiences is a huge plus.
You Will:
  • Help develop experiences that push the quality bar beyond what was previously thought possible on the platform
  • Analyze existing animation tech and tools and determine what is needed to meet a project's objectives
  • Author documentation on issues, improvements and feature requests for all aspects of character animation tech on Roblox
  • Work closely with gameplay engineers to implement gameplay interactions using animation tech
  • Implement innovative solutions to feature requests and collaborate with the Roblox avatar animation team on larger features
  • Have fun working with our internal content teams and community developers to improve the overall state of animation on Roblox
You Have:
  • 8+ years of experience for with knowledge of character animation, game engines and tools
  • Proficiency in C++: Strong C++ programming skills with an ability to write high quality, performant code; experience with Lua is a plus
  • Passion about interactive: You are driven to build amazing experiences with great animations for users on the platform
  • Foundation oriented mindset: You believe that strong 3D math skills and a well thought out code architecture are important
  • Performance focus: You embrace software performance considerations, with an ability to implement performant solutions for platforms including mobile
  • Personally Motivated: Self-sufficient, self-organized and able to take ownership of a project throughout its full lifecycle
  • A Team player mentality: Ability to work closely with and inspire the rest of your team while displaying excellent interpersonal and communication skills

For roles that are based at our headquarters in San Mateo, CA: The starting base pay for this position is as shown below. The actual base pay is dependent upon a variety of job-related factors such as professional background, training, work experience, location, business needs and market demand. Therefore, in some circumstances, the actual salary could fall outside of this expected range. This pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. All full-time employees are also eligible for equity compensation and for benefits as described on this page.
Annual Salary Range
$242,100-$293,800 USD
Roles that are based in an office are onsite Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with optional presence on Monday and Friday (unless otherwise noted).
Roblox provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Roblox also provides reasonable accommodations to candidates with qualifying disabilities or religious beliefs during the recruiting process.
For US based roles only, please note the Company may not be able to employ candidates for this role who have United States work authorization related to certain U.S. visa categories, or support future H-1B sponsorship at this time.

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