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Key Animator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Mattel

Sr Manager, TV Animation

El Segundo, CA · On-site

$112K - $128K/yr

This role serves as a key creative lead across assigned projects, partnering closely with internal ... Reporting to the Sr. Director, Mattel Studios Animation Creative (Adult & Four-Quad), this position ...

Mattel

Sr Manager, TV Animation

El Segundo, CA · On-site

$112K - $128K/yr

This role serves as a key creative lead across assigned projects, partnering closely with internal ... Reporting to the Sr. Director, Mattel Studios Animation Creative (Adult & Four-Quad), this position ...

Mattel

Sr Manager, TV Animation

El Segundo, CA · On-site

$112K - $128K/yr

This role serves as a key creative lead across assigned projects, partnering closely with internal ... Reporting to the Sr. Director, Mattel Studios Animation Creative (Adult & Four-Quad), this position ...

Mattel

Sr Manager, TV Animation

El Segundo, CA · On-site

$150 - $210/hr

This role serves as a key creative lead across assigned projects, partnering closely with internal ... Reporting to the Sr. Director, Mattel Studios Animation Creative (Adult & Four-Quad), this position ...

Hearst

Senior Social Editor & Animator

New York, NY · Hybrid

$88K - $94K/yr

From AI-enhanced storytelling to scroll-stopping animations, this role is at the cutting edge of ... Key Responsibilities (What You're Doing) * Edit and design social-first branded content including ...

Hearst

Senior Social Editor & Animator

Manhattan, NY · Hybrid

$88K - $94K/yr

From AI-enhanced storytelling to scroll-stopping animations, this role is at the cutting edge of ... Key Responsibilities (What You're Doing) * Edit and design social-first branded content including ...

Hearst

Senior Social Editor & Animator

Manhattan, NY · Hybrid

$88K - $94K/yr

From AI-enhanced storytelling to scroll-stopping animations, this role is at the cutting edge of ... Key Responsibilities (What You're Doing) * Edit and design social-first branded content including ...

Hearst

Senior Social Editor & Animator

Manhattan, NY · Hybrid

$88K - $94K/yr

From AI-enhanced storytelling to scroll-stopping animations, this role is at the cutting edge of ... Key Responsibilities (What You're Doing) * Edit and design social-first branded content including ...

Hearst

Senior Social Editor & Animator

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$88K - $94K/yr

From AI-enhanced storytelling to scroll-stopping animations, this role is at the cutting edge of ... Key Responsibilities (What You're Doing) * Edit and design social-first branded content including ...

Hearst

Senior Social Editor & Animator

New York, NY · Hybrid

$88K - $94K/yr

From AI-enhanced storytelling to scroll-stopping animations, this role is at the cutting edge of ... Key Responsibilities (What You're Doing) * Edit and design social-first branded content including ...

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Key Animator information

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How much do key animator jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average hourly pay for key animator in the United States is $39.41, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $21.88 and $63.94 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a typical workflow for a key animator on an animation project?

As a Key Animator, your typical workflow involves receiving storyboards or layouts, creating key frames that define critical poses or movements, and collaborating closely with directors and other animators to maintain the animation’s style and timing. You’ll often review and adjust your work based on feedback, ensuring consistency and fluidity before handing off sequences to in-between animators. Communication and regular check-ins with other departments, such as layout and clean-up, are common to align on visual direction. This process requires both creative input and technical accuracy to bring animated sequences to life as envisioned.

What does a key animator do?

A Key Animator is responsible for creating the primary frames of an animation, known as keyframes, which define the movement and actions of characters or objects. They establish the foundation for the animation by setting poses and timing, ensuring smooth transitions between frames. Key Animators work closely with directors and animation teams to maintain consistency and quality. Their work is crucial in bringing scenes to life by emphasizing motion, emotion, and storytelling within an animation project.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the key animator position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Key Animator, you need advanced drawing skills, a strong understanding of animation principles, and relevant experience or a degree in animation or a related field. Proficiency with industry-standard software such as Adobe Animate, Toon Boom Harmony, or TVPaint is typically required. Attention to detail, creative problem solving, and the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively are important soft skills. These capabilities ensure high-quality animation sequences and efficient teamwork within fast-paced production schedules.

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What job categories do people searching Key Animator jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Key Animator jobs are:

Key Animator jobs near you
Infographic showing various Key Animator job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 85% Full Time, 12% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $81,974 per year, or $39.4 per hour.

Senior Technical Animator - Unpublished R&D Product

Riot Games

Los Angeles, CA • On-site

$114K - $130K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 24 days ago

Job description

As a Senior Technical Artist (Technical Animation), you'll define and maintain the systems that bring our characters and creatures to life including complex animation state machines, layered interactions, and IK-driven behaviors in our upcoming MMO. Working at the intersection of animation, design, and engineering, you'll build scalable animation graphs, ensure believable motion, and optimize performance across a vast, dynamic world.
You'll collaborate with animators, designers, and engineers to develop robust Unreal Engine animation systems that balance scalability, fidelity, and efficiency. As a key bridge between creative intent and technical execution, you'll drive the evolution of our animation framework and ensure seamless, high-quality integration across the game.
Responsibilities:
  • Build and maintain complex animation state machines, layered animation systems, and override logic supporting split-body for player characters, NPCs, creatures, and props.
  • Collaborate with animators, character tech artists, and designers to develop efficient, believable, and tech-friendly animation flows.
  • Define best practices for animation setup while owning the debuggability, documentation, maintainability, and long-term health of animation blueprints and graphs within Unreal Engine.
  • Partner with engineers to build and evolve animation runtime systems and debugging workflows.
  • Drive optimization efforts across animation assets and graphs to meet performance and memory targets.
  • Collaborate with cross-discipline partners to ensure character systems scale effectively across massive multiplayer environments.
  • Develop scalable animation retargeting strategies to support characters and creatures of varying proportions while minimizing animation counts.
Required Qualifications:
  • 8+ years of professional experience as a technical animator or technical artist in games or related industries.
  • Deep expertise with Unreal Engine animation workflows, including complex Animation Blueprints, state machines, blend spaces, and layered animation systems.
  • Proven experience designing scalable, reusable animation systems for large-scope character setups, including players, NPCs, and creatures.
  • Strong art foundation with a deep understanding of animation principles, anatomy, and motion.
  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate across art, design, and engineering disciplines
Desired Qualifications:
  • Experience with Unreal Control Rig and Sequencer
  • Familiarity with C++ and/or Python within Unreal Engine.
  • Expertise in Autodesk Maya for rigging and animation support.
  • Experience working with software likeKawaii, Chaos, Havok.
  • Prior experience supporting MMO or large-scale games with complex character ecosystems.
  • Experience with runtime IK, or motion warping

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, and your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this could be your role!
Our Perks:
Riot focuses on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy and other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.
At Riot Games, we put players first. That mission drives every decision in our quest to create games and experiences that make it better to be a player. Whether you're working directly on a new player-facing experience or you're supporting the company as a whole, everyone at Riot is part of our mission. And just like in our games, we're better when we work together. Our goal is to create collaborative teams where you are empowered to bring your unique perspective everyday. If that sounds like the kind of place you want to work, we're looking forward to your application.
It's our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the Washington Fair Chance Act.
Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:
  • Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company data
  • Communication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors
  • Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networks
  • Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players and other Rioters

These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security.
(Los Angeles Only) Base salary range between $185,200.00 - $258,000.00 USD + incentive compensation + equity + 401K with company match + medical, dental, vision, and life insurance + short and long-term disability + open PTO.
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About Riot Games

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Riot Games was founded in 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill with the intent to change the way video games are made and supported for players. In 2009, Riot released its debut title League of Legends to worldwide acclaim. The game has since gone on to become the most played PC game in the world and a key driver of the explosive growth of esports. Players are the foundation of our community and it's for them we continue to evolve and improve the League of Legends experience.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

1,001 - 5,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Los Angeles, CA, US

Year founded

2006

Social media

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