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Animation Design Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Creative Project Producer

Bellevue, WA ยท On-site

$90 - $130/hr

This person brings a broad creative understanding across video, animation, design, and digital assets, along with enough agency experience to understand the pace, collaboration, and flexibility this ...

New

This person brings a broad creative understanding across video, animation, design, and digital assets, along with enough agency experience to understand the pace, collaboration, and flexibility this ...

Motion Designer

Culver City, CA ยท On-site

$85 - $91/hr

Animator / Motion Designer (UI Motion Design) Location: Hybrid (Tue-Thu Onsite) - Culver City, CA or Cupertino, CA Duration: 12 Months Experience: 7+ Years Pay rate: $85.00-91.00 per hour on W2 ...

Animation Teacher

Brooklyn, NY ยท On-site

$20/hr

Lead workshops and activities focused on concept art, modeling, animation and game design theory. The ideal candidate will have a passion for digital art, a love for working with kids, and the ...

Animator

Scottsdale, AZ ยท On-site

Strong understanding of animation principles * Good attitude, team player with great communication skills Design Works Gaming is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants ...

Strong understanding of animation principles * Good attitude, team player with great communication skills Design Works Gaming is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants ...

Strong understanding of animation principles * Good attitude, team player with great communication skills Design Works Gaming is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants ...

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Animation Design information

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$10

$39

$70

How much do animation design jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 2, 2026, the average hourly pay for animation design in the United States is $39.41, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $21.88 and $63.94 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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 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.

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.

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.

Are animation designers still in demand?

Animation designers are still in demand as visual content remains important across industries such as entertainment, advertising, and gaming. Skills in software like Adobe After Effects, Blender, or Maya, along with a strong portfolio, can improve job prospects in this evolving field.

Do animation designers make good money?

Animation designers' salaries vary based on experience, location, and industry, but they generally earn competitive wages. Entry-level positions may start lower, while experienced designers working with advanced software and creating high-quality content can earn higher salaries, especially in larger studios or freelance work. Overall, animation design can be a financially rewarding career for skilled professionals.

What does an animation design do?

An animation designer creates visual sequences and motion graphics for various media such as films, video games, and advertisements. They use tools like Adobe After Effects and Maya to develop characters, backgrounds, and effects, often collaborating with other creative professionals to bring concepts to life.

What jobs can you do with animation design?

Animation design skills can lead to roles such as 2D or 3D animator, motion graphics artist, character designer, storyboard artist, and visual effects artist. These jobs are common in industries like film, television, video games, advertising, and web development, often requiring proficiency in tools like Adobe After Effects, Maya, or Blender.
More about Animation Design jobs

What cities are hiring for Animation Design jobs?

Cities with the most Animation Design job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Animation Design jobs?

The most popular types of Animation Design jobs are:

What states have the most Animation Design jobs?

States with the most job openings for Animation Design jobs include:

Infographic showing various Animation Design job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 90% Full Time, 7% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 81% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 14% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $81,974 per year, or $39.4 per hour.

Senior Technical Gameplay Animator

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE)

Santa Monica, CA โ€ข On-site

$126K - $227K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 28 days ago


Job description

Why Sony Interactive Entertainment?

Sony Interactive Entertainment isn't just the Best Place to Play - it's also the Best Place to Work. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is the company behind the PlayStation brand. As a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, we're part of a proud legacy of innovation and excellence. SIE is a dynamic technology company, delivering cutting-edge hardware and network services to more than 100 million people and an entertainment leader, home to some of the most beloved and recognizable intellectual properties (IP) in the world. Our role at SIE is to create and nurture the experiences under the PlayStation brand, a name synonymous with entertainment excellence and creativity.

This is a hybrid / onsite position.

For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I and Part II are now available for the first time on PC. Currently, we're busy at the kennel working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and we'd love to find talented individuals to join us!

Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.

What you will do:

  • Create high quality animation content supporting the newly developed behaviors and systems and implement it in engine
  • Work with the animation leadership on defining and maintaining the style and quality bar of the in-game animation
  • Collaborate with the Animation, Design, and Engineering teams to analyze, troubleshoot, and resolve in-game animation implementation issues and animation-related technical challenges
  • Take ownership of challenging projects and provide innovative solutions, including mentoring team members and creating documentation
  • Contribute to the strategic development of internal technologies and artistic processes
  • Facilitate the creation and implementation of tools and techniques that allow the building of complex and high-quality animation systems
  • Innovate and streamline animation pipeline processes and workflows

What skills you will use:

  • 5+ years of industry experience in gameplay animation for games
  • Proven track record of creating visually stunning animations for diverse game genres
  • Full understanding of in-game animation tools like state machines, blend trees, IK solvers, etc.
  • Expertise with mocap and keyframe based digital content creation pipelines built on Maya or Motionbuilder
  • Proficiency in Python, C#, C++ or other programming languages is required
  • Proactively contributes to the progress of the team and the project

As a part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates will be expected to provide a portfolio or demo reel of their work and may be asked to complete an animation test.

#LI-SP3

The estimated USA base pay range for this zone (Los Angeles area) is listed below. This role may be eligible for additional compensation packages that includes annual bonus and other incentive plans.

The estimated USA base pay range for this zone (Los Angeles area) is listed below. This role may be eligible for additional compensation packages that includes annual bonus and other incentive plans.
$126,400-$227,000 USD

Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.

Please refer to ourCandidate Privacy Noticefor more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.

Sony Interactive Entertainment is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.