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Character Rigging Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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

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 ...

Carlost Inc.

Account Manager

Burlingame, CA

Strong knowledge of Maya character rigging. 3+ years' experience working as a technical animator on shipped titles Solid understanding of object oriented code design in languages such as python and ...

Carlost Inc.

Account Manager

Burlingame, CA · On-site

Strong knowledge of Maya character rigging. 3+ years' experience working as a technical animator on shipped titles Solid understanding of object oriented code design in languages such as python and ...

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All JobsCharacter Rigging JobsCharacter Rigging Jobs in California

Character Rigging information

See California salary details

$10

$18

$37

How much do character rigging jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 5, 2026, the average hourly pay for character rigging in California is $18.83, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $13.27 and $23.94 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are character rigging jobs?

Character rigging is the process of creating an animated person, animal, or other moving object and adding features for movement to make it look more realistic or to match the flow of the storyline. In this role, you develop characters for cartoon shows, animated films, and video games. You create the framework of the character using rigging tools such as Maya or Motionbuilder and manipulate the character to make it jump, run, smile, or do other actions. Once the framework is set, you may add physical features, such as skins and facial shapes, to be used by the animator to develop the movement flow within the show or game.

What is character rigging?

Character rigging is the process of creating a digital skeleton for a character model so that it can be posed and animated in 3D software. Riggers add bones, joints, and control systems to a character, allowing animators to move and deform the model realistically. This is a crucial step in the animation pipeline for films, video games, and visual effects, enabling expressive and lifelike character movements.

What are some typical challenges faced in a character rigging role, and how can they be addressed?

Character rigging artists often encounter challenges such as creating rigs that are both flexible for animators and efficient for real-time rendering. Balancing complexity with usability, ensuring deformation looks natural, and maintaining performance in game engines are common hurdles. Collaboration with modelers and animators is essential to iterate on rigs quickly based on feedback. Staying updated with the latest rigging tools and scripting techniques can greatly help in overcoming these challenges and delivering high-quality rigs on tight production schedules.

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

AspectCharacter Rigging3D Modeler
Primary FocusCreating skeletons and controls for character animationModeling 3D objects and characters
Skills RequiredRigging techniques, anatomy, software like Maya or BlenderModeling, texturing, topology, software like Maya, Blender, 3ds Max
Work EnvironmentAnimation studios, game development, VFXGame studios, film, animation, product visualization
CertificationsOften not mandatory but relevant courses in rigging and animationOften not mandatory but relevant in modeling and design courses

While both roles work closely in 3D production, Character Rigging specializes in creating the underlying structure for animation, whereas a 3D Modeler focuses on building the visual and geometric aspects of models. Understanding these differences helps in choosing the right career path or job search focus.

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

To thrive as a Character Rigger, you need a solid grasp of anatomy, 3D modeling, and an understanding of animation principles, usually supported by a background in computer graphics or animation. Expertise in industry-standard software like Autodesk Maya, Blender, and scripting languages such as Python or MEL is typically required. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective communication skills make a rigger stand out when collaborating with animators and modelers. These skills ensure character rigs are both functional and intuitive, resulting in smooth animation workflows and high-quality visual output.
More about Character Rigging jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Character Rigging jobs in California? The most popular types of Character Rigging jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Character Rigging jobs in California? For Character Rigging jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Character Rigging jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Character Rigging jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Character Rigging jobs? Cities in California with the most Character Rigging job openings:
Character Rigging jobs near you
Infographic showing various Character Rigging job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 56% Full Time, and 44% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $39,160 per year, or $18.8 per hour.

Character Technical Artist

Absurd Ventures

Santa Monica, CA • On-site

$130K - $165K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

This job post has expired 1 day ago. Applications are no longer accepted.

Job description

Summary
We are seeking a skilled Character Technical Artist to join our team and support the development of high-quality, performant characters for an all-new IP. This role sits at the intersection of art, animation, and engineering, ensuring that character assets are built, optimized, and implemented to the highest technical standards.


As a Character Technical Artist at Absurd Ventures, you will collaborate closely with Character Artists, Riggers, Animators, and Engineers to develop and maintain character pipelines, solve complex technical challenges, and help push the visual fidelity and performance of our characters in Unreal Engine.

Core Responsibilities 

  • Partner with Character Artists to ensure character models meet technical, performance, and pipeline requirements.
  • Support and maintain character pipelines spanning modeling, rigging, skinning, deformation, and engine implementation.
  • Diagnose and resolve character-related technical issues, including geometry, skinning, deformation, LODs, and performance constraints.
  • Collaborate closely with rigging and animation to ensure characters are animation-ready and behave correctly in-game.
  • Implement and validate characters in Unreal Engine, ensuring correct setup for materials, LODs, cloth, and physics.
  • Develop tools, scripts, and workflows to improve efficiency and consistency in character production.
  • Create and maintain technical documentation for character pipelines, workflows, and best practices.
  • Proactively identify risks related to character production, performance, or pipeline bottlenecks and communicate them clearly to Production and leadership.
  • Provide technical guidance and mentorship to Character Artists and other content creators.

Core Qualifications

  • 5+ years of experience as a Character Technical Artist, Technical Artist, or similar role in the video game industry. Experience supporting character pipelines on at least one shipped AAA title.
  • Experience with character rigging, facial rigs, or motion systems.
  • Strong understanding of character modeling, topology, UVs, skinning, and deformation principles.
  • Significant experience working in Unreal Engine (preferably UE5), including character setup, LODs, physics, Control Rig and optimization.
  • Proficiency with industry-standard tools such as Maya and familiarity with Motion Builder, ZBrush and Substance Painter.
  • Solid scripting or tool development experience (Python, MEL, Blueprint, or similar).
  • Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to debug complex, cross-disciplinary issues.
  • Excellent communication skills and a collaborative mindset. 

Plus if...

  • Familiarity with cloth, hair, or physics simulation workflows in Unreal Engine.
  • Experience with performance profiling and optimization on console hardware.
  • Previous experience establishing or evolving character pipelines on a large production.
  • Familiarity with proprietary or custom engine pipelines.

Description

  • Full-time job with benefits.
  • Role is on-site in Santa Monica, CA.
  • Office is located near downtown Santa Monica - near metro and freeways.

The base pay range for this position is $130,000 to $165,000 per year. Actual compensation is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. We also offer a competitive package of benefits including paid time off, sick time, company holidays, parental leave, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.


About Absurd Ventures
Absurd Ventures is a media company creating new IP across all platforms and for all formats. Absurd Ventures is building narrative worlds, creating characters, and writing stories for a variety of genres, without regard to medium, to be produced for live-action and animation; video games and other interactive content; books, graphic novels, and scripted podcasts.

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