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Unreal Engine 3D Animator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Unreal Systems Developer

Austin, TX · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • PTO

Candidates with deep experience in either Rendering/Art/3D Modeling/Shaders or C++ Unreal Engine development are encouraged to apply. What You'll Do: * Lead the development and integration of real ...

Unreal Systems Developer

Austin, TX · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • PTO

Candidates with deep experience in either Rendering/Art/3D Modeling/Shaders or C++ Unreal Engine development are encouraged to apply. What You'll Do: * Lead the development and integration of real ...

Senior Interactive Producer

Miami, FL · On-site

$143K/yr

... CGI Animation, AI-driven content generation, and experiential work for a major real estate ... Support production workflows involving real-time rendering (Unreal Engine), 3D modeling, AI content ...

Senior Interactive Producer

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$164K/yr

... CGI Animation, AI-driven content generation, and experiential work for a major real estate ... Support production workflows involving real-time rendering (Unreal Engine), 3D modeling, AI content ...

We are seeking 1-2 mid-level Animation Engineers with exceptional Unreal Engine 5 expertise to join our team in Europe. The ideal candidates will possess a strong background in animating within ...

3D Artist

Dallas, TX · On-site

$50K - $65K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

Our 3D Artists create 3D product animation for incredible brands. As a 3D Artist at MarketScale we ... Unreal Engine * Perforce To be considered for this role, please include a link to your demo reel ...

Technical Designer in Animation

Cary, NC · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Build animation behavior tools, techniques, and frameworks that enable complex systems and ... 3D content that bring environments to life like never before. Epic's award-winning Unreal Engine ...

Unreal XD Tech

Redwood City, CA · On-site

$61.25 - $79.50/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

High-quality UI implementation work within Unreal Engine. * UI animations, transitions, and interaction flows. * Menus, HUD systems, or front-end workflows. * Technical contributions utilizing C ...

New

Experience with animation systems in Unreal Engine * A strong command of animation principles and the ability to apply them within a player experience focused game * Ability to problem-solve and ...

Showing results 41-60

Unreal Engine 3D Animator information

See salary details

$31K

$63.9K

$132.5K

How much do unreal engine 3d animator jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 17, 2026, the average yearly pay for unreal engine 3d animator in the United States is $63,866.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $49,500.00 and $62,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Unreal Engine 3D Animator vs 3D Modeler?

AspectUnreal Engine 3D Animator3D Modeler
Primary RoleCreates animations and movement within Unreal EngineDesigns and builds 3D models and assets
Skills RequiredAnimation, rigging, Unreal Engine proficiencyModeling, texturing, software like Blender or Maya
Work EnvironmentGame studios, VR/AR projects, filmGame development, film, product visualization
Common CertificationsUnreal Engine certifications, animation courses3D modeling certifications, software-specific training

While Unreal Engine 3D Animators focus on bringing characters and objects to life through animation within Unreal Engine, 3D Modelers specialize in creating the static assets that animators use. Both roles often collaborate in game and film industries, but their core skills and responsibilities differ significantly.

More about Unreal Engine 3D Animator jobs

What cities are hiring for Unreal Engine 3D Animator jobs?

Cities with the most Unreal Engine 3D Animator job openings:

What states have the most Unreal Engine 3D Animator jobs?

States with the most job openings for Unreal Engine 3D Animator jobs include:

Infographic showing various Unreal Engine 3D Animator job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 89% Full Time, 5% Part Time, 5% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $63,866 per year, or $30.7 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

Posted 18 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.
  • (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

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