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Substance Designer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Framestore

Freelance: CG - Los Angeles

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$600 - $900/day

Maya, Houdini, Substance Designer, Substance Painter, Mari, and/or Photoshop * A working knowledge of Arnold * High level ability to produce great looking imagery across a range of styles; from photo ...

St. Joseph Center

Substance Abuse Counselor

Venice, CA · On-site

$25 - $33.50/hr

The duties and responsibilities listed are designed to provide typical examples of the work ... or substance use. * Experience and general knowledge of working with individuals who, may be ...

St. Joseph Center

Substance Abuse Counselor

Venice, CA

$25 - $33.50/hr

The duties and responsibilities listed are designed to provide typical examples of the work ... or substance use. * Experience and general knowledge of working with individuals who, may be ...

St. Joseph Center

Substance Abuse Counselor

Venice, CA

$25 - $33.50/hr

The duties and responsibilities listed are designed to provide typical examples of the work ... or substance use. * Experience and general knowledge of working with individuals who, may be ...

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All JobsSubstance Designer JobsSubstance Designer Jobs in California

Substance Designer information

See California salary details

$35K

$82.1K

$108.6K

How much do substance designer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for substance designer in California is $82,059.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $57,200.00 and $107,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a substance designer do?

A Substance Designer is a professional who creates procedural textures and materials using the Substance Designer software. They develop realistic or stylized surface details for use in video games, films, and visual effects, often requiring skills in texturing, shading, and understanding material properties. The role involves working closely with artists and developers to produce high-quality, optimized assets.

Is it worth learning Substance Designer?

Substance Designer is a valuable skill for roles involving procedural texturing and material creation in game development, VFX, and 3D modeling. Learning this software can enhance your ability to create complex, customizable textures and is often complemented by knowledge of other tools like Unreal Engine or Maya. Mastery of Substance Designer can improve job prospects in industries that require high-quality, efficient texturing workflows.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a substance designer?

To thrive as a Substance Designer, you need a strong background in 3D art and material creation, with proficiency in texture authoring and an understanding of PBR (Physically Based Rendering) workflows. Expertise with tools such as Adobe Substance 3D Designer, Painter, and familiarity with game engines like Unreal or Unity is highly valuable. Creativity, attention to detail, and effective communication skills are important for collaborating with art teams and delivering visually compelling materials. These skills ensure the production of high-quality, efficient assets that meet both technical and aesthetic requirements in industries like gaming, film, and visualization.

What is a substance designer?

A Substance Designer is a digital artist who specializes in creating procedural textures and materials using Adobe Substance 3D Designer. They develop high-quality, customizable materials for use in game development, visual effects, and architectural visualization. Their work involves designing node-based workflows to generate textures that can be easily modified for different projects.

What are common challenges faced by substance designers in game development projects?

Substance Designers in game development often encounter challenges such as balancing visual quality with optimization to ensure materials perform well in real-time environments. They may also need to adapt quickly to shifting art direction and feedback from multiple stakeholders, requiring both flexibility and strong problem-solving skills. Staying updated with rapidly evolving software tools and techniques is essential to remain competitive in the industry. Collaboration with environment artists, technical artists, and developers is a regular part of the role, which makes clear communication and teamwork crucial to project success.

What are the most commonly searched types of Substance Designer jobs in California? The most popular types of Substance Designer jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Substance Designer jobs in California? For Substance Designer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Substance Designer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Substance Designer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Substance Designer jobs? Cities in California with the most Substance Designer job openings:
Substance Designer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Substance Designer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Locum Tenens, 2% As Needed, 67% Full Time, 26% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 95% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $82,059 per year, or $39.5 per hour.

Freelance: CG - Los Angeles

Framestore

Santa Monica, CA • On-site

$600 - $900/day

Temporary

Re-posted 6 days ago

Job description

Framestore Integrated Advertising are always on the look-out for exceptional talent to join our award winning team. If you are a freelancer who would be interested in being kept on our books for future freelancing opportunities with our team then please submit your details to us - we would love to hear from you!
Our freelance opportunities will always be live on the website and we will get in touch with people who have submitted their details as and when opportunities arise. There is no need to apply here more than once - once you're in then you're in and you will be on our radar! In fact, the people who submit here will be our first point of call when we're looking.
So if you want to freelance on some of the most exciting and challenging advertising work out there then you know what to do - hit that 'apply' button right now!
  • Excellent knowledge of any of the following pending specific discipline: Maya, Houdini, Substance Designer, Substance Painter, Mari, and/or Photoshop
  • A working knowledge of Arnold
  • High level ability to produce great looking imagery across a range of styles; from photo real CG composited against live action through to stylized fully CG work
  • A good understanding of animation and an eye for motion
  • Knowledge of cinematic language and technical terminology
  • Strong communication skills are critical. Must be able to work within a team, taking direction and exercising attention to detail in a fast-paced production environment
  • Must be self-motivated, a team player and organised
  • Able and willing to follow direction and openly collaborate with others
  • Ability to work well under pressure and open to working flexible hours
  • Adaptable and accepting of creative change throughout a project
  • Must have valid US work authorization.

Desired Skills:
  • A working knowledge of Mantra and VRay a plus.
  • A familiarity with scripting e.g. C++, python, hscript or mel
  • Experience with linux \ unix based operating systems
  • A working knowledge of at least one compositing application (e.g. Nuke) and a solid understanding of the compositing process
  • PfTrack or 3DEqualizer experience a plus

California Employees Pay Range:
Juniors (<1 year - 3 years experience): $25 - $35 per hour
Mids (4 - 6 years experience): $400 - $550 per day
Seniors (6+ years of experience): $600 - $900 per day
The posted range describes the minimum to maximum range for this job description in the state of California. The range is posted in accordance with the California Pay Transparency Law. The range for this same position may be lower or higher in markets outside of California. Pay is dependent on the applicant's relevant skills, experience, and qualifications.

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