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Animation Design Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Luci

Junior Graphic Designer

Lincolnwood, IL · On-site

$55K - $65K/yr

Interest in experience design and environmental graphics (signage, wayfinding, large-format storytelling). * Basic motion tools (After Effects) or strong animation instincts in PowerPoint.

powercon

VDC Engineer

Chicago, IL

$65K - $100K/yr

Design and produce videos, animations, 2D & 3D graphics for interview presentations surrounding job pursuits, advertising, booklet materials, other marketing purposes * Estimating support doing ...

powercon

VDC Engineer

Chicago, IL

$65K - $100K/yr

Design and produce videos, animations, 2D & 3D graphics for interview presentations surrounding job pursuits, advertising, booklet materials, other marketing purposes * Estimating support doing ...

Thinkingbox

Senior Motion Designer - The Heist

Chicago, IL · On-site +1

$85K - $95K/yr

Who We Are Hi! We're The Heist, the motion design, live action, and post production studio within Thinkingbox, the Brief-to-Built agency. We bring together directors, designers, animators, editors ...

Thinkingbox

Senior Motion Designer - The Heist

Chicago, IL · On-site +1

$85K - $95K/yr

Who We Are Hi! We're The Heist, the motion design, live action, and post production studio within Thinkingbox, the Brief-to-Built agency. We bring together directors, designers, animators, editors ...

IGT

Art Lead

Chicago, IL

$90K - $110K/yr

Two to three years of experience in 2D illustration, graphic design, animation, 3D art, or generalist art production. * A strong 2D and/or 3D portfolio demonstrating versatility, attention to detail ...

New

Progressive Gaming

Art Lead

Chicago, IL

$90K - $110K/yr

Two to three years of experience in 2D illustration, graphic design, animation, 3D art, or generalist art production. * A strong 2D and/or 3D portfolio demonstrating versatility, attention to detail ...

New

Power Construction

VDC Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$65K - $100K/yr

Design and produce videos, animations, 2D & 3D graphics for interview presentations surrounding job pursuits, advertising, booklet materials, other marketing purposes * Estimating support doing ...

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All JobsAnimation Design JobsAnimation Design Jobs in Chicago, IL

Animation Design information

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How much do animation design jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 2, 2026, the average hourly pay for animation design in Chicago, IL is $40.60, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $22.55 and $65.87 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 Chicago, IL? The most popular types of Animation Design jobs in Chicago, IL are:
What are popular job titles related to Animation Design jobs in Chicago, IL? For Animation Design jobs in Chicago, IL, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Animation Design jobs in Chicago, IL look for? The top searched job categories for Animation Design jobs in Chicago, IL are:
Animation Design jobs near you
Infographic showing various Animation Design job openings in Chicago, IL as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 11% As Needed, 50% Full Time, 18% Part Time, 2% Temporary, 3% Contract, and 16% Nights. Highlights an 73% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 23% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $84,445 per year, or $40.6 per hour.

Computational Designer

USA Thornton Tomasetti, Inc.

Chicago, IL

$85K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted yesterday

Job description

Thornton Tomasetti applies engineering and scientific principles to solve the world's challenges. An independent organization of creative thinkers and innovative doers collaborating from offices worldwide, our mission is to bring our clients' ideas to life and, in the process, lay the groundwork for a better, more resilient future. We provide support and opportunities to our employees to achieve their full potential and cultivate a rewarding career.
Your Role
As a Computational Designer & Visualization Specialist in our Chicago office, you will work at the intersection of structural engineering, computational design, and digital storytelling. You'll help translate complex structural systems into clear, compelling visual narratives that support design, communication, and project delivery.
Working closely with engineers, designers, and VDC teams, you'll contribute to parametric workflows, visualization strategies, and next-generation digital delivery methods. Your work will span diagrams, parametric models, animations, and real-time content-bridging technical engineering concepts with engaging visual communication.
This role is ideal for someone with a background in architecture, digital design, or computational workflows who is excited to apply creative and technical skills in a highly collaborative, engineering-focused environment.
What You'll Do
  • Support computational design, VDC, and digital modeling workflows across structural engineering projects
  • Develop and manage parametric models and workflows using Rhino and Grasshopper
  • Create diagrams, graphics, animations, and video content for internal and client-facing deliverables
  • Translate complex structural systems and construction sequences into clear visual narratives
  • Contribute to workflow development, scripting, and automation to improve modeling and visualization processes
  • Build interoperable models that connect across analysis, BIM, and visualization platforms
  • Support 4D visualization and construction sequencing workflows using timeline-driven approaches
  • Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to advance digital project delivery and communication strategies

What You'll Bring
  • Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, Computational Design, Digital Design, or a related field
  • 0-3 years of experience in the AEC or digital design industry
  • Strong interest in computational design, visualization, and emerging digital workflows
  • Advanced proficiency in Rhino and Grasshopper with experience building parametric workflows
  • Experience contributing to VDC, computational design, or digital modeling initiatives
  • Strong visual communication and graphic design skills, with an emphasis on clarity and storytelling
  • Experience producing animations, renderings, or digital visualizations
  • Strong collaboration, organization, and communication skills
  • Preferred: Experience with tools and workflows such as Revit; Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects); real-time visualization platforms (e.g., Enscape, Twinmotion, D5, Unreal Engine); and scripting or automation (Python, C#, or similar)
  • A portfolio showcasing relevant computational design, visualization, graphic communication, animation, or related digital work is required with the application submission.

Compensation
The rate for this position generally is $70,000 - $85,000 annually. This range is a good faith estimate provided pursuant to the Illinois State Pay Transparency Law. It is based on what a successful Illinois State applicant might be paid and assumes that the successful candidate will be in Illinois State or perform the position from Illinois State. Similar positions located outside of Illinois State will not necessarily receive the same compensation. Actual pay rates may vary from the range, as permitted by Illinois Equal Pay Transparency Law. Compensation offers will be based on various factors, including operational needs, individual education, qualifications and experience, work location and comparison to employee already in the role, as well as other considerations permitted by law. A potential new employee's pay history will not be used in compensation decisions.
Benefits
Depending on your employment status, benefits may include:
  • Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D, Disability and other voluntary benefits
  • Flexible Spending Accounts for Medical and Childcare
  • Paid Time Off, Family Leave for New Parents, Volunteer Time
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Commuter Transit (where available)
  • 401k retirement savings with Company matching on employee contributions and/or qualified student loan repayments
  • Fitness Reimbursement
  • And other various wellness, diversity/inclusion and employee resource programs and initiatives

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Thornton Tomasetti is proud to be an equal employment workplace. Individuals seeking employment at Thornton Tomasetti are considered without regards to age, ancestry, color, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, protected family care or medical leave status, race, religion (including beliefs and practices or the absence thereof), sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
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