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Environment Artist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Epic Games

Senior Environment Artist

Cary, NC · On-site

$117K - $140K/yr

Our Senior Environment Artists are highly talented, creative, and versatile individuals who build the aesthetically groundbreaking and technically advanced environments used in our games. In this ...

Thatgamecompany

3D Environment Artist (Sky)

$60K/yr

As an Environment Artist, you will work with the Creative Director, Art Leads, Vis Dev Artists and other Environment Artists to create landscapes, spaces, and models for the world of Sky: Children of ...

Rockstar Games

Artist: Environment

Andover, MA

$128K - $154K/yr

Rockstar is on the lookout for a talented Environment Artist with a passion for game development. This is a full-time, in-office position based out of Rockstar's development studio in Andover, MA.

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How much do environment artist jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 9, 2026, the average hourly pay for environment artist in the United States is $30.24, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $21.63 and $37.02 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

To thrive as an Environment Artist, you need strong artistic abilities in 3D modeling, texturing, and a solid understanding of color, composition, and lighting, often supported by a degree in art, design, or a related field. Mastery of industry-standard tools such as Autodesk Maya, Blender, ZBrush, and Unreal Engine or Unity, as well as familiarity with PBR workflows, is typically required. Creativity, attention to detail, and strong collaboration and communication skills help you stand out in this role. These skills ensure the creation of immersive, visually compelling environments that enhance the overall quality and storytelling of games or films.

How does an Environment Artist typically collaborate with other departments during a game development project?

Environment Artists work closely with level designers, concept artists, and technical artists to ensure that the visual aspects of the game's world align with gameplay requirements and artistic vision. This collaboration often involves regular meetings to discuss level layouts, asset requirements, and optimization needs. Environment Artists may also coordinate with lighting artists and programmers to ensure environments are both visually appealing and technically efficient. Effective communication and teamwork are essential, as changes in design or gameplay can impact how environments are built or adjusted throughout development.

What is the difference between Environment Artist vs Environment Designer?

AspectEnvironment ArtistEnvironment Designer
CredentialsTypically requires a degree in art, 3D modeling, or related fieldOften requires a background in game design, art, or related discipline
Work EnvironmentWorks primarily in 3D modeling software, game engines, and art toolsFocuses on conceptualizing and designing environment layouts and gameplay spaces
Industry UsageCommonly employed in game development, film, and animationPrimarily used in game design, level creation, and interactive media

Environment Artists focus on creating detailed 3D models and textures for environments, while Environment Designers plan and conceptualize the layout and gameplay aspects of environments. Both roles are essential in game development but differ in their core responsibilities and skill sets.

What are environment artists?

Environment artists are professionals in the video game, film, or animation industries who are responsible for creating the visual environments where the action takes place. They design and build landscapes, buildings, and props, ensuring that these elements fit the overall style and narrative of the project. Their work involves modeling, texturing, and lighting to produce immersive and believable worlds. Environment artists collaborate closely with other artists and designers to optimize assets for performance while maintaining visual quality.

What Does an Environment Artist Do?

An environment artist is a digital animator that creates background art, typically in the video game industry. As an environment artist, your duties center on creating the environment in which the video game characters exist. This can range from creating in-game props to designing the textures for the entire landscape of the game. However, the job usually focuses on the objects in the background as opposed to the background itself. While it’s possible to work on independent video games, larger game developers are much more likely to have the resources to hire designated environment artists. You may also find work on animated film and video projects. Qualifications for this career include extensive 3D modeling experience and excellent design and rendering software skills.

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Environment Artist jobs near you
Infographic showing various Environment Artist job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 90% Full Time, and 10% Contract. Highlights an 70% In-person, and 30% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $62,907 per year, or $30.2 per hour.
Senior Environment Artist

Senior Environment Artist

Epic Games

Cary, NC • On-site

$117K - $140K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 7 days ago

Job description

WHAT MAKES US EPIC?
At the core of Epic's success are talented, passionate people. Epic prides itself on creating a collaborative, welcoming, and creative environment. Whether it's building award-winning games or crafting engine technology that enables others to make visually stunning interactive experiences, we're always innovating.
Being Epic means being a part of a team that continually strives to do right by our community and users. We're constantly innovating to raise the bar of engine and game development.
ART
What We Do
Push your artistic talent to the limit on a team of world-class environment, character and concept artists who strive to innovate and inspire.
What You'll Do
Epic Games is looking for experienced Senior Environment Artists to help build several initiatives as part of our collaboration with Disney. Our Senior Environment Artists are highly talented, creative, and versatile individuals who build the aesthetically groundbreaking and technically advanced environments used in our games. In this role, you will work directly with a world-class art team to help create exciting and compelling environments and own points of interest that will invite the player to discover and explore.
In this role, you will
  • Taking basic game designs and concept art, utilizing Unreal Engine, and bringing new points of interest to life, by collaborating with a variety of stakeholders, as an environment art point of contact
  • As an environment art point of contact you will work closely with Leads and Production to ensure a high-quality delivery of work through tasking and prioritizing deliverables, driving creative conversation with your level design partner, and maintaining clear and open lines of communication
  • Working in pre-production by contributing to ideation, building prototypes for both environmental sets and environmental gameplay needs - helping to ensure team success throughout the upcoming production cycle
  • Building and texturing assets, namely focused on architectural and thematic sets, that Level Design will use to dress the environments
  • Being an expert in 3D asset creation in DCC tools, such as 3DS Max, Maya, Blender, ZBrush. Strong knowledge of baking and texturing tools, such as Marmoset, Substance Painter and Designer, in order to develop assets in a high-to-low poly baking process, utilizing tileable textures, trim sheets, and unique unwraps, and displacement map creation
  • Strong understanding of performance restraints, and developing for multiple platforms
  • Providing mentorship to other Environment Artists, and making the team around them stronger through individual guidance, tutorial and documentation creation, and leading by example through setting and raising our high bar of quality and timeliness
What we're looking for
  • At minimum, 5 years of professional experience in the video game industry building environments and assets for shipped titles
  • At minimum, 3 shipped titles which exhibit AAA game quality art
  • Online portfolio of previous professional and personal work
  • Excellent written and verbal English communication skills
EPIC JOB + EPIC BENEFITS = EPIC LIFE
Our intent is to cover all things that are medically necessary and improve the quality of life. We pay 100% of the premiums for both you and your dependents. Our coverage includes Medical, Dental, a Vision HRA, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance & a 401k with competitive match. We also offer a robust mental well-being program through Modern Health, which provides free therapy and coaching for employees & dependents. Throughout the year we celebrate our employees with events and company-wide paid breaks. We offer unlimited PTO and sick time and recognize individuals for 7 years of employment with a paid sabbatical.
ABOUT US
Epic Games spans across 25 countries with 46 studios and 4,500+ employees globally. For over 25 years, we've been making award-winning games and engine technology that empowers others to make visually stunning games and 3D content that bring environments to life like never before. Epic's award-winning Unreal Engine technology not only provides game developers the ability to build high-fidelity, interactive experiences for PC, console, mobile, and VR, it is also a tool being embraced by content creators across a variety of industries such as media and entertainment, automotive, and architectural design. As we continue to build our Engine technology and develop remarkable games, we strive to build teams of world-class talent.
Like what you hear? Come be a part of something Epic!
Epic Games deeply values diverse teams and an inclusive work culture, and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. Learn more about our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy here.
Note to Recruitment Agencies: Epic does not accept any unsolicited resumes or approaches from any unauthorized third party (including recruitment or placement agencies) (i.e., a third party with whom we do not have a negotiated and validly executed agreement). We will not pay any fees to any unauthorized third party. Further details on these matters can be found here.

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