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Character Designer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

teamLFG

3D Character Art Lead

$153K - $230K/yr

As the 3D Character Art Lead at teamLFG, you will guide and help create art with the team from pre-production to production and beyond on our innovative new IP! Your leadership will shape memorable ...

2K

Senior Concept Artist (Characters)

Novato, CA

$100K - $148K/yr

Quickly iterate detailed line art character designs. * Create paintovers for 3D visualization to help push the limits of the designs. * Storyboard as needed to clarify concepts and pitches. * Assist ...

Cloud Chamber

Senior Concept Artist (Characters)

Novato, CA · On-site

$100K - $148K/yr

Quickly iterate detailed line art character designs. * Create paintovers for 3D visualization to help push the limits of the designs. * Storyboard as needed to clarify concepts and pitches. * Assist ...

2K

Senior Concept Artist (Characters)

Novato, CA · On-site

$100K - $148K/yr

Quickly iterate detailed line art character designs. * Create paintovers for 3D visualization to help push the limits of the designs. * Storyboard as needed to clarify concepts and pitches. * Assist ...

Scattermesh

Senior 3D Character Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

$124K - $130K/yr

Job Summary Scattermesh is expanding its team and we are looking to hire experienced 3D Character Artists to work across client projects on a full time basis on-site in Herndon, VA. The role requires ...

Dunkin

Baskin Cake Decorator

South Riding, VA

$13.75 - $17.50/hr

Exceptional decorating skills including gel, icing, airbrush, decorating kits, edible images, floral designs, and licensed character designs. Portfolio submission required; candidates must provide ...

Dunkin

Baskin Cake Decorator

Warrenton, VA

$14 - $18/hr

Exceptional decorating skills including gel, icing, airbrush, decorating kits, edible images, floral designs, and licensed character designs. Portfolio submission required; candidates must provide ...

Epic Games

Character Outsource Lead

Cary, NC · On-site

... Designer, and related software * Excellent communication and organizational skills, with the ... Passion for games, character art, and creating memorable player experiences EPIC JOB + EPIC ...

Dunkin

Baskin Cake Decorator

Gainesville, VA

$13.75 - $17.75/hr

Exceptional decorating skills including gel, icing, airbrush, decorating kits, edible images, floral designs, and licensed character designs. Portfolio submission required; candidates must provide ...

Dunkin

Baskin Cake Decorator

Alexandria, VA

$15 - $19.25/hr

Exceptional decorating skills including gel, icing, airbrush, decorating kits, edible images, floral designs, and licensed character designs. Portfolio submission required; candidates must provide ...

Dunkin

Baskin Cake Decorator

South Riding, VA

$13.75 - $17.50/hr

Exceptional decorating skills including gel, icing, airbrush, decorating kits, edible images, floral designs, and licensed character designs. Portfolio submission required; candidates must provide ...

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Character Designer information

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$19

$31

$47

How much do character designer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 28, 2026, the average hourly pay for character designer in the United States is $31.64, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $28.85 and $36.30 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges Character Designers face when collaborating with other departments during production?

Character Designers often collaborate closely with animators, modelers, and directors, which can present challenges such as aligning on the visual style, ensuring designs are animation-friendly, and accommodating technical limitations. Balancing creative vision with practical constraints—like simplifying details for animation or adapting designs based on feedback—requires strong communication and flexibility. Successful Character Designers are proactive in seeking input, open to revision, and skilled at translating character concepts into workable assets that serve the story and production pipeline.

Does character design pay well?

Character designers' salaries vary based on experience, location, and industry, but they generally earn competitive wages within the creative field. Entry-level positions may start lower, while experienced designers working in gaming, animation, or film can earn higher salaries, especially with strong portfolios and proficiency in tools like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator.

What are character designers?

Character designers are artists who create the visual appearance, style, and personality of characters for animation, video games, comics, films, and other media. Their work involves conceptualizing and illustrating characters based on story requirements, often working closely with writers, directors, and animators. Character designers develop everything from facial expressions and costumes to body shapes and color schemes, ensuring each character is visually appealing and communicates the intended traits or emotions.

What is the difference between Character Designer vs Character Artist?

AspectCharacter DesignerCharacter Artist
Primary FocusCreating original character concepts, designs, and visual stylesRendering and illustrating detailed character artwork based on designs
Skills & ToolsConcept art, illustration, creativity, design software (Photoshop, Illustrator)Digital painting, rendering, shading, software skills (Photoshop, Painter)
Work EnvironmentGame studios, animation, film, advertisingGame studios, animation, film, freelance projects

While both roles involve working with characters, a Character Designer focuses on creating original character concepts and visual styles, whereas a Character Artist specializes in bringing those designs to life through detailed illustrations and rendering. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify career paths and job expectations in the industry.

What art-related jobs are about $80,000 a year?

In the field of art, roles such as senior character designer, concept artist, or art director often have annual salaries around $80,000 or higher, especially with experience and in larger studios. These positions typically require strong skills in digital illustration, 3D modeling, and proficiency with tools like Adobe Creative Suite or Blender.

What do character designers do?

Character designers create visual representations of characters for media such as animation, video games, and comics. They develop concepts, sketches, and detailed artwork, often using digital tools like Photoshop or Illustrator, to establish a character's appearance, personality, and style. Their work involves collaboration with directors and other artists to ensure the character fits the project's overall vision.

What Does a Character Designer Do?

As a character designer, you create the look and animation of a cartoon character in a film, TV show, or video game. Your responsibilities are to develop physical features, design costumes and clothes, pose characters, and collaborate with team members from concept to production. Your duties include working with mouth charts, expression sheets, shadow and color indications, and marketing artwork. You sketch, draw, illustrate, and animate by hand and through computer software. You also work with different drafts and copies and maintain artwork storage. To be successful in this field, you must be able to balance creativity with the needs and requirements of the project.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Character Designer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Character Designer, you need strong drawing and illustration skills, a deep understanding of anatomy, color theory, and character development, often supported by a degree in art or design. Proficiency with digital design tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Procreate, and 3D modeling software like ZBrush is typically required. Creativity, strong communication, and the ability to accept feedback help designers collaborate effectively and bring unique characters to life. These skills are essential to create compelling, visually distinctive characters that resonate with audiences and fit seamlessly within projects.

How do you become a character designer?

To become a character designer, you typically need a strong foundation in art and illustration, often gained through a bachelor's degree in fine arts, animation, or a related field. Building a portfolio that showcases your ability to create diverse and expressive characters is essential, along with proficiency in digital tools like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. Gaining experience through internships or freelance work can also help establish a professional network and improve your skills.
More about Character Designer jobs
What cities are hiring for Character Designer jobs? Cities with the most Character Designer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Character Designer jobs? The most popular types of Character Designer jobs are:
Who are the top companies hiring for Character Designer jobs? The top employers for Character Designer jobs are:
What states have the most Character Designer jobs? States with the most job openings for Character Designer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Character Designer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Character Designer jobs are:
Character Designer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Character Designer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, and 4% Temporary. Highlights an 93% In-person, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $65,817 per year, or $31.6 per hour.
3D Character Art Lead

3D Character Art Lead

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE)

Phoenix, AZ • On-site, Remote

$153K - $230K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 14 days ago

Job description

Are you driven to create games that engage players in a vibrant community? Would you like to contribute to a visually stunning world where art not only captivates but reinforces the mission of the game? Do you have a passion for how 3D character art enhances gameplay clarity, supporting players in making split-second decisions, and how character design can ignite both fandom and strategic depth? Join us at teamLFG!

As the 3D Character Art Lead at teamLFG, you will guide and help create art with the team from pre-production to production and beyond on our innovative new IP!

Your leadership will shape memorable characters that uphold gameplay fairness and clarity. You'll mentor your team with your extensive experience and keen eye for detail, ensuring every art decision enhances the gameplay space. Your efforts will exhilarate players and elevate the setting and tone for a new standard in PlayStation games.

As a leader for the character art team, you'll demonstrate a balance of artistic expertise with a player-first mindset, stretching beyond your role as you collaborate with a passionate, cross-discipline team dedicated to having a positive impact on players as we bring this new world to life.

We seek candidates who appreciate being part of a cohesive and supportive team with a wide array of backgrounds, experiences, interests, and perspectives.

Responsibilities:

Lead 3D character art and coordinate work with a multidisciplinary team accountable for character-building, including but not limited to narrative and design

Mentor and inspire a talented team of artists through all phases of production

Foster a safe culture for growth, feedback and coaching to encourage strong creative debate

Create strong processes and scalable art workflows that force multiply the team's efforts and define a high art quality bar, internally and externally with partner studios

Inspire and motivate the team with craft and process advisement

Embrace "we" culture in addition to being an outstanding collaborator and communicator

Develop internal and external style guides and workflows, and manage teams through creation of game assets

Be accountable to the art director visual goals and directions

Required Skills:

Deep understanding of the character art decisions that matter to competitive players in action or fighting games

Proven experience in early AAA game development leadership role(s)

Experience in leading art teams that include but not limited to 3D character art, character customization, NPC

Demonstrated skills and deep understanding of stylized art and style adaptability

Expert knowledge in Maya, Blender or Max, Substance

Expert knowledge in Unreal Engine

Strong organizational, analytical and problem-solving capability with high attention to detail

Strategic and critical thinking skills with a proactive, investigative mindset

Help created or established character customization in Unreal and scaled content with outsourcing companies

Nice-to-have Skills:

Platformer genre development experience

Experience working on a game with a high angle isometric camera perspective

Experience leading multiple teams on a live game ("game as a service")

At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role's base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.
Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
In addition, this role is eligible for SIE's top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package. Click here to learn more.

This is a flexible role that can be remote, with varying pay ranges based on geographic location. For example, if you are based out of Seattle, the estimated base pay range for this role is listed below.
$153,000-$230,000 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.

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