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Character Rigger Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Absurd Ventures

Lead Character Artist

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$170K - $200K/yr

Work closely with rigging, animation, and technical art teams to ensure characters are ready for implementation. * Stay current with industry trends and techniques in character art. Core ...

Absurd Ventures

Character Technical Artist

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$130K - $165K/yr

Support and maintain character pipelines spanning modeling, rigging, skinning, deformation, and engine implementation. * Diagnose and resolve character-related technical issues, including geometry ...

Thatgamecompany

3D Character Artist (Mid-Senior)

$81K - $114K/yr

3D Character Artist (Mid-Senior) thatgamecompany is looking for a Mid-Senior 3D Character Artist to ... Familiarity with Maya rigging/skinning Nice to Haves: * A passionate Gamer * A Sky Player * Human ...

AGBO

Technical Artist, Character

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$90K - $110K/yr

You will partner closely with Character Artists, Animators, Riggers and Engineers to ensure our cast looks and moves exactly as intended. Key Responsibilities: * Define and maintain workflows for ...

Side

3D Character Artist - Talent Pool (N Americas)

$123K - $130K/yr

Ensure proper topology, rigging, and skinning for characters to meet animation and gameplay requirements. * Troubleshoot and resolve technical challenges related to character development. * Actively ...

AGBO

Technical Artist, Character

Los Angeles, CA

$90K - $110K/yr

You will partner closely with Character Artists, Animators, Riggers and Engineers to ensure our cast looks and moves exactly as intended. Key Responsibilities: * Define and maintain workflows for ...

AGBO Films LLC

Technical Artist, Character

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$90K - $110K/yr

You will partner closely with Character Artists, Animators, Riggers and Engineers to ensure our cast looks and moves exactly as intended. Key Responsibilities: * Define and maintain workflows for ...

AGBO

Technical Artist, Character

Raleigh, NC · On-site

$123K - $147K/yr

You will partner closely with Character Artists, Animators, Riggers and Engineers to ensure our cast looks and moves exactly as intended. Key Responsibilities: * Define and maintain workflows for ...

AGBO Films LLC

Technical Artist, Character

Raleigh, NC · On-site

$123K - $147K/yr

You will partner closely with Character Artists, Animators, Riggers and Engineers to ensure our cast looks and moves exactly as intended. Key Responsibilities: * Define and maintain workflows for ...

AGBO

Technical Artist, Character

Raleigh, NC

$123K - $147K/yr

You will partner closely with Character Artists, Animators, Riggers and Engineers to ensure our cast looks and moves exactly as intended. Key Responsibilities: * Define and maintain workflows for ...

COGSWELL COLLEGE LLC

Adjunct Faculty DAA

San Jose, CA · On-site

$3.0K - $4.5K/mo

Classes include: * Character Rigging - emphasis on character rigging techniques: joints, surface binding, articulation, forward and inverse kinematics, and hierarchical node structures

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Character Rigger information

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How much do character rigger jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 15, 2026, the average hourly pay for character 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 a Character Rigger do?

A Character Rigger is responsible for creating digital skeletons and control systems that allow 3D characters to move realistically in animations, films, and games. They build rigs that deform correctly and provide animators with intuitive controls for posing and motion. This role requires strong knowledge of anatomy, technical skills in software like Maya or Blender, and scripting abilities for automation. Riggers work closely with animators and modelers to ensure smooth character motion and realistic deformation.

What does a rigger do for a job?

A character rigger creates the skeletal structures and controls that allow 3D characters to move and be animated in digital environments. They use specialized software like Maya or Blender and need strong knowledge of anatomy, rigging techniques, and scripting to develop functional and efficient rigs for animation. Rigging is essential in fields like video game development, film, and visual effects.

How to become a character rigger?

To become a character rigger, you typically need a strong foundation in 3D modeling, animation, and rigging software such as Maya or Blender. Gaining skills in anatomy, weight painting, and scripting, along with a portfolio demonstrating rigging projects, is essential; some professionals also pursue relevant degrees or certifications in animation or computer graphics.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Character Rigger position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Character Rigger, you need strong knowledge of anatomy, animation principles, and technical proficiency in 3D rigging, often supported by a degree in animation, computer graphics, or a related field. Familiarity with industry-standard tools such as Autodesk Maya, Blender, and scripting languages like Python or MEL is highly valued. Attention to detail, problem-solving ability, and effective communication are key soft skills in this role. These skills and qualities enable character riggers to build functional, efficient rigs that meet animators' needs and support seamless production workflows.

What does a typical day look like for a Character Rigger working on a production team?

A typical day for a Character Rigger involves creating or refining the skeletal structures and controls that allow 3D characters to move realistically in animation. You’ll often collaborate closely with animators, modelers, and technical directors to troubleshoot issues, implement feedback, and ensure rigs fit the artistic and technical requirements of the project. Daily tasks may include building new rigs, adjusting skin weights, writing scripts to automate repetitive processes, and participating in team meetings. This collaborative and iterative process helps ensure characters animate smoothly and efficiently throughout the production pipeline.

How much does a character designer get paid?

A character rigger's salary typically ranges from $50,000 to $90,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. Skilled riggers with proficiency in tools like Maya or Blender and a strong portfolio can earn higher salaries, especially in larger studios or with specialized expertise.

How much do character riggers get paid?

Character riggers typically earn between $50,000 and $100,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. Entry-level riggers may start lower, while experienced professionals working on high-profile projects or in major studios can earn higher salaries. Skills in software like Maya or Blender and a strong portfolio can influence earning potential.
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Character Rigger jobs near you
Infographic showing various Character Rigger job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 73% Full Time, and 27% Part Time. Highlights an 87% In-person, and 13% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $54,114 per year, or $26 per hour.

Lead Rigger | North America | Canada | Europe | Fully Remote

Escape Velocity Entertainment Inc

Remote

$24.50 - $31.75/hr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, PTO

Re-posted 13 days ago

Job description

What we are looking for:
We are looking for a Lead Rigger to own our character rigging pipeline and lead our rigging team. You will work closely with Animation, Art Direction, and Production to define quality standards and technical workflows that enable high-fidelity character deformation and performance across all platforms. Your expertise in Maya rigging and Unreal animation and procedural systems - combined with strong tools development abilities - will establish best practices, mentor junior riggers, and drive the evolution of our characters as the game scales.
Requirements
What we will do together:
  • Oversee technical quality of character production: rigging, tools, deformations & simulations in our characters, weapons, and creatures.
  • Lead and mentor our Riggers and Character Technical Artists, fostering growth and accountability within the team.
  • Establish and drive adoption of best practices across the rigging pipeline in collaboration with Art, Animation, and Production teams.
  • Design & develop workflows and tooling that improve iteration speed, quality, and efficiency for riggers and animators.
  • Enhance characters in Unreal through procedural and secondary motion systems, including Control Rig, Physics, and other animation systems.
  • Find creative solutions to achieve secondary motion and optimization while maintaining high performance across all platforms.
  • Support Animation and Art teams with technical rigging expertise, problem-solving, and technical direction.
  • Work with outsourcing partners to establish successful workflows for external character rigging and development.

What you will bring:
  • Minimum five years of experience in the game industry with 2+ released game projects.
  • At least one released Unreal Engine game as a Rigger, Technical Animator, or Technical Artist.
  • Proven experience leading and mentoring a rigging or character technical team.
  • Expert-level rigging skills in Maya, mGear experience a plus.
  • Strong pipeline and tools development experience - designing, architecting, and maintaining rigging toolsets that improve team efficiency.
  • Highly proficient with Python or similar scripting languages for tools development in Maya and Unreal.
  • Highly experienced with Unreal's secondary motion systems, including Rigid Bodies, Cloth, Control Rig, and Anim Dynamics.
  • Excitement for dynamic, optimized characters and continuous process improvement.

Benefits
Interested... a bit about Escape Velocity:
Escape Velocity is a team of passionate, talented developers working at a studio that offers excellent benefits, on what we believe is a once-in-a-career project with a committed publisher. But that doesn't necessarily make us unique. What does make us special? We value the time, energy, and talent of our players and our colleagues. We want every hour spent developing and playing our games to be an incredibly rewarding and worthwhile use of your time. To that end, we are 'Fully Remote' and support team members nearly anywhere in the world. We prioritize honesty, even when that means sharing bad news. We strive to give everyone autonomy so they can determine how best to work and play, and we care more about what you bring to the game and studio than how many hours you're clocking. We're dedicated to building a culture of play, which not only makes us better game makers, but also strengthens the bonds between us all. We believe in constant improvement across all areas - from the game itself to our production design - and are constantly re-evaluating how we spend our time to ensure that we're not wasting yours and we're all always working on the most important things.
A few benefits you can expect from us:
  • A generous PTO allowance
  • Summer and Winter holidays studio closure (separate to PTO allowance)
  • Private Medical & Dental Healthcare
  • Private Mental Health scheme
  • A generous annual Health & Wellbeing allowance
  • Discretionary Studio Bonus
  • Top range tech for your home set up
  • Other benefits based on your region

How to apply:
Click apply and complete an application along with a Resume / CV. If we would like to move forward with your application, a member of the Recruiting Team will reach out to you and guide you through our process.
Escape Velocity is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring, promoting, and compensating employees based on their qualifications and demonstrated ability to perform job responsibilities.
Applications will be considered regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, belief, race, or any other protected category.

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