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Entry Level Game Environment Artist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Miami Valley Gaming

Gaming Mechanic

Lebanon, OH · On-site

$18.36/hr

If this sounds like the right entry-level hospitality opportunity for you, apply for this exciting ... But whatever the future holds, for now, you enjoy working in a fun and friendly environment where ...

Insomniac Games

Lead VFX Artist

$153K - $230K/yr

The Lead VFX Artist is responsible for managing and developing a visual effects team. Has the ... Collaborate with multiple disciplines to support gameplay, characters, cinematics, environments ...

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Entry Level Game Environment Artist information

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$37K

$123.1K

$196K

How much do entry level game environment artist jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for entry level game environment artist in the United States is $123,136.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $79,000.00 and $170,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an Entry Level Game Environment Artist do?

An Entry Level Game Environment Artist creates the visual backgrounds and settings for video games, such as landscapes, buildings, and props. They work closely with other artists and designers to ensure the environment fits the game’s style and story. Their tasks often involve modeling, texturing, and lighting 3D assets using software like Maya, Blender, or Unreal Engine. Entry-level artists are typically responsible for simpler assets and may assist with polishing or optimizing environments created by senior team members.

What is the difference between Entry Level Game Environment Artist vs Junior 3D Environment Artist?

AspectEntry Level Game Environment ArtistJunior 3D Environment Artist
Required SkillsBasic 3D modeling, texturing, knowledge of game enginesFundamental 3D modeling, environment creation, software proficiency
ExperienceLimited professional experience or internshipsSimilar entry-level experience, internships preferred
Work EnvironmentGame studios, indie developers, educational projectsGame development teams, freelance projects, internships
Common UsageEntry-level position for aspiring environment artistsInitial role for those starting in environment art

Both roles are entry-level positions focused on environment creation for games, requiring foundational skills in 3D modeling and texturing. The terms are often used interchangeably, with slight variations depending on the employer. They serve as starting points for careers in game environment art, offering opportunities to develop skills and gain industry experience.

What are some typical challenges faced by entry level game environment artists when working on large projects?

Entry level game environment artists often encounter challenges such as adapting to established workflows, managing tight deadlines, and maintaining consistency with the overall visual style set by senior artists. Collaborating with other departments, like level design and technical art, can also require strong communication skills to ensure assets integrate smoothly into the game. Additionally, learning to optimize assets for performance while preserving visual quality is a common learning curve for newcomers in the industry.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Entry Level Game Environment Artist, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Entry Level Game Environment Artist, you need a solid understanding of 3D modeling, texturing, and digital art fundamentals, typically supported by a portfolio and a relevant degree or coursework. Familiarity with industry-standard software such as Autodesk Maya, Blender, Substance Painter, and game engines like Unreal Engine or Unity is commonly expected. Attention to detail, creativity, and the ability to collaborate effectively with team members are crucial soft skills. These competencies ensure you can produce visually compelling environments that enhance gameplay and meet project standards in a collaborative development setting.
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What cities are hiring for Entry Level Game Environment Artist jobs? Cities with the most Entry Level Game Environment Artist job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Game Environment Artist jobs? The most popular types of Game Environment Artist jobs are:
What states have the most Entry Level Game Environment Artist jobs? States with the most job openings for Entry Level Game Environment Artist jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Entry Level Game Environment Artist jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Entry Level Game Environment Artist jobs are:
Entry Level Game Environment Artist jobs near you
Infographic showing various Entry Level Game Environment Artist job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 4% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $123,136 per year, or $59.2 per hour.
VFX Artist - GameSim - Talent Pipeline

VFX Artist - GameSim - Talent Pipeline

Keywords Studios

New Orleans, LA • On-site, Remote

Full-time

Posted 6 days ago

Job description

GameSim is a game development studio that partners with clients to build games across PC/console and a range of art styles. We care about craftsmanship, collaboration, and shipping work we're proud to put our names on. If you love building environments and believable spaces we'd like to meet you. Our headquarters is based in Orlando, FL!

Talent Pipeline Posting Notice
Please note that this posting is not tied to an immediate vacancy. We are proactively building a pipeline of qualified candidates in anticipation of potential hiring needs over the coming months. Applications will be reviewed and retained for future consideration as opportunities arise.

We are looking for a VFX Artist with strong real-time effects skills, solid technical judgment, and the potential to grow into broader lead responsibilities over time.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys creating high-quality visual effects while also helping teams stay aligned, organized, and efficient. Depending on the project, this person may contribute directly to hands-on VFX production, in-engine implementation, feedback, task breakdowns, optimization, workflow documentation, and cross-discipline collaboration.

Because our projects can vary widely in style, scope, platform, and client needs, we are looking for an adaptable VFX artist with strong fundamentals, a practical production mindset, and the ability to translate creative or design direction into clear, executable effects work.

This is a hands-on production role with opportunities to support small pods or strike teams, guide VFX quality, mentor other artists, and grow toward lead-level responsibilities.

This role offers flexible work options, including remote, hybrid or in-office arrangements.

Responsibilities
  • Create custom real-time visual effects and implement them in-engine using Unreal Engine 5, Unity, or proprietary tools.
  • Build high-quality effects for gameplay, environments, cinematics, atmosphere, combat, interaction, destruction, UI/game feedback, and other project needs.
  • Create all necessary textures, flipbooks, materials, meshes, simulations, and supporting assets for real-time VFX.
  • Maintain clean, readable, well-structured material graphs, Niagara systems, parameters, naming conventions, and reusable effect setups.
  • Use tools such as Photoshop, Substance Designer, Blender, Houdini, Maya, EmberGen, or other software as needed to support effect creation.
  • Work with complex material setups, Blueprints, scripting hooks, animation events, gameplay triggers, or engine-specific implementation needs.
  • Troubleshoot VFX issues in partnership with Technical Art, Engineering, Design, Animation, Audio, and other disciplines.
  • Own VFX optimization fundamentals, including particle counts, overdraw, shader cost, texture memory, spawn rates, scalability settings, and platform performance constraints.
  • Help ensure effects are readable, performant, and aligned with gameplay needs, art direction, timing, mood, and player feedback.
  • Review work from internal artists, partner studios, or external vendors and provide clear, constructive, actionable feedback.
  • Help maintain a consistent quality bar across a set of effects, a feature, a level, or a small team pod.
  • Support short-term planning by helping break down VFX requests into clear tasks, priorities, dependencies, risks, and definitions of done.
  • Proactively identify production risks, including missing gameplay hooks, performance spikes, unclear direction, pipeline gaps, dependency issues, or inconsistent style execution.
  • Collaborate closely with Designers, Concept Artists, Art Directors, Technical Artists, Engineers, Animators, Audio Designers, and Producers.
  • Support client-facing communication when needed by clarifying requirements, sharing WIP, explaining constraints, and aligning on expected outcomes.
  • Contribute to VFX workflow improvements, reusable templates, documentation, libraries, naming standards, or scalability rules when appropriate.
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About Keywords Studios

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Whatever the scale of your project, whatever the time frame, whatever your location: Keywords is here for you, bringing our network of 13,000+ people and 70+ studios together to deliver the unified solutions you need. We offer everything necessary to ensure your project achieves its full potential and that strategic opportunities are turned into long-term growth. The games industry is complex and fast-moving. Working with Keywords allows you to remain lean and agile, and to remain focused on creating the world’s most immersive playing experiences. Our network of studios brings best-in-class experience, expertise, technology and capacity across the full development, release and player-support lifecycle.

Industry

Arts, entertainment, and recreation

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Burbank, CA, US

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