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Animation Design Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

SOM

Design Architect

Washington, DC

Leads design documentation including but not limited to drawings, sketches, physical models, renderings, and animations for regular internal and external meetings and milestone deliverables. * Design ...

Leidos

Senior 2D and 3D Graphic Designer

Alexandria, VA

$82K - $149K/yr

Design and develop 2D and 3D visual assets including graphics, animations, infographics, and data visualizations. * Create compelling visual content for executive briefings, dashboards, training ...

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Animation Design information

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$44

$79

How much do animation design jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 11, 2026, the average hourly pay for animation design in Washington is $44.64, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $24.76 and $72.40 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.

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.

What careers can you do with animation?

Animation design skills can lead to careers such as 2D or 3D animator, character designer, motion graphics artist, visual effects artist, or storyboard artist. These roles 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. A strong portfolio and understanding of storytelling, timing, and software are essential for these careers.

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 and specialized animation departments. 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 popular job titles related to Animation Design jobs in Washington? For Animation Design jobs in Washington, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Animation Design jobs in Washington look for? The top searched job categories for Animation Design jobs in Washington are:
Animation Design jobs near you
Graphic Design Intern - 2025 - 2026 Season

Graphic Design Intern - 2025 - 2026 Season

M.C. Dean, Inc

Tysons, VA • On-site

$15.25 - $20.25/hr

Full-time

Posted 24 days ago

M.C. Dean rating

7.5

Company rating: 7.5 out of 10

Based on 42 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

220th of 352 rated engineering

Job description

Overview
About M.C. Dean
M.C. Dean is Building Intelligence™. We design, build, operate, and maintain cyber-physical solutions for the nation's most mission-critical facilities, secure environments, complex infrastructure, and global enterprises. With over 7,000 employees, our capabilities span electrical, electronic security, telecommunications, life safety, automation and controls, audiovisual, and IT systems. Headquarters in Tysons, Virginia, M.C. Dean delivers resilient, secure, and innovative power and technology solutions through engineering expertise and smart systems integration.
Why Join Us?
Our people are passionate about engineering innovation that improves lives and drives impactful change. Guided by our core values-agility, expertise, and trust-we foster a collaborative and forward-thinking work environment. At M.C. Dean, we are committed to building the next generation of technical leaders in electrical, engineering, and cybersecurity industries.
M.C. Dean is seeking graphic design/Multimedia interns to support our Marketing & Communications department. These paid positions offer an exciting opportunity for candidates to gain cross-disciplinary experience in support of strategic marketing and market intelligence, branding, web development, social media, internal communications and corporate social responsibility within a dynamic team.
Responsibilities
Required Skills / Qualifications
  • Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign)
  • Experience with multimedia editing tools such as Premiere Pro, Lightroom, and Audition
  • Proficiency in Camera Skills and a basic understanding of photo editing and composition
  • Understanding of Lighting, Audio Mixing
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel)
  • Demonstrate creativity and technical skills in all aspects of graphic design including concepts, typography, imagery, color and layout
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment; able to prioritize jobs/assignments
  • Ability to work independently and function effectively as a member of a team
  • Possess analytical thinking and creative problem-solving skills
  • High level of spoken and written communication skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Strong organizational skills
  • An eagerness to learn fast, work hard, and produce quality work
  • Demonstrate ability to work under tight deadlines
  • Availability to work full time (40 hours/week) during the summer
  • Willingness to travel to project sites and participate in capturing video and photo content

Other Preferred Experience
  • Familiarity with SharePoint, WordPress and content management systems
  • Basic HTML and CSS experience
  • Multimedia Basics including photography and videography
  • Familiarity in Adobe XD and Adobe Express
  • Basic experience with video shooting, editing, and storytelling
  • Familiarity with After Effects or similar tools for animation and visual effects.
  • Basic understanding of visual identity and the ability to align designs with brand guidelines

Qualifications
Education / Experience
  • Currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program in Graphic Design or equivalent
  • Taken courses in advanced Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign techniques

Abilities
  • Exposure to computer screens for an extended period of time.
  • Sitting for extended periods of time.
  • Reach by extending hands or arms in any direction.
  • Have finger dexterity in order to manipulate objects with fingers rather than whole hands or arms, for example, using a keyboard.
  • Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Identify and understand the speech of another person.

What M.C. Dean employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom

M.C. Dean logo

About M.C. Dean

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

M.C. Dean is Building Intelligence®. We design, build, operate, and maintain cyber-physical solutions for the nation's most recognizable mission-critical facilities, secure environments, complex infrastructure, and global enterprises. The company's capabilities include electrical, electronic security, telecommunications, life-safety, instrumentation and control, and command and control systems. M.C. Dean is headquartered in Tysons, Virginia, and employs more than 5,100 professionals who engineer and deploy automated, secure, and resilient power and technology systems; and deliver the management platforms essential for long-term system sustainability.

Industry

Engineering professional services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Tysons, VA, US

Year founded

1949

Social media

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