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Remote Character Rigger Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Principal Character Technical Artist

San Mateo, CA · On-site +1

$133.40K - $198K/yr

You will use your mastery of DCC applications, Unreal Engine 5, rigging, and complex character and ... The position is for an existing vacancy. #LI-Remote #LI-Onsite #LI-Hybrid

$117.50K - $140.70K/yr

... rigging, tooling, runtime setups, body and facial mocap, and animation handoff. You will advocate ... You will help shape how the team operates, developing trust-based relationships within our remote ...

Rigger

Manhattan, NY · On-site +1

$26.50 - $34.25/hr

... character performances, actions, and scenes based on scripts or storyboards Ensure smooth ... remote work flexibility Paid Time Off Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) coverage Annual ...

APG, MD OR remote Strong portfolio showcasing drawing skills, proficiency in industry-standard ... Experience in character rigging and skeletal animation. * Strong understanding of timing, pacing ...

APG, MD OR remote Strong portfolio showcasing drawing skills, proficiency in industry-standard ... Experience in character rigging and skeletal animation. * Strong understanding of timing, pacing ...

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Remote Character Rigger information

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$14

$26

$36

How much do remote character rigger jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 4, 2026, the average hourly pay for remote character rigger in the United States is $26.02, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $23.08 and $29.81 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Remote Character Rigger, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Remote Character Rigger, you need a solid understanding of 3D animation principles, rigging techniques, and proficiency in software like Autodesk Maya or Blender, often supported by a relevant degree or portfolio. Experience with rigging toolsets, scripting languages such as Python or MEL, and familiarity with game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine are typically required. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication are vital soft skills for collaborating remotely with artists and animators. These competencies ensure the creation of robust, animation-ready character rigs that meet production needs and facilitate seamless teamwork across distributed environments.

What are some common challenges faced by remote character riggers, and how can they be overcome?

Remote character riggers often face challenges with communication and file management, as collaborating on complex rigs requires clear feedback and version control. To overcome these challenges, it's important to use structured communication platforms, maintain detailed documentation, and leverage cloud-based file sharing or version control systems. Regular check-ins with animators and modelers help ensure rigs meet production needs and technical requirements. Building a disciplined workflow and being proactive in asking questions or clarifying specifications can greatly enhance productivity and team cohesion.

What are Remote Character Riggers?

Remote Character Riggers are specialists in the animation and gaming industries who create digital skeletons and control systems for 3D character models. Working remotely, they ensure characters can move realistically by designing and implementing rigs that animators use to bring characters to life. Their work involves close collaboration with modelers and animators to make sure the rigs are functional and meet the project's needs. Remote Character Riggers typically use software like Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max and communicate with teams via digital collaboration tools.

What is the difference between Remote Character Rigger vs Remote 3D Modeler?

AspectRemote Character RiggerRemote 3D Modeler
Required SkillsRigging, anatomy, animation basicsModeling, texturing, sculpting
Work EnvironmentAnimation studios, game development, VFXGame studios, animation, VFX
Common CertificationsNone mandatory, but relevant courses preferredNone mandatory, but relevant courses preferred

Remote Character Riggers focus on creating the skeletons and controls that animate 3D characters, requiring rigging and animation knowledge. Remote 3D Modelers primarily build the visual models, emphasizing modeling and texturing skills. Both roles often work in similar industries and environments but serve different stages of the 3D production pipeline.

More about Remote Character Rigger jobs
What cities are hiring for Remote Character Rigger jobs? Cities with the most Remote Character Rigger job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Character Rigger jobs? The most popular types of Character Rigger jobs are:
What states have the most Remote Character Rigger jobs? States with the most job openings for Remote Character Rigger jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Remote Character Rigger jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Remote Character Rigger jobs are:
Infographic showing various Remote Character Rigger job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Contract. Highlights an 98% Physical, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $54,114 per year, or $26 per hour.

Lead Rigger | North America | Canada | Europe | Fully Remote

Escape Velocity Entertainment Inc

Remote

$24.50 - $31.75/hr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, PTO

Posted 2 days ago


Job description

What we are looking for:
We are looking for a Lead Rigger to own our character rigging pipeline and lead our rigging team. You will work closely with Animation, Art Direction, and Production to define quality standards and technical workflows that enable high-fidelity character deformation and performance across all platforms. Your expertise in Maya rigging and Unreal animation and procedural systems - combined with strong tools development abilities - will establish best practices, mentor junior riggers, and drive the evolution of our characters as the game scales.
Requirements
What we will do together:
  • Oversee technical quality of character production: rigging, tools, deformations & simulations in our characters, weapons, and creatures.
  • Lead and mentor our Riggers and Character Technical Artists, fostering growth and accountability within the team.
  • Establish and drive adoption of best practices across the rigging pipeline in collaboration with Art, Animation, and Production teams.
  • Design & develop workflows and tooling that improve iteration speed, quality, and efficiency for riggers and animators.
  • Enhance characters in Unreal through procedural and secondary motion systems, including Control Rig, Physics, and other animation systems.
  • Find creative solutions to achieve secondary motion and optimization while maintaining high performance across all platforms.
  • Support Animation and Art teams with technical rigging expertise, problem-solving, and technical direction.
  • Work with outsourcing partners to establish successful workflows for external character rigging and development.

What you will bring:
  • Minimum five years of experience in the game industry with 2+ released game projects.
  • At least one released Unreal Engine game as a Rigger, Technical Animator, or Technical Artist.
  • Proven experience leading and mentoring a rigging or character technical team.
  • Expert-level rigging skills in Maya, mGear experience a plus.
  • Strong pipeline and tools development experience - designing, architecting, and maintaining rigging toolsets that improve team efficiency.
  • Highly proficient with Python or similar scripting languages for tools development in Maya and Unreal.
  • Highly experienced with Unreal's secondary motion systems, including Rigid Bodies, Cloth, Control Rig, and Anim Dynamics.
  • Excitement for dynamic, optimized characters and continuous process improvement.

Benefits
Interested... a bit about Escape Velocity:
Escape Velocity is a team of passionate, talented developers working at a studio that offers excellent benefits, on what we believe is a once-in-a-career project with a committed publisher. But that doesn't necessarily make us unique. What does make us special? We value the time, energy, and talent of our players and our colleagues. We want every hour spent developing and playing our games to be an incredibly rewarding and worthwhile use of your time. To that end, we are 'Fully Remote' and support team members nearly anywhere in the world. We prioritize honesty, even when that means sharing bad news. We strive to give everyone autonomy so they can determine how best to work and play, and we care more about what you bring to the game and studio than how many hours you're clocking. We're dedicated to building a culture of play, which not only makes us better game makers, but also strengthens the bonds between us all. We believe in constant improvement across all areas - from the game itself to our production design - and are constantly re-evaluating how we spend our time to ensure that we're not wasting yours and we're all always working on the most important things.
A few benefits you can expect from us:
  • A generous PTO allowance
  • Summer and Winter holidays studio closure (separate to PTO allowance)
  • Private Medical & Dental Healthcare
  • Private Mental Health scheme
  • A generous annual Health & Wellbeing allowance
  • Discretionary Studio Bonus
  • Top range tech for your home set up
  • Other benefits based on your region

How to apply:
Click apply and complete an application along with a Resume / CV. If we would like to move forward with your application, a member of the Recruiting Team will reach out to you and guide you through our process.
Escape Velocity is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring, promoting, and compensating employees based on their qualifications and demonstrated ability to perform job responsibilities.
Applications will be considered regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, belief, race, or any other protected category.