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Animation Artist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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Animator IV

Reno, NV · On-site +1

$105K - $120K/yr

Partner with cross-functional teams to define animation strategies, artistic direction, and final animation assets that align with gameplay and narrative goals. * Spearhead the creation of ...

Youth Beat

Multimedia Teaching Artist

Oakland, CA · On-site

$30 - $40/hr

We provide hands-on experience in video, journalism, filmmaking, photography, design, and animation ... Our team of teaching artists, educators, and producers lead after-school and summer programs at ...

Epic Games

Technical Designer in Animation

Cary, NC · On-site

ART What We Do Push your artistic talent to the limit on a team of world-class environment ... Build animation behavior tools, techniques, and frameworks that enable complex systems and ...

Prisms VR

3D Artist (Remote)

San Francisco, CA · Remote

$110K - $140K/yr

As a 3D Artist, you will craft characters, environments, and educational 3D motion graphic animations for virtual reality. The ideal candidate should know and enjoy every aspect of the 3D content ...

Youth Beat

Multimedia Teaching Artist

Oakland, CA · On-site

We provide hands-on experience in video, journalism, filmmaking, photography, design, and animation ... Our team of teaching artists, educators, and producers lead after-school and summer programs at ...

Youth Beat

Multimedia Teaching Artist

Oakland, CA

We provide hands-on experience in video, journalism, filmmaking, photography, design, and animation ... Our team of teaching artists, educators, and producers lead after-school and summer programs at ...

Salt Lake Community College

Adjunct, Animation

UT · On-site

Visual Arts & Design Opening Date: 07/15/2025 Closing Date: 7/31/2026 11:59 PM Mountain FLSA ... Job Summary The Animation adjunct faculty member will work with full-time faculty, under general ...

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 ...

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How much do animation artist jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 21, 2026, the average hourly pay for animation artist in the United States is $29.11, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $24.76 and $32.93 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an Animation Artist do?

An Animation Artist creates visual sequences for films, television, video games, and other media by designing characters, backgrounds, and special effects that bring stories to life. They use both traditional drawing techniques and computer software to produce animated images. Animation Artists often work closely with directors, writers, and other artists to ensure their work matches the creative vision of a project. Their role can include storyboarding, creating models, rigging, and adding motion to characters and environments.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Animation Artist, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Animation Artist, you need strong drawing abilities, a solid understanding of animation principles, and typically a degree in animation or a related field. Proficiency in industry-standard software such as Adobe After Effects, Autodesk Maya, or Toon Boom Harmony is commonly required. Creativity, attention to detail, and effective collaboration skills are crucial soft skills for standing out in this role. These competencies ensure the production of visually compelling animations that meet project goals and resonate with audiences.

What are some common challenges Animation Artists face when working on collaborative projects?

Animation Artists often collaborate with writers, directors, and other artists, which can sometimes lead to challenges such as aligning creative visions and meeting tight deadlines. Balancing feedback from multiple stakeholders while maintaining consistency in animation style is a key aspect of the role. Additionally, adapting to rapidly changing project requirements and new software tools is common, so strong communication skills and flexibility are essential. Despite these challenges, working collaboratively can also lead to creative growth and valuable learning experiences.

Is animator a high paying job?

Animation artists can earn competitive salaries, especially with experience, specialized skills, and a strong portfolio. Entry-level positions tend to pay less, but experienced animators working in film, gaming, or advertising can earn higher wages, often supplemented by freelance work or advanced certifications.

Does Disney still hire 2D animators?

Disney continues to hire 2D animators for certain projects, especially in legacy animation and specialized roles, though the company primarily focuses on 3D animation for most productions. Skilled 2D animators with proficiency in traditional techniques and software like Toon Boom or Adobe Animate remain valuable for specific tasks and training roles.

What jobs can I get with animation?

Animation artists can pursue roles such as 2D or 3D animator, character designer, storyboard artist, visual effects artist, or motion graphics designer. These jobs are common in industries like film, television, video game development, advertising, and digital media, often requiring proficiency in tools like Adobe After Effects, Maya, or Blender.

What jobs can I do with animation?

An animation artist can work in various roles such as 2D or 3D animator, character designer, storyboard artist, motion graphics designer, or visual effects artist. These jobs are common in industries like film, television, video game development, advertising, and digital media, often requiring proficiency in tools like Adobe After Effects, Maya, or Blender.
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Animation Artist jobs near you
Infographic showing various Animation Artist job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 63% Full Time, 29% Part Time, 3% Temporary, 4% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 68% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 28% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $60,546 per year, or $29.1 per hour.

Character Technical Artist

Absurd Ventures

Santa Monica, CA

$130K - $165K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 2 hours ago

Job description

Summary
We are seeking a skilled Character Technical Artist to join our team and support the development of high-quality, performant characters for an all-new IP. This role sits at the intersection of art, animation, and engineering, ensuring that character assets are built, optimized, and implemented to the highest technical standards.


As a Character Technical Artist at Absurd Ventures, you will collaborate closely with Character Artists, Riggers, Animators, and Engineers to develop and maintain character pipelines, solve complex technical challenges, and help push the visual fidelity and performance of our characters in Unreal Engine.

Core Responsibilities 

  • Partner with Character Artists to ensure character models meet technical, performance, and pipeline requirements.
  • Support and maintain character pipelines spanning modeling, rigging, skinning, deformation, and engine implementation.
  • Diagnose and resolve character-related technical issues, including geometry, skinning, deformation, LODs, and performance constraints.
  • Collaborate closely with rigging and animation to ensure characters are animation-ready and behave correctly in-game.
  • Implement and validate characters in Unreal Engine, ensuring correct setup for materials, LODs, cloth, and physics.
  • Develop tools, scripts, and workflows to improve efficiency and consistency in character production.
  • Create and maintain technical documentation for character pipelines, workflows, and best practices.
  • Proactively identify risks related to character production, performance, or pipeline bottlenecks and communicate them clearly to Production and leadership.
  • Provide technical guidance and mentorship to Character Artists and other content creators.

Core Qualifications

  • 5+ years of experience as a Character Technical Artist, Technical Artist, or similar role in the video game industry. Experience supporting character pipelines on at least one shipped AAA title.
  • Experience with character rigging, facial rigs, or motion systems.
  • Strong understanding of character modeling, topology, UVs, skinning, and deformation principles.
  • Significant experience working in Unreal Engine (preferably UE5), including character setup, LODs, physics, Control Rig and optimization.
  • Proficiency with industry-standard tools such as Maya and familiarity with Motion Builder, ZBrush and Substance Painter.
  • Solid scripting or tool development experience (Python, MEL, Blueprint, or similar).
  • Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to debug complex, cross-disciplinary issues.
  • Excellent communication skills and a collaborative mindset. 

Plus if...

  • Familiarity with cloth, hair, or physics simulation workflows in Unreal Engine.
  • Experience with performance profiling and optimization on console hardware.
  • Previous experience establishing or evolving character pipelines on a large production.
  • Familiarity with proprietary or custom engine pipelines.

Description

  • Full-time job with benefits.
  • Role is on-site in Santa Monica, CA.
  • Office is located near downtown Santa Monica - near metro and freeways.

The base pay range for this position is $130,000 to $165,000 per year. Actual compensation is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. We also offer a competitive package of benefits including paid time off, sick time, company holidays, parental leave, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.


About Absurd Ventures
Absurd Ventures is a media company creating new IP across all platforms and for all formats. Absurd Ventures is building narrative worlds, creating characters, and writing stories for a variety of genres, without regard to medium, to be produced for live-action and animation; video games and other interactive content; books, graphic novels, and scripted podcasts.

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