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Freelance Animation Character Design Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Human Computer Lab

Character Artist

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$142K - $149K/yr

Are pursuing a degree in screen-writing, animation, character design, industrial design, or a related field - or have equivalent hands-on portfolio experience. * Have a portfolio that shows character ...

Leland

Animation & CGI Coach

$108K - $123K/yr

... character design, storyboarding, motion graphics, rendering, and visual effects. Coaches also guide ... Ideal candidates have significant professional experience in animation or CGI (studio, freelance ...

Skydance

Character Designer

Santa Monica, CA

$2.9K - $4.0K/wk

Skydance Animation is seeking an experienced Character Designer to join our team on an upcoming ... From early concept exploration to final design execution, you will craft compelling, expressive ...

Skydance

Character Designer

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$2.9K - $4.0K/wk

Skydance Animation is seeking an experienced Character Designer to join our team on an upcoming ... From early concept exploration to final design execution, you will craft compelling, expressive ...

Side

3D Character Artist - Talent Pool (N Americas)

$123K - $130K/yr

Strong understanding of anatomy, proportion, weight, and volume as they relate to character design and animation. * Experience with high- and low-poly modeling, texturing, and shading techniques.

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Freelance Animation Character Design information

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$132

How much do freelance animation character design jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 20, 2026, the average hourly pay for freelance animation character design in the United States is $47.71, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $24.28 and $61.78 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Freelance Animation Character Design vs Freelance 3D Modeler?

AspectFreelance Animation Character DesignFreelance 3D Modeler
Skills & CredentialsDrawing, illustration, character concept skills, portfolio3D modeling, software proficiency (e.g., Blender, Maya), portfolio
Work EnvironmentCreative studios, remote, client meetingsRemote, studio, or on-site, client collaboration
Industry UsageAnimation, gaming, advertisingGaming, film, product visualization
Search & Comparison IntentClients seeking character design for animation projectsClients needing 3D models for various media

While both roles involve digital artistry, Freelance Animation Character Designers focus on creating 2D character concepts and illustrations for animation and media, whereas Freelance 3D Modelers specialize in building three-dimensional models for various applications. Understanding these differences helps clients find the right freelancer for their project needs.

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Freelance Animation Character Design jobs near you
Infographic showing various Freelance Animation Character Design job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 89% Full Time, 7% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 83% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 12% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $99,230 per year, or $47.7 per hour.

Character Artist

Human Computer Lab

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$142K - $149K/yr

Full-time

Posted 16 days ago

Job description

Human Computer Lab is a research lab building character robots that feel alive and responsive. Our first robot, LeLamp, explores a new category of consumer robotics where everyday objects become interactive and help us reshape our attachment to technology.
Our goal is to push the frontier of human-robot interaction by making technology more legible, emotionally intuitive, and human-centered. We are building the foundation for a new generation of robots designed for everyday environments.
What to expect
We're looking for a character artist to help define how LeLamp looks, moves, and feels - the visual and expressive language that makes a robot read as alive rather than mechanical. You'll work on everything from early concept sketches and mood boards to the motion, gesture, and lighting cues that give the robot its personality, translating character intent into something the hardware and software teams can actually build and ship. This role requires tight, fast-cycling collaboration with electrical, mechanical, and software teams - character decisions here don't stay on paper, they become motor curves, timing, and light behavior. You'll work closely with the CEO and founding team to shape the character identity of LeLamp and the robots that follow.
In this role, you will:
  • Create concept art, mood boards, and character studies that define LeLamp's personality and visual identity.
  • Collaborate with the hardware team on form factor, silhouette, materials, and color to keep the physical design aligned with the character.
  • Design expressive motion - gestures, "emotional" states, and behaviors expressed through movement, light, and sound.
  • Prototype and iterate quickly, moving between sketches, renders, and physical mockups.
  • Partner with robotics and software engineers to translate character intent into concrete behavior parameters (motion curves, timing, lighting cues).
  • Build and maintain style guides and a character bible to keep the robot's expression consistent as the team grows.
  • Review hardware and software prototypes against the character vision and give clear, actionable feedback.
  • Support brand and marketing assets to keep the character consistent across every touchpoint.

You may be a good fit if you:
  • Are pursuing a degree in screen-writing, animation, character design, industrial design, or a related field - or have equivalent hands-on portfolio experience.
  • Have a portfolio that shows character design or expressive design work, in 2D or 3D.
  • Document clearly and can explain the reasoning behind a design choice, not just the choice itself.
  • Are comfortable iterating quickly, moving from rough sketch to testable prototype without waiting for a perfect brief.
  • Are genuinely interested in physical products, not just screen-based or purely digital characters.

You will be a strong fit, if you:
  • Have designed characters or mascots that had to work within real hardware or physical constraints, not just on a screen.
  • Understand core animation principles (timing, weight, squash and stretch, anticipation) and know how to translate them into motors, servos, and lighting.
  • Are comfortable collaborating directly with engineers, turning an abstract sense of "feel" into concrete specs they can build against.
  • Move quickly through iteration cycles and don't wait for perfect information to make progress.
  • Take ownership over your work end to end, from first sketch to a behavior that's live in the robot.
  • Work well in small, collaborative teams where character, electrical, and mechanical are in constant conversation.
  • Care about what the character enables: warmth, expressiveness, and the feeling that the robot is alive.

The early team becomes the DNA of the company. We set ourselves and others to a high standard, and we respond with kindness when things get hard but keep everyone accountable. This requires us to be curious, creative, and diverse in our thinking and approach.
We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer and consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Even if you don't meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. Studies show that women and underrepresented groups often hold back unless they meet 100% of the criteria - we don't want that to be the reason we miss out on great talent.

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