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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 ...

Designer Brands

Designer

Manhattan, NY · On-site

About Designer Brands At Designer Brands, we are the proud parent company of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, The Shoe Company, and Rubino, operating nearly 675 stores across North America and a billion ...

Dunkin

Baskin Cake Decorator

Warrenton, VA · On-site

$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 ...

Dunkin

Baskin Cake Decorator

South Riding, VA · On-site

$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

Reston, VA · On-site

$14.75 - $19/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

Gainesville, VA · On-site

$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 · On-site

$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 ...

Epic Games

Character Animation Lead

Cary, NC · On-site

Collaborate closely with engineers and technical designers to design scalable, flexible animation ... Expert-level understanding of character animation principles, with the ability to deliver both ...

TapBlaze

Narrative Designer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

Maintain character bibles, worldbuilding documentation, timelines, and narrative style guides. You're a Great Fit If... You're more than a writer. You think like a designer. You naturally ask ...

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All JobsCharacter Designer Jobs

Character Designer information

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$19

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How much do character designer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 8, 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.

What is a character designer?

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 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.

How to work on character design?

To work on character design, develop strong drawing skills and a good understanding of anatomy, proportion, and color theory. Use digital tools like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, and create a diverse portfolio showcasing original characters. Gaining experience through practice, studying existing designs, and understanding the project's style are essential for success in this field.

How to get a job as a character designer?

To become a character designer, build a strong portfolio showcasing your artistic skills and character concepts, often using digital tools like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. Gaining experience through internships, freelance work, or art schools can improve your chances, and understanding character anatomy, storytelling, and industry trends is essential.

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.

What qualifications do I need to be a character designer?

To become a character designer, a strong portfolio demonstrating artistic skills and creativity is essential, often supported by a background in fine arts, illustration, or animation. Proficiency in digital tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or specialized software like Toon Boom is also important, along with good understanding of anatomy, storytelling, and character development. A bachelor's degree in art, design, or a related field is commonly preferred by employers.
More about Character Designer jobs
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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:
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Character Designer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Character Designer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 79% Full Time, 17% Part Time, and 4% Temporary. Highlights an 87% In-person, and 13% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $65,817 per year, or $31.6 per hour.

3D Character Artist - Talent Pool (N Americas)

Side

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$115K - $121K/yr

Contractor

Re-posted 23 days ago

Job description

About Side

Side is a global video game development and services provider, offering technical and creative solutions to many of the largest developers and studios around the world. Founded in 2009 and drawing on 30+ years' experience from our parent company in Japan, Side has since grown to become a global force with 15+ studios in over a dozen countries across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia.

Our industry-leading services include game development, art production, audio production, quality assurance, localization, localization QA, player support, community management, and datasets.

About This Opportunity

Please note, this listing is not for an immediate open position but for our Talent Pool for Co-Development Roles. By applying, you express interest in being considered for future project-based opportunities that align with your skills and experience.

These opportunities are contingent on client needs and project availability. As projects are initiated or client proposals are developed, we will review candidates from this pool and contact those who most closely align with the specific requirements of the co-development opportunity.

As a 3D Character Artist, you will play a key role in crafting high-quality characters that bring life and personality to our projects. This mid-level generalist role focuses on modeling, texturing, and optimizing character assets across a variety of styles for AAA-quality games on PC, console, mobile, and VR/AR platforms.

How We Keep You Engaged

We maintain strong relationships with our talent pool by providing regular updates, industry insights, and information on upcoming opportunities. We will check in to confirm your availability and interest.

Our hiring teams carefully vet and select top candidates who best meet project needs, ensuring that you are matched with the right opportunity when it becomes available.

Next Steps

If you are passionate about contributing to cutting-edge projects and want to be considered for future co-development opportunities, we encourage you to apply to this listing. While there may not be an immediate opening, your application ensures that you will be part of our ongoing talent review for upcoming roles.

Key Responsibilities

  • Create high-quality 3D character assets, including organic and hard surface elements, from concept to final game-ready models.
  • Collaborate with art leads, designers, and animators to ensure characters align with the project's artistic vision and technical requirements.
  • Develop textures and materials using industry-standard tools, ensuring assets are optimized for performance across platforms.
  • Work within established pipelines and workflows to maintain consistency and efficiency in asset creation.
  • Ensure proper topology, rigging, and skinning for characters to meet animation and gameplay requirements.
  • Troubleshoot and resolve technical challenges related to character development.
  • Actively participate in team critiques, offering and receiving feedback to refine assets.

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