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Character Technical Artist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Technical Artist

Chicago, IL ยท On-site +1

$130K - $156K/yr

Work across several art disciplines including shading, environment art, character art, animation ... Portfolio demonstrating the technical artistic ability, with a focus on custom shaders and vfx

Technical Artist

Chicago, IL ยท On-site

$130K - $156K/yr

Work across several art disciplines including shading, environment art, character art, animation ... Portfolio demonstrating the technical artistic ability, with a focus on custom shaders and vfx

Technical Artist

Austin, TX

$125K - $150K/yr

Position Summary The Technical Artist acts as aresource within the art team, mentoring other ... Animation - 2D character specific * Scripting ability to common art tooling (Photoshop, 3dx Max ...

Senior Character Artist

Santa Monica, CA

$135K - $142K/yr

The Character Art team is looking for a highly technical and artistic Senior Character Artist to join our team in creating the next generation of award-winning story telling! We are looking for an ...

Senior Character Artist

Santa Monica, CA ยท On-site

$69.09 - $86.35/hr

The Character Art team is looking for a highly technical and artistic Senior Character Artist to join our team in creating the next generation of award-winning story telling! We are looking for an ...

Senior Technical Artist

Cary, NC ยท On-site

$117K - $140K/yr

What You'll Do Epic is looking for a Technical Artist with a strong focus on material creation to ... Collaborate with character artists, tech artists, and engineers to integrate materials with ...

Technical Artist

Austin, TX ยท On-site

$75 - $95/hr

Position Summary The Senior Technical Artist acts as a resource within the art team, mentoring ... Animation - 2D character specific. * Scripting ability to common art tooling (Photoshop, 3ds Max ...

New

Senior Technical Artist

Austin, TX ยท On-site

$80 - $100/hr

The Senior Technical Artist acts as a resource within the art team, mentoring other artists in the ... Animation - 2D character specific* Scripting ability to common art tooling (Photoshop, 3dx Max)* C# ...

New

Technical Artist

Austin, TX ยท On-site

$125K - $150K/yr

Position Summary The Technical Artist acts as a resource within the art team, mentoring other ... Animation - 2D character specific * Scripting ability to common art tooling (Photoshop, 3dx Max ...

Expression of Interest - Technical Artist

Los Angeles, CA ยท On-site

$136K - $163K/yr

... character, lighting, materials, and asset production pipelines. * Build and improve artist-friendly ... Serve as a technical liaison between Art and Engineering, helping translate creative goals into ...

Senior Technical Artist

Cary, NC ยท On-site

$117K - $140K/yr

... character and concept artists who strive to innovate and inspire. What You'll Do Epic is looking ... more technical aspects of creating art. In this role, you will * Create complex materials for ...

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Showing results 1-20

Character Technical Artist information

See salary details

$95.5K

$138.7K

$153.5K

How much do character technical artist jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for character technical artist in the United States is $138,713.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $127,000.00 and $152,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a character technical artist?

Character Technical Artists are specialized professionals in the video game and animation industries who bridge the gap between artists and programmers. They are responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining character rigs, deformation systems, and animation tools to ensure that characters move and perform realistically and efficiently. Their work includes scripting tools, optimizing character assets, and troubleshooting technical issues related to character animation. Character Technical Artists collaborate closely with animators, modelers, and software engineers throughout the production pipeline.

How does a character technical artist typically collaborate with animators and modelers during a game development project?

Character Technical Artists serve as the bridge between creative and technical teams, working closely with animators and modelers to ensure character assets are both visually appealing and technically functional. They assist modelers by defining rigging requirements and providing feedback on mesh topology, and they partner with animators to develop and maintain character rigs that support a wide range of expressive movements. Regular communication and problem-solving are essential, as Character Technical Artists often troubleshoot skinning issues, optimize deformation, and implement solutions to improve workflow efficiency across the team.

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

To thrive as a Character Technical Artist, you need a solid background in 3D modeling, rigging, scripting (often with Python or MEL), and a relevant degree in computer graphics or animation. Familiarity with industry-standard tools like Maya, Blender, Unreal Engine, and version control systems is typically required. Strong problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills help you bridge the gap between artists and programmers. These competencies ensure visually appealing, technically robust character assets that perform well in interactive environments.

What is the difference between Character Technical Artist vs Character Artist?

AspectCharacter Technical ArtistCharacter Artist
Primary FocusTechnical implementation, rigging, tools, and pipeline integrationCreative design, modeling, and texturing of characters
Required SkillsTechnical skills, scripting, knowledge of software pipelinesArtistic skills, sculpting, texturing, concept art
Work EnvironmentCollaborates with artists and programmers in game/animation studiosPrimarily works in art departments, focusing on character creation

The Character Technical Artist bridges the gap between art and technology, ensuring characters are both visually appealing and technically functional. In contrast, the Character Artist focuses on creating the visual aspects of characters. Both roles are essential in game and animation industries but serve different purposes within the character development process.

More about Character Technical Artist jobs

What cities are hiring for Character Technical Artist jobs?

Cities with the most Character Technical Artist job openings:

What states have the most Character Technical Artist jobs?

States with the most job openings for Character Technical Artist jobs include:

Infographic showing various Character Technical Artist job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 60% Full Time, 30% Part Time, 4% Temporary, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 93% In-person, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $138,713 per year, or $66.7 per hour.

Senior Technical Artist - EA SPORTS Technology

Electronic Arts

Orlando, FL โ€ข On-site

$110 - $170/hr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 20 days ago


Job description

Locations: Orlando, Florida, United States of America

Role ID

215687

Worker Type

Regular Employee

Studio/Department

Work Model

Hybrid

Description & Requirements

Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.

Locations: Vancouver, BC or Orlando, FL (Hybrid onsite)

EA SPORTS is one of the most iconic brands in entertainment - connecting hundreds of millions around the world to the sports they love through a portfolio of industry-leadi ng video games. The EA SPORTS Tech Art team provides specialized technology teams working on modern character articulation and motion, content pipelines and workflows, machine learning, game security, dev ops, as well as long lead feature and technology development for all EA SPORTS titles. As part of EA SPORTS Tech, the Initiatives Team pushes visual boundaries and experiences for our players. We invest in future technologies, shared tooling, and production workflows. We combine creativity and imagination with technical expertise. We are a diverse group that encourages team members to bring their unique perspectives and expertise to work every day.

The Role

We are looking for a Senior Technical Artist to bridge the gap between creative vision and technical execution. In this role, you will act as a force multiplier for art teams across our sports titles, designing scalable art pipelines, optimizing real-time performance, and developing innovative workflows for characters, environments, lighting, or VFX.

Reporting to a Technical Art Directo, you will lead complex technical initiatives, mentor junior and mid-level technical artists, and collaborate closely with Rendering Engineers, Art Directors, and Tools Developers to push the boundaries of visual fidelity in sports games.

Key Responsibilities
  • Pipeline & Tool Development: Architect, build, and maintain robust, scalable art creation and content integration pipelines using Python, C#, or DCC scripting (Maya, Houdini, Blender).
  • Performance & Optimization: Lead runtime performance profiling (GPU/CPU, memory, draw calls) across current and next-gen hardware platforms, establishing performance budgets and best practices for art teams.
  • Engine Integration: Deeply integrate procedural workflows, complex shaders, rigging systems, and visual effects into our proprietary engine.
  • Cross-Discipline Collaboration: Work as a primary liaison between artists and software engineersโ€”translating creative needs into technical specifications and engineering requirements into user-friendly art tools.
  • Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Guide and mentor mid and junior-level technical artists, advocate for best practices, and contribute to standardizing technical art workflows across the Sports Tech organization.
  • R&D & Innovation: Prototype new rendering techniques, procedural content generation setups, and digital human or apparel workflows to elevate visual realism across our titles.
Qualifications
  • Experience: 6+ years of professional experience in video game production or visual effects, with at least 3+ years in a Technical Art role.
  • Engine Expertise: Deep experience working with modern game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity, or proprietary AAA engines) with a strong understanding of rendering pipelines, lighting, materials, and asset assembly.
  • DCC Proficiency: Advanced expertise in Maya and/or Houdini, including scripting and tool creation.
  • Programming/Scripting: Strong skills in Python (PySide/PyQt for GUI development is a plus) and familiarity with HLSL/GLSL shader languages or visual shader graphs.
  • Performance Profiling: Proven track record of optimizing game performance using profiling tools (RenderDoc, PIX, Razor, or engine-native profilers).
  • Problem-Solving & Communication: Outstanding communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
  • Experience with procedural workflows (Houdini Engine / PCG).
  • Experience with character technical art (rigging, skinning, cloth dynamics, or facial pipelines).
  • Familiarity with modern sports tech domains (stadium generation, dynamic crowd systems, realistic biomechanics, or apparel capture).
  • Background in C++ development or extending DCC plugins.

Pay Transparency - North America

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The ranges listed below are what EA in good faith expects to pay applicants for this role in these locations at the time of this posting. If you reside in a different location, a recruiter will advise on the applicable range and benefits. Pay offered will be determined based on a number of relevant business and candidate factors (e.g. education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, or business needs).

PAY RANGES

Pay is just one part of the overall compensation at EA.

For Canada, we offer a package of benefits including vacation (3 weeks per year to start), 10 days per year of sick time, paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when you welcome a new child (12 weeks for maternity, and 4 weeks for parental/adoption leave), extended health/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.

About Electronic Arts

Weโ€™re proud to have an extensive portfolio of games and experiences, locations around the world, and opportunities across EA. We value adaptability, resilience, creativity, and curiosity. From leadership that brings out your potential, to creating space for learning and experimenting, we empower you to do great work and pursue opportunities for growth.

We adopt a holistic approach to our benefits programs, emphasizing physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support a balanced life. Our packages are tailored to meet local needs and may include healthcare coverage, mental well-being support, retirement savings, paid time off, family leaves, complimentary games, and more. We nurture environments where our teams can always bring their best to what they do.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.

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