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Animation Rigger Jobs (NOW HIRING)

2K

Lead Animator

Novato, CA · On-site

$123K - $182K/yr

Deep knowledge of gameplay and AI animation systems, animation graph/data integration, motion capture pipelines, and rigging/prototyping processes. * Strong practical skill in hand-key facial ...

2K

Lead Animator

Novato, CA · On-site

$123K - $182K/yr

Deep knowledge of gameplay and AI animation systems, animation graph/data integration, motion capture pipelines, and rigging/prototyping processes. * Strong practical skill in hand-key facial ...

Socket.dev

Lead Animator

Novato, CA · On-site

$123K - $182K/yr

Deep knowledge of gameplay and AI animation systems, animation graph/data integration, motion capture pipelines, and rigging/prototyping processes. * Strong practical skill in hand-key facial ...

Cloud Chamber

Lead Animator

Novato, CA · Remote

$123K - $182K/yr

Deep knowledge of gameplay and AI animation systems, animation graph/data integration, motion capture pipelines, and rigging/prototyping processes. * Strong practical skill in hand-key facial ...

Cloud Chamber

Lead Animator

Novato, CA · On-site

$123K - $182K/yr

Deep knowledge of gameplay and AI animation systems, animation graph/data integration, motion capture pipelines, and rigging/prototyping processes. * Strong practical skill in hand-key facial ...

Insomniac Games

Senior Gameplay Animator (CONTRACT)

$76.92 - $86.06/hr

Ability to utilize motion capture data and hand key animation to create believable characters ... Rigging teams, to resolve issues and achieve project goals. * Other duties may be assigned ...

Far Coder

$25K - $40K/mo

Ability to utilize motion capture data and hand key animation to create believable characters ... Rigging teams, to resolve issues and achieve project goals.* Other duties may be assigned*

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Animation Rigger information

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$14

$26

$36

How much do animation rigger jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 13, 2026, the average hourly pay for animation rigger in the United States is $26.02, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $23.08 and $29.81 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an animation rigger do?

An Animation Rigger creates the skeletal structures that animators use to bring characters and objects to life in movies, games, and other media. They design and implement control systems for movement, ensuring realistic and flexible animation. Riggers work closely with animators, modelers, and technical artists to ensure characters move naturally and efficiently. They use software like Maya, Blender, or Houdini to build rigs that allow animators to manipulate models with ease.

What skills and qualifications are needed to be an animation rigger?

To thrive as an Animation Rigger, you need strong knowledge of anatomy, movement, and 3D animation fundamentals, often backed by a degree in animation, computer graphics, or a related field. Expertise in industry-standard software such as Autodesk Maya or Blender, and familiarity with scripting languages like Python or MEL, are typically important; some studios may value certifications in these tools. Attention to detail, problem-solving, and effective communication enable collaboration with animators and modelers to deliver high-quality rigs. These competencies help ensure that digital characters move realistically and that production pipelines run efficiently.

How to become an animation rigger?

To become an animation rigger, individuals typically need a strong foundation in 3D modeling, rigging, and animation, often gained through a bachelor's degree in computer graphics, animation, or a related field. Proficiency in industry-standard software such as Maya or Blender and understanding of character anatomy and movement are essential, along with building a portfolio to showcase rigging skills.
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Animation Rigger jobs near you
Infographic showing various Animation Rigger job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 13% Internship, 62% Full Time, 20% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 73% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 24% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $54,114 per year, or $26 per hour.

Animator at Valve Corporation Bellevue, WA

Bellevue, WA • On-site

kozmetickesluzby.vecnakraska.sk - Jobboard
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Posted 11 days ago

Job description

Animator job at Valve Corporation. Bellevue, WA.

At Valve we look beyond hiring for a set position, but instead, we seek exceptional people with broad skill sets who also exhibit deep expertise in their chosen craft. The animators at Valve are a world-class group of artists working with writers, software engineers, and designers who are continually creating and releasing compelling entertainment experiences to players around the world.

Animators determine work priorities in collaboration with their peers, contributing creative solutions throughout production in a variety of ways. From conceptualizing ideas to producing an extensive range of animated content including dynamic interactive performances and large-scale cinematic moments, whose work is crucial in helping shape ideas. Within each team, they are part of prototyping gameplay experiences with designers and programmers for a diverse array of characters, creatures, and in-game encounters. They also work closely with software engineers to improve our proprietary tools, maximize efficiency of our workflow, and to ensure the animation that we create is exceptional.

At Valve our animators are highly experienced and can demonstrate a number of skills, most importantly:

They collaborate with other employees and solve hard problems that make products better.

Each of them has examples - that they can share - showing that they have done something particularly exciting that makes their work special.

What work or experiences can YOU share that are novel and inspiring?

Our animators’ work often utilizes:

  • Product-level thinking that informs intentional, meaningful decisions from concept to completion.
  • An outstanding ability to portray believable physical movement, strong acting, storytelling and performance of 3D computer-generated characters.
  • A detailed understanding of Maya; experience working with motion capture and building animation state machines.
  • Knowledge of rigging, scripting, modeling, texturing, lighting, and video editing.
  • Prior professional experiences shipping world-class products in the software, television or film industry.
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