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Character Artist Jobs in Bothell, WA (NOW HIRING)

Principal Technical Artist

Seattle, WA ยท Remote

$130K - $155K/yr

We're hiring a Principal Technical Artist to bring the next generation of these workflows into production at Parallel Domain. This is a senior individual contributor role: you'll work alongside our ...

Principal Technical Artist

Seattle, WA

$144K - $173K/yr

We're hiring a Principal Technical Artist to bring the next generation of these workflows into production at Parallel Domain. This is a senior individual contributor role: you'll work alongside our ...

Principal Technical Artist

Seattle, WA ยท On-site +1

$144K - $173K/yr

We're hiring a Principal Technical Artist to bring the next generation of these workflows into production at Parallel Domain. This is a senior individual contributor role: you'll work alongside our ...

Senior VFX Artist _____ We're Studio Wildcard, developers of the smash indie hit ARK: Survival Evolved -- one of the most popular and original video games in recent years. Despite our massive success ...

Senior VFX Artist _____ We're Studio Wildcard, developers of the smash indie hit ARK: Survival Evolved -- one of the most popular and original video games in recent years. Despite our massive success ...

Sr. VFX Artist

Bellevue, WA ยท On-site

$100 - $125/hr

Senior VFX Artist We're Studio Wildcard, developers of the smash indie hit ARK: Survival Evolved -- one of the most popular and original video games in recent years. Despite our massive success, we ...

Senior VFX Artist We're Studio Wildcard, developers of the smash indie hit ARK: Survival Evolved -- one of the most popular and original video games in recent years. Despite our massive success, we ...

Staff Environment Artist

Seattle, WA ยท Remote

$150K - $170K/yr

Staff Environment Artist Stone Kite is a world building studio that thoughtfully develops heroic universes across games, film, TV, comics, audio, and more. Built by veterans from game and ...

Staff Environment Artist

Seattle, WA ยท On-site

$150K - $170K/yr

Staff Environment Artist Stone Kite is a world building studio that thoughtfully develops heroic universes across games, film, TV, comics, audio, and more. Built by veterans from game and ...

Technical Artist - Remote or On Site

Redmond, WA ยท On-site +1

$142K - $170K/yr

Technical Artist We're Studio Wildcard, developers of the smash indie hit ARK: Survival Evolved -- one of the most popular and original video games in recent years. Despite our massive success, we've ...

Graphic Design Artist

Seattle, WA ยท On-site

$144K - $173K/yr

This intermediate-level role builds upon core Production Artist skills while taking on creative design responsibilities. The ideal candidate is highly organized, able to manage multiple projects ...

Graphic Design Artist

Tukwila, WA ยท On-site

$24 - $28/hr

This intermediate-level role builds upon core Production Artist skills while taking on creative design responsibilities. The ideal candidate is highly organized, able to manage multiple projects ...

Coach

Seattle, WA ยท On-site

$18.75 - $24.50/hr

A dynamic liberal arts education for grades 6-12 that prepares students to think critically, act ... Teach and develop character in all athletes, regardless of talent. Model respectful and ...

Showing results 21-40

Character Artist information

See Bothell, WA salary details

$116.8K

$134.7K

$143.6K

How much do character artist jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for character artist in Bothell, WA is $134,740.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $135,300.00 and $142,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a character artist?

A character artist is part of the team that designs animated characters, primarily in the video game industry. As a character artist, you work closely with the art director and the lead character artist. Your job duties are to create 2D illustrations and 3D models based on sketches you receive from the concept artist. As you create each iteration of a character, you present your designs to the rest of the team for feedback, then make tweaks and improvements. Finally, you enhance the 3D computer model with definition, weight, color, shading, and texture. These duties may be divided up between different artists, as 3D and 2D animation require very different skills.

What is a character artist?

A Character Artist is a professional who specializes in designing, modeling, and texturing characters for video games, movies, animations, and other digital media. They work closely with concept artists and animators to bring creative visions to life, ensuring that characters are visually appealing and suitable for production needs. Character Artists typically use 3D modeling software, sculpting tools, and digital painting programs to create detailed and expressive characters.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a character artist?

To thrive as a Character Artist, you need strong artistic fundamentals in anatomy, form, and color, often backed by a degree in art, design, or a related field. Expertise in industry-standard 3D modeling and sculpting software like ZBrush, Maya, and Substance Painter, along with familiarity with game engines, is typically required. Creativity, attention to detail, and effective collaboration are the standout soft skills for this role. These skills and qualities are crucial for producing visually compelling, technically sound characters that enhance the overall quality of games or animation projects.

How does a character artist typically collaborate with other departments during a game development project?

Character Artists work closely with concept artists, animators, and riggers to bring characters to life in a game. They often start by interpreting concept art, then create 3D models and textures, ensuring their designs align with the game's visual style. Regular feedback sessions with the art director and technical artists help ensure that character assets are optimized for performance and meet project requirements. Effective communication and flexibility are key, as Character Artists often need to make adjustments based on input from other teams.

What is the difference between Character Artist vs 3D Modeler?

AspectCharacter Artist3D Modeler
Required SkillsConcept art, anatomy, texturing, riggingModeling, topology, UV mapping
Work EnvironmentGame studios, animation, filmGame studios, VFX, product design
Common Industry UsageCreating detailed characters for games/filmsModeling various objects, including characters

While both roles involve 3D modeling, a Character Artist specializes in designing and creating detailed character models, focusing on anatomy, textures, and character-specific features. A 3D Modeler has a broader scope, modeling a variety of objects, including characters, environments, and props. The Character Artist often works closely with concept artists and animators to bring characters to life, whereas the 3D Modeler may work across multiple asset types. Both roles require strong modeling skills, but the Character Artist emphasizes character-specific artistry and detail.

How much do character artists make?

Character artists typically earn between $50,000 and $100,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. Entry-level artists may start lower, while experienced professionals working in gaming or film can earn higher salaries, especially with proficiency in tools like ZBrush or Maya.

How to work as a character artist?

To work as a character artist, develop strong skills in 3D modeling, sculpting, and texturing using tools like Blender, Maya, or ZBrush. Build a portfolio showcasing your character designs, gain experience through internships or freelance projects, and stay updated on industry trends and software updates. A relevant degree or certification in art, animation, or related fields can also enhance your prospects.

What are the most commonly searched types of Character Artist jobs in Bothell, WA?

The most popular types of Character Artist jobs in Bothell, WA are:

What are popular job titles related to Character Artist jobs in Bothell, WA?

For Character Artist jobs in Bothell, WA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Character Artist jobs in Bothell, WA look for?

The top searched job categories for Character Artist jobs in Bothell, WA are:

What cities near Bothell, WA are hiring for Character Artist jobs?

Cities near Bothell, WA with the most Character Artist job openings:

Infographic showing various Character Artist job openings in Bothell, WA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 76% Full Time, 18% Part Time, and 6% Temporary. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $134,740 per year, or $64.8 per hour.

Principal Technical Artist

Parallel Domain

Seattle, WA โ€ข Remote

$130K - $155K/yr

Full-time

Dental, Vision, PTO

Re-posted 12 days ago


Job description

About the Role

Before an autonomous vehicle navigates a busy intersection, before a robot learns to pick and place in a warehouse, before any Physical AI system is trusted in the real world, it has to prove itself in ours. Parallel Domain builds the platform that validates the next generation of autonomous systems in high-fidelity virtual environments.

Our content and rendering pipeline is how that platform earns its credibility with customers. The virtual environments we build have to hold up under physical, geometric, and sensor-level scrutiny—they are the testbeds against which our customers' autonomous systems are validated. Building environments at that level of fidelity and scale demands techniques that go beyond a typical AAA game pipeline. Gaussian splat scene reconstruction, neural rendering, AI-assisted content workflows, and modern procedural systems are reshaping what a tech artist's day looks like.

We're hiring a Principal Technical Artist to bring the next generation of these workflows into production at Parallel Domain. This is a senior individual contributor role: you'll work alongside our rendering, simulation, and content engineers on open-ended content and pipeline problems. You'll move fluently between Unreal Engine, Houdini, Python, shader code, and modern AI tooling, and your judgment will shape how our team builds the environments that train and validate autonomous systems.

Responsibilities
  • Own the technical content stack. End to end: asset pipelines, procedural tooling, material systems, performance budgets, and content validation that turn an artist's intent into a production-ready scene.

  • Build and ship tools. Deliver tooling in Unreal Engine and Houdini that makes the content team measurably faster. We care less about the elegance of the tool and more about whether artists are using it next quarter to ship work they couldn't ship before.

  • Drive AI-augmented workflows. Bring modern techniques into content creation: gaussian splat scene reconstruction, neural texture synthesis, ML-assisted asset generation, and the next wave of techniques as they emerge. Hold an opinionated view on where these tools belong in a production pipeline and where they don't.

  • Optimize real-time performance. Profile and optimize across GPU and CPU in Unreal Engine, supporting both interactive use and large-scale batch simulation. Identify bottlenecks, codify the fixes as patterns, and make sure the team isn't relearning the same lessons every six months.

  • Work across disciplines. Operate as connective tissue across content, rendering, simulation, ML, and product. Translate between disciplines, broker tradeoffs between content fidelity and runtime performance, and make sure the systems we build hang together.

  • Set the craft bar. We're not asking you to manage people, but we expect you to lead by example on the craft side. Your work should make the people around you better at theirs.

  • Move quickly. Ship into production early and often. Many of the problems you'll work on don't have a known answer—your job is to scope the unknown, prototype something that works, and harden it from there.

  • Use AI tooling actively. LLM-assisted coding, scripting, and asset generation can meaningfully accelerate the work when applied well. We expect fluency here and active contribution to the team's practice.
 
Required Qualifications
  • Experience. 8+ years as a technical artist or in a closely adjacent role, with at least one shipped product on a real-time, physically based rendering pipeline.

  • Unreal Engine 5 expertise. Expert-level proficiency including materials, Blueprints, performance profiling, the asset pipeline, and the engine's deeper rendering features. You can debug a frame budget, fix a broken shader, and ship a Blueprint utility in the same afternoon.

  • Programming fluency. Productive across some combination of Python, C++, HLSL, VEX, and shell. You reach for code rather than manual process whenever possible.

  • Production speed. Demonstrated ability to take open-ended content or workflow problems, scope them yourself, and ship working systems the team adopts—without extensive hand-holding.

  • AI workflow fluency. Working command of LLM-based coding tools, generative content tooling (e.g., diffusion models, ComfyUI), and the broader category of AI tools reshaping technical art. You stay on top of where these tools are heading and bring that thinking into the team's practice.

  • Communication. Equally comfortable talking shaders with rendering engineers, performance with simulation engineers, and tradeoffs with non-technical product partners.

  • Generalist disposition. Able to move pragmatically across content creation, tooling, rendering, performance, and pipeline. We're not looking for someone narrowly specialized in one corner of technical art.
 
Preferred Qualifications
  • Neural scene reconstruction. Hands-on experience with gaussian splatting, NeRFs, or similar techniques in a production or near-production setting.

  • Procedural content generation. Experience in Houdini or equivalent (Maya, Blender, 3DS Max, Unreal PCG), including authoring HDAs and integrating them into a real-time pipeline.

  • Sensor simulation. Familiarity with RGB cameras, LiDAR, radar, and the visual artifacts that matter to autonomous-system perception models.

  • Distributed/cloud pipelines. Experience with distributed rendering or cloud-based content pipelines.

  • Computational background. Mathematics, physics, or computational graphics that lets you reason from first principles when a problem demands it.
 
What Success Looks Like

In your first six months, you'll have:

  • Integrated into the production pipeline and shipped meaningful content using our in-house tools.

  • Delivered tooling in Houdini or Unreal Engine that improves content team velocity.

  • Built strong working relationships with engineering, simulation, rendering, and DevOps stakeholders.

  • Influenced the technical roadmap with at least one concrete bet that ships customer value.

What Makes a Great Candidate
You're a generalist who's excellent at technical art, equally at home in rendering, tooling, content, and performance. You hold strong opinions about the craft but treat your tools as instruments, not identity. You're a builder, not a planner: you scope, prototype, ship, and iterate. You're paying close attention to how AI tooling is changing technical art and you want to be hands-on with that change.
Base salary range of CAD $145,000–$175,000, depending on skills, qualifications, and experience, plus equity, full health/dental/vision coverage, learning stipend, and generous vacation. This role is based remotely or hybrid in the Pacific Northwest (Vancouver, BC or Seattle, WA).

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.