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Animation Design Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Epic Games

Animation Systems Programmer

Larkspur, CA · On-site

$167K - $245K/yr

You will be responsible for developing, enhancing, optimizing, and maintaining the core animation systems and will work closely with Animation, Design, and Engineering colleagues to ensure ...

2K

Expert Animator

San Mateo, CA

$123K - $182K/yr

In this role, you'll partner closely with animation, design, and engineering teams to create and implement high-quality keyframe animation for both human and non-human characters, bringing them to ...

31st Union

Expert Animator

San Mateo, CA

$123K - $182K/yr

In this role, you'll partner closely with animation, design, and engineering teams to create and implement high-quality keyframe animation for both human and non-human characters, bringing them to ...

2K

Expert Animator

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$123K - $182K/yr

In this role, you'll partner closely with animation, design, and engineering teams to create and implement high-quality keyframe animation for both human and non-human characters, bringing them to ...

31st Union

Expert Animator

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$123K - $182K/yr

In this role, you'll partner closely with animation, design, and engineering teams to create and implement high-quality keyframe animation for both human and non-human characters, bringing them to ...

Collabera

Production Artist/ Animator

Irvine, CA

Solid understanding of pose-driven animation design Qualifications Basic Qualifications:- * Experience animating creatures (demons, ghosts, animal type creatures) * Comfortable animating human or at ...

2K

Senior Technical Animation Designer

San Mateo, CA

$108K - $161K/yr

This role is focused on technical animation, but will also work with design and engineering teams to translate needs across those subject areas. Who You Are: * Collaborate closely with teams across ...

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All JobsAnimation Design JobsAnimation Design Jobs in California

Animation Design information

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How much do animation design jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 2, 2026, the average hourly pay for animation design in California is $38.89, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $21.59 and $63.12 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the job of an animation designer?

An animation designer creates visual sequences and motion graphics for various media, including films, video games, and advertisements. They use tools like Adobe After Effects, Maya, or Blender and often collaborate with other creative professionals to develop engaging animated content. Strong artistic skills, knowledge of animation principles, and proficiency with animation software are essential for this role.

What jobs can you do with animation?

With a background in animation design, you can pursue roles such as 2D or 3D animator, motion graphics artist, character designer, storyboard artist, or visual effects artist. These jobs often require proficiency in software like Adobe After Effects, Maya, or Blender and may involve working in film, television, advertising, gaming, or online media industries.

How much does an animation designer make?

Animation designers typically earn a median annual salary of around $60,000 to $80,000, depending on experience, location, and skill level. Entry-level positions may start lower, while experienced designers with advanced skills in software like Adobe After Effects or Maya can earn higher salaries, especially in competitive markets.

What is the difference between Animation Design vs Motion Graphics Design?

AspectAnimation DesignMotion Graphics Design
CredentialsTypically requires a degree in animation, graphic design, or related fieldsOften requires similar credentials, with emphasis on graphic design and digital media
Work EnvironmentWorks in animation studios, film, gaming, or advertisingWorks in advertising agencies, media companies, or digital marketing
Industry UsageUsed for character animation, storytelling, and 3D animationUsed for branding, promotional videos, and visual effects

Animation Design focuses on creating animated content, including characters and storytelling, often in 3D or traditional animation. Motion Graphics Design emphasizes animated graphic elements for branding, advertising, and digital media. While both roles involve animation skills and similar credentials, their applications and industries differ, making each specialized for distinct creative outputs.

How does an animation designer typically collaborate with other departments during a project?

Animation designers often work closely with a variety of teams, including scriptwriters, storyboard artists, voice actors, and software developers. Effective communication and regular feedback loops are essential, as animation designers need to ensure their visuals align with the narrative and technical requirements. Collaboration may involve attending cross-functional meetings, sharing progress updates, and revising work based on input from directors or marketing teams. This teamwork approach helps ensure the final animation meets both creative and business objectives.

Does Disney still hire 2D animators?

Disney continues to hire 2D animators for certain projects, especially in legacy animation and specialized productions. However, the company has shifted focus toward 3D animation and digital techniques, so opportunities for 2D animation roles are more limited than in the past.

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

To thrive as an Animation Designer, you need a solid foundation in visual storytelling, drawing, and animation principles, often supported by a degree in animation, graphic design, or a related field. Mastery of industry-standard software such as Adobe After Effects, Autodesk Maya, or Toon Boom Harmony, along with a strong portfolio, is typically required. Creativity, attention to detail, and effective collaboration are crucial soft skills for delivering engaging animations and working with diverse teams. These skills ensure the creation of compelling, high-quality animations that meet client needs and industry standards.

What is animation design?

Animation design is the process of creating visual sequences that give the illusion of movement, often for use in films, television, video games, advertisements, or online content. Animation designers use various techniques, including 2D, 3D, stop-motion, and computer-generated imagery, to bring stories and ideas to life. The role involves storyboarding, drawing, modeling, texturing, and animating characters or objects. Animation designers often collaborate with writers, directors, and other artists to achieve a cohesive visual narrative. Creativity, technical skill, and attention to detail are essential traits for success in this field.
What are the most commonly searched types of Animation Design jobs in California? The most popular types of Animation Design jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Animation Design jobs in California? For Animation Design jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Animation Design jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Animation Design jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Animation Design jobs? Cities in California with the most Animation Design job openings:
Animation Design jobs near you
Infographic showing various Animation Design job openings in California as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 58% Full Time, 38% Part Time, and 4% Temporary. Highlights an 86% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $80,900 per year, or $38.9 per hour.
Animation Systems Programmer

Animation Systems Programmer

Epic Games

Larkspur, CA • On-site

$167K - $245K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 6 days ago

Job description

WHAT MAKES US EPIC?
At the core of Epic's success are talented, passionate people. Epic prides itself on creating a collaborative, welcoming, and creative environment. Whether it's building award-winning games or crafting engine technology that enables others to make visually stunning interactive experiences, we're always innovating.
Being Epic means being a part of a team that continually strives to do right by our community and users. We're constantly innovating to raise the bar of engine and game development.
ENGINEERING - SPECIAL PROJECTS
What We Do
The Special Projects team at Epic is responsible for executing high-impact projects that push the envelope to define the future of real-time graphics and gaming technology (The Matrix Awakens, Lumen in the Land of Nanite). In collaboration with the Unreal Engine team, we strive to put our technology and knowledge into the hands of users, empowering developers and content creators with the most powerful suite of real-time tools in the world.
What You'll Do
Epic Games is looking for an experienced Animation Systems Programmer for our Special Projects team. As a member of our team, you will play a critical role in driving future projects that push boundaries, explore new technology, and help define the future of Unreal Engine. You will be responsible for developing, enhancing, optimizing, and maintaining the core animation systems and will work closely with Animation, Design, and Engineering colleagues to ensure characterful and entertaining animation that is efficient and performant. You will also help identify potential issues and deploy correct solutions, using your technical knowledge to help bridge and facilitate communication between the animation team and other departments.
In this role, you will
  • Architect, implement, and maintain core animation systems used across the Special Projects team
  • Work closely with other engineers, animators, technical animators, product designers, leads and external technology partners across multiple teams and time zones
  • Write technical documentation and designs
  • Conduct exploratory research to pioneer and develop innovative animation systems and techniques that push the boundaries of what is possible in real-time production
What we're looking for
  • Extensive experience writing C++ applications
  • Excellent linear algebra skills and applications of linear algebra in software
  • Experience with rigging systems, animation state machines, low-level animation systems, physics-based, procedural, and/or IK animation systems
  • Experience with multi-threaded programming and system tasks such as graphics, audio, I/O, networking, memory handling, debuggers, etc.
  • Experience with application-level programming, such as script compilers and user-facing tools
  • Strong artistic intuition and an eye for quality animation; as technical tooling becomes more advanced, you prioritize the visual "feel" of the animation to ensure it meets the highest standards
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, self-motivated, and able to work independently
  • Creativity in problem-solving and the ability to think outside of the established solutions
  • Knowledge of ML/AI and its potential applications
  • Someone who is user-focused, passionate, solutions-focused, and innovative. These traits equal success at Epic and influence everything we do
EPIC JOB + EPIC BENEFITS = EPIC LIFE
Our intent is to cover all things that are medically necessary and improve the quality of life. We pay 100% of the premiums for both you and your dependents. Our coverage includes Medical, Dental, a Vision HRA, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance & a 401k with competitive match. We also offer a robust mental well-being program through Modern Health, which provides free therapy and coaching for employees & dependents. Throughout the year we celebrate our employees with events and company-wide paid breaks. We offer unlimited PTO and sick time and recognize individuals for 7 years of employment with a paid sabbatical.
California Base Pay Range
$167,399-$245,519 USD
ABOUT US
Epic Games is a leading interactive entertainment company. For over 30 years we've been making award-winning games and engine technology that empowers others to make visually stunning games and 3D content that bring environments to life like never before. Epic's award-winning Unreal Engine technology not only provides game developers the ability to build high-fidelity, interactive experiences for PC, console, mobile, and VR, it is also a tool being embraced by content creators across a variety of industries such as media and entertainment, automotive, and architectural design. As we continue to build our Engine technology and develop remarkable games, we strive to build teams of world-class talent.
Like what you hear? Come be a part of something Epic!
Epic Games deeply values diverse teams and an inclusive work culture, and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. Learn more about our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy here.
Note to Recruitment Agencies: Epic does not accept any unsolicited resumes or approaches from any unauthorized third party (including recruitment or placement agencies) (i.e., a third party with whom we do not have a negotiated and validly executed agreement). We will not pay any fees to any unauthorized third party. Further details on these matters can be found here.

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