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Animation Character Design Jobs in Wisconsin (NOW HIRING)

Animation Character Design information

See Wisconsin salary details

$8

$28

$64

How much do animation character design jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 16, 2026, the average hourly pay for animation character design in Wisconsin is $28.52, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $18.00 and $35.12 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by animation character designers, and how are they usually addressed on the job?

Animation character designers often face the challenge of balancing creative vision with the specific requirements of a production, such as style consistency and technical limitations. Designers regularly collaborate and communicate with directors, animators, and other team members to refine characters based on feedback and evolving project needs. Tight deadlines and frequent revisions are typical in this role, making adaptability and problem-solving skills highly valuable. Many studios foster open feedback loops and provide resources for skill development to help designers address these challenges and succeed in their roles.

What is an Animation Character Design job?

An Animation Character Design job involves creating the visual look, personality, and style of characters for animated films, TV shows, games, or commercials. Character designers develop concept art, model sheets, and expressive poses to ensure consistency and appeal. They work closely with animators, directors, and writers to bring characters to life while maintaining the project's artistic vision. Strong drawing skills, creativity, and knowledge of anatomy and storytelling are essential in this role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Animation Character Design position, and why are they important?

To thrive in Animation Character Design, you need strong drawing abilities, a solid understanding of anatomy and movement, and a portfolio demonstrating creativity and storytelling through visuals. Proficiency with design software such as Adobe Creative Suite and Toon Boom Harmony, as well as knowledge of 3D modeling tools, is often essential. Strong communication, flexibility, and collaboration skills help artists respond effectively to feedback and work well in team-oriented environments. These skills ensure characters are visually compelling, fit project requirements, and resonate with audiences, contributing to a project's overall success.

What are popular job titles related to Animation Character Design jobs in Wisconsin? For Animation Character Design jobs in Wisconsin, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Animation Character Design jobs in Wisconsin look for? The top searched job categories for Animation Character Design jobs in Wisconsin are:
Senior Technical Animator - Character Rigging (Apex Legends)

Senior Technical Animator - Character Rigging (Apex Legends)

Electronic Arts Inc.

Madison, WI • On-site

$143K - $217K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 16 days ago


Job description

General Information
Locations: Vancouver - Great Northern Way, British Columbia, Canada
  • Location: Los Angeles - Chatsworth
  • State: California
  • Country: United States of America

  • Location: Madison
  • State: Wisconsin
  • Country: United States of America

Role ID
213475
Worker Type
Regular Employee
Studio/Department
EA Studios - Respawn
Work Model
Hybrid
Description & Requirements
Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.
Founded in 2010 by the original creators of the Call of Duty Franchise, Respawn was created with the philosophy that when talented people have creative freedom, they'll make extraordinary games that achieve the unexpected. From our roots as an indie studio to joining the expansive roster of studios at Electronic Arts, this remains our guiding principle. We truly love what we do and want to share our passion with players worldwide.
Our shipped titles include critically acclaimed multi-platform games Apex Legends, Titanfall, Titanfall 2, Star Wars™ Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars™ Jedi: Survivor and Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. Join us for the opportunity to create groundbreaking games with some of the best developer talent in the industry.
We're looking for an accomplished Senior Technical Animator - Character Rigging R&D who will embrace our philosophy and share their hard-earned expertise to provide support to our Apex Legends Animation and Character teams. As a Senior Technical Animator, you will play a key role in empowering other developers by working closely with the Tech Anim, Character Art and Animation Departments. If this sounds like you, we're eager to chat!
What you'll do
  • Reporting to the Lead Technical Animator, you will be responsible for developing character rigs, scripting tools and supporting artist workflows.
  • Pioneer and develop solutions for emerging character workflows across the current area of responsibility.
  • Work directly with relevant contributors and department heads to develop our DCC and runtime tools for our animation and character pipelines in Maya and Source Engine.
  • Partner with Tech, Anim and Character Art to implement solutions that are robust, performant and scalable.
  • Provide troubleshooting support to the relevant Art and Animation Teams, primarily for rigs and tools in Maya and integrating assets in engine.

Ideally, you'll have
  • 5+ years' game industry experience working on the technical side of Art/Animation for games.
  • Strong communication skills. We'll be relying on you to understand the needs of your peers while being able to communicate your own.
  • The ability to give and receive feedback in a constructive, timely, and professional manner.
  • Experience rigging and skinning characters, mechanical setups and creatures in Maya.
  • Experience with live service content workflows, character personalization, skins, etc.
  • Experience with real time deformation and physics setups in a game engine.
  • Experience in writing Artist/Animator facing tools for relevant software (Python/PySide).
  • Experience working with both keyframe animation and motion capture data.
  • Experience contributing to a FACS based facial animation pipeline is a plus.
  • Experience on 1 or more shipped titles, ideally in the FPS genre.

If this opportunity sounds like a great fit for you, please submit your resume and we will get back to you once we have reviewed it.
In addition to opportunities for creative impact and professional growth which come with being a member of our team, working at Respawn has many other perks and benefits! Learn more at respawn.com/perks.
Pay Transparency - North America
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The ranges listed below are what EA in good faith expects to pay applicants for this role in these locations at the time of this posting. If you reside in a different location, a recruiter will advise on the applicable range and benefits. Pay offered will be determined based on a number of relevant business and candidate factors (e.g. education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, or business needs).
PAY RANGES
* British Columbia (depending on location e.g. Vancouver vs. Victoria) *$122,300 - $170,700 CAD
* California (depending on location e.g. Los Angeles vs. San Francisco) *$143,800 - $217,200 USD
Pay is just one part of the overall compensation at EA.
In the US, we offer a package of benefits including paid time off (3 weeks per year to start), 80 hours per year of sick time, 16 paid company holidays per year, 10 weeks paid time off to bond with baby, 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.
For Canada, we offer a package of benefits including vacation (3 weeks per year to start), 10 days per year of sick time, paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when you welcome a new child (12 weeks for maternity, and 4 weeks for parental/adoption leave), extended health/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.
About Electronic Arts
We're proud to have an extensive portfolio of games and experiences, locations around the world, and opportunities across EA. We value adaptability, resilience, creativity, and curiosity. From leadership that brings out your potential, to creating space for learning and experimenting, we empower you to do great work and pursue opportunities for growth.
We adopt a holistic approach to our benefits programs, emphasizing physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support a balanced life. Our packages are tailored to meet local needs and may include healthcare coverage, mental well-being support, retirement savings, paid time off, family leaves, complimentary games, and more. We nurture environments where our teams can always bring their best to what they do.
Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.