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Senior Animator Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Senior Gameplay Animator

Orange, CA ยท On-site

$88K - $120K/yr

As a Senior Gameplay Animator, you will conceptualize, design, develop and execute 3D animations. You will collaborate across teams to bring these animations and Ember Lab work to life! Description

Senior Robot Animator

San Mateo, CA ยท On-site

$120K - $137K/yr

Position Overview We're looking for a Senior Robot Animator to help bring our robots to life. In this role, you'll work closely with our robotics, simulation, and hardware teams to rig, animate, and ...

Senior Gameplay Animator

Orange, CA ยท On-site

$88K - $120K/yr

As a Senior Gameplay Animator, you will conceptualize, design, develop and execute 3D animations. You will collaborate across teams to bring these animations and Ember Lab work to life! Description

Senior Gameplay Animator

Orange, CA ยท On-site

$88K - $120K/yr

As a Senior Gameplay Animator, you will conceptualize, design, develop and execute 3D animations. You will collaborate across teams to bring these animations and Ember Lab work to life! Description

Senior Robot Animator

San Mateo, CA ยท On-site

$100K - $300K/yr

Position Overview We're looking for a Senior Robot Animator to help bring our robots to life. In this role, you'll work closely with our robotics, simulation, and hardware teams to rig, animate, and ...

Lead Animator

Novato, CA ยท On-site

$123K - $182K/yr

Shipped multiple AAA titles as a Lead, Team Lead, or Senior Animator ideally utilizing Unreal Engine. * Deep knowledge of gameplay and AI animation systems, animation graph/data integration, motion ...

Lead Animator

Novato, CA ยท Remote

$123K - $182K/yr

Shipped multiple AAA titles as a Lead, Team Lead, or Senior Animator ideally utilizing Unreal Engine. * Deep knowledge of gameplay and AI animation systems, animation graph/data integration, motion ...

Lead Animator

Novato, CA ยท On-site

$123K - $182K/yr

Shipped multiple AAA titles as a Lead, Team Lead, or Senior Animator ideally utilizing Unreal Engine. * Deep knowledge of gameplay and AI animation systems, animation graph/data integration, motion ...

Lead Animator

Novato, CA ยท On-site

$123K - $182K/yr

Shipped multiple AAA titles as a Lead, Team Lead, or Senior Animator ideally utilizing Unreal Engine. * Deep knowledge of gameplay and AI animation systems, animation graph/data integration, motion ...

Senior Gaming Animator

Redwood City, CA ยท On-site

$129K - $148K/yr

Drive animation performance without pushing out of a believable and realistic style; your hand-keyed work will fit seamlessly with motion capture * Join forces with designers and engineers to create ...

Lead Animator

Novato, CA ยท On-site

$150 - $200/hr

Shipped multiple AAA titles as a Lead, Team Lead, or Senior Animator ideally utilizing Unreal Engine. * Deep knowledge of gameplay and AI animation systems, animation graph/data integration, motion ...

Senior Gaming Animator

Redwood City, CA

$129K - $148K/yr

Drive animation performance without pushing out of a believable and realistic style; your hand-keyed work will fit seamlessly with motion capture * Join forces with designers and engineers to create ...

Sr Manager, TV Animation

El Segundo, CA

$112K - $128K/yr

Reporting to the Sr. Director, Mattel Studios Animation Creative (Adult & Four-Quad), this position requires an experienced creative executive with a proven ability to manage projects across ...

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Showing results 1-20

Senior Animator information

See California salary details

$76K

$111.2K

$120.4K

How much do senior animator jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior animator in California is $111,231.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $104,600.00 and $119,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a senior animator?

A Senior Animator is a highly skilled professional responsible for creating high-quality animations for films, video games, advertisements, or other media. They lead animation projects, collaborate with designers and directors, and ensure character movements and visual effects align with the creative vision. Senior Animators also mentor junior team members, refine animation workflows, and help maintain consistency in style and quality. Strong artistic ability, technical proficiency in animation software, and experience in storytelling are essential for this role.

What are the common responsibilities of a senior animator on a production team?

As a Senior Animator, you are responsible for creating high-quality animation sequences, collaborating closely with directors and other departments to achieve the project's visual style. You will review and provide feedback on the work of junior animators, help troubleshoot animation challenges, and participate in planning meetings. Daily tasks often include refining complex shots, ensuring animation consistency, and integrating feedback from supervisors. These responsibilities allow you to have a direct impact on the final product and support the overall creative direction of the team.

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

To thrive as a Senior Animator, you need advanced animation and storytelling skills, a strong portfolio, and typically a degree in animation, fine arts, or a related field. Proficiency in industry-standard software such as Autodesk Maya, Adobe After Effects, and Toon Boom Harmony is essential, along with knowledge of the latest animation techniques and pipelines. Leadership, communication, and mentorship abilities help you collaborate effectively and guide junior animators. These skills ensure high-quality animation production, foster team growth, and support the creative vision of complex projects.

How much do senior animators make?

Senior animators typically earn between $70,000 and $120,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. They often have advanced skills in animation software like Maya or Adobe After Effects and may lead projects or teams.

What do senior animators do?

Senior animators create and oversee animated sequences for films, TV shows, video games, or advertisements, often leading a team of junior animators. They develop storyboards, design characters, and use software like Maya or Adobe Animate to produce high-quality animations, ensuring projects meet artistic and technical standards. They also collaborate with directors and clients to achieve the desired visual style and may be responsible for mentoring less experienced staff.

What are the most commonly searched types of Animator jobs in California?

The most popular types of Animator jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Senior Animator jobs in California?

For Senior Animator jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Animator jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Animator jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Senior Animator jobs?

Cities in California with the most Senior Animator job openings:

Infographic showing various Senior Animator job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 2% Internship, 89% Full Time, 6% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 64% Physical, 11% Hybrid, and 25% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $111,231 per year, or $53.5 per hour.

Senior Cinematics Animator - Treyarch - Vancouver, BC

Treyarch

Los Angeles, CA โ€ข On-site

$114K - $130K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 4 days ago


Job description

Job Title:Senior Cinematics Animator - Treyarch - Vancouver, BCRequisition ID:R028123Job Description:

Treyarch is looking for a world-class, industry-leading Senior Animator for our future projects. In this role, you will help inspire the team by creating the highest quality animations while pushing the boundaries of gameplay, storytelling, and technology. The ideal candidate is passionate about animation and has a strong understanding of animation principles, body mechanics, Cinematography, Maya, and motion-capture editing techniques.

A successful Senior Animator will bridge animation, engineering, and design to identify potential issues and deploy correct solutions. You must be highly organized and have outstanding communication skills. While working with a Lead Animator, you will champion the animation vision and become an essential pillar of the animation team. Additionally, a Senior Animator will provide relevant input that will influence animation technology development, resources, and tool development.

This role can be based in either our Vancouver, BC or our Playa Vista, CA office and follows an onsite work schedule of four days per week. Work arrangements may change at the company's discretion to meet business needs.

What you'll do...

  • Produce high-quality animations using the tools at your disposal, with a focus on character performances and gameplay.

  • Collaborate with animators, designers, artists, and software engineers to identify and address areas of need or concern.

  • Contribute to the development of new techniques and processes involved in the implementation and creation of animations.

  • Participate in the planning and directing process of motion capture shoots.

  • Identify potential areas of risk, create/implement mitigation plans before issues happen, and keep yourself operating at a high level of productivity.

To succeed you should have...

  • A great understanding of realistic body mechanics as well as animation principles.

  • Mentorship skills.

  • Facial animation experience.

  • Expert knowledge of Maya.

  • Expert knowledge of animation implementation and debugging techniques.

  • Excellent organizational, communication and interpersonal skills, and be a self-starter and problem solver.

  • 8+ years of proven experience in the game industry, with experience shipping AAA titles, ideally at least one as a Senior Animator.

We'd love it if you also have...

  • Creature animation experience.

  • Storyboard skills.

  • Mentorship skills.

  • Strong film language, composition, and camera animation skills.

  • Experience working with outsourcing.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! At Activision Blizzard, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

About Treyarch

Founded in 1996, Treyarch is a videogame studio whose purpose is to create awesome games for the world to enjoy. With this purpose in mind, we crafted the award winning Call of Duty: Black Ops series and pioneered the fan favorite Zombies mode.

At Treyarch, we empower the team to be individually driven to innovate on our games, processes, and culture. How we do things is just as important as what we do.

Studio culture and development, we believe it's a team effort and that collaboration and hearing one another is key. Every day we face the large and small challenges together and every voice matters.

These values guide us in our mission to create moments that matter. Both to the players and to us, the creators. In an era where triumphs and defeats are readily shared, seeing players engage with our creations gives us great pride. Come help us create that next moment.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to candidate-accommodations@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

To learn more about our studio, please visit us at www.treyarch.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/treyarch, and @treyarch on Twitter.

Rewards
We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for 'Every World' - we've got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

  • Extended health plan, including medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, for employees and their dependents, as well as disability insurance;
  • RRSP with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
  • Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
  • Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other benefit programs like supplemental life & critical illness, legal service, and others;
  • If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.


Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company.

The standard base pay range for this role is $87,150.00 - $171,960.00 CAD. These values reflect the expected annualized base pay range of new hires in British Columbia, Canada. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance and location. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed.Employment Type: OTHER