ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Video Game Character Design Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

AGBO

Expression of Interest - Character Artist

Los Angeles, CA ยท On-site

$130K - $136K/yr

... Prime Video's visceral thriller The Bluff and the global Citadel franchise. Citadel Season 2 ... They will collaborate with a team of artists and developers to conceptualize, design, and execute ...

Spellbrush

AI Anime Researcher - LLM

San Francisco, CA ยท On-site

... a new kind of video game experience. You'll work alongside top otaku minds in the industry ... We need to interact with the character in real time. You have worked on gathering human feedback ...

Spellbrush

AI Anime Researcher - LLM

San Francisco, CA ยท On-site

... a new kind of video game experience. You'll work alongside top otaku minds in the industry ... We need to interact with the character in real time. You have worked on gathering human feedback ...

previous pagenext page

Showing results 21-40

All JobsVideo Game Character Design JobsVideo Game Character Design Jobs in California

Video Game Character Design information

See California salary details

$12

$18

$22

How much do video game character design jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 9, 2026, the average hourly pay for video game character design in California is $18.31, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.59 and $19.90 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in video game character design, and why are they important?

To excel in Video Game Character Design, a strong background in art, anatomy, and concept visualization is essential, often supported by a degree in game design, fine arts, or a related field. Designers typically use industry-standard tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, ZBrush, Maya, and game engines like Unity or Unreal; relevant certifications can add value. Collaboration, creativity, and the ability to communicate feedback constructively are vital soft skills in this role. These competencies ensure the creation of engaging character designs that align with a game's vision and development pipelines.

How much do video game character designers make?

Video game character designers typically earn between $50,000 and $90,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and the complexity of projects. Entry-level designers may start lower, while experienced professionals or those working on AAA titles can earn higher salaries, often supplemented with benefits and bonuses.

What is a video game character design?

A Video Game Character Design job involves creating the visual appearance, personality, and overall concept of characters in a video game. Designers work closely with game developers, artists, and writers to ensure that characters fit within the game's world and story. This includes designing costumes, facial expressions, animations, and sometimes even backstories. Strong skills in illustration, 3D modeling, and an understanding of human anatomy and movement are essential for this role.

How to be a video game character designer?

A video game character designer creates characters for video games by developing concepts, sketches, and 3D models using tools like Photoshop and Blender. They typically have skills in art, anatomy, storytelling, and familiarity with game engines, often requiring a portfolio and relevant education or training in art or game design.

How hard is it to get a job in video game character design?

Getting a job in video game character design typically requires a strong portfolio demonstrating artistic skills, proficiency in design software like Photoshop or ZBrush, and relevant education or training. Competition can be high, and building industry experience through internships or freelance work can improve chances of employment.

What does a typical day look like for someone working in video game character design?

A typical day for a Video Game Character Designer involves collaborating with art directors, concept artists, and developers to develop and refine character ideas. You might spend time sketching initial concepts, modeling characters in 3D software, and integrating feedback from playtesters or team members. Regular meetings and reviews are common, as character designs often evolve throughout a project's development cycle. This role requires balancing creativity with technical constraints, ensuring your designs enhance the game's narrative and player experience. The collaborative environment also means you'll frequently coordinate with other departments to ensure consistency and feasibility.

What are popular job titles related to Video Game Character Design jobs in California? For Video Game Character Design jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Video Game Character Design jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Video Game Character Design jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Video Game Character Design jobs? Cities in California with the most Video Game Character Design job openings:
Video Game Character Design jobs near you
Infographic showing various Video Game Character Design job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 11% Internship, 44% Full Time, 39% Part Time, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 94% In-person, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $38,094 per year, or $18.3 per hour.

AI Anime Researcher - Motion Generation Models

Spellbrush

San Francisco, CA โ€ข On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 9 days ago

Job description

tl;dr: We're building a 3D first-person adventure game where an AI companion is the core of the game. Think MiSide with LLMs, but truly integrated with gameplay, not just a RP chatbot.
About Us
Here at Spellbrush, we're passionate about making a good anime game.
We also happen to be the world's leading generative AI studio-we're the team behind nijiใƒปjourney.
Our mission is simple: use AI to bring characters to life and push the boundaries of narrative-driven games.
What We're Building
We've developed an in-house LLM storytelling system that blends AI, story, and gameplay-going far beyond shallow "chat-only" experiences.
The result is an AI companion who cooperates with you in puzzles, remembers across worlds, and changes how each chapter unfolds.
In-game screenshots (development build)
About The Role
You will join a small but extremely talented team to define a new kind of video game experience. You'll work alongside top otaku minds in the industry, including the creator of Warudo and Cytoid, a Google Deepmind veteran behind Project Astra, and top-tier AI researchers.
As an early member of this team, you will have significant artistic and research freedom to shape what could become the next-generation LLM-driven storytelling experience.
Why You'll Love Working With Us
Impact and Ownership: As an early team member, you'll have the opportunity to push the boundaries of what's possible at the intersection of the AI, anime, and video game industry.
A World-Class Team: You'll work directly with some of the best AI researchers and engineers in the world in a small, mighty, and fast-paced team. You also have the opportunity to collaborate with one of the best image and video generation model teams in the world on data collection.
Unparalleled Resources: You will have a generous amount of compute to build the best possible models for anime characters.
Culture: We are seeking individuals who ideally are fans of anime and the anime aesthetic. We believe in the unmatched speed of in-person collaboration.
International Opportunities: We have primary research offices in downtown Akihabara, Tokyo, and San Francisco. Visa sponsorships are available for qualified candidates
You may be a good fit if:
You have hands-on experience in training text-to-motion or audio-to-motion models.
You might have previously published papers around the topic, or have worked at an industrial lab on this and related topics. You have seen the Grok AI companion and can develop systems inspired by such an audio-synced motion-generation system.
You have experience on facial motion generation
Most anime character's facial expressions are easier to generate than real people. Nevertheless, we have several magnitudes of more real human data. You'll be a good fit if you have worked on speech-driven 3D facial animation.
You have worked on real-time 3D motion generation
We need to interact with the character in real time. Knowing how to make that happen in terms of motion generation will be a big bonus.
You love anime and the anime aesthetic
As a member of our team, you'll have the opportunity to push the boundaries of what's possible in the anime and video game industry. Ideally you're a fan of the genre.
You're comfortable working on small, fast-paced teams
Our engineering team is small but mighty. You'll be working directly with some of the best AI researchers and engineers in the world.
We also believe in the unmatched speed of in-person teams, and prefer on-site collaboration in either our primary research office in Tokyo (downtown Akihabara) or San Francisco. Visa sponsorships are available.
You can effectively balance research exploration with product-focused development
Or, putting it in RL jargon, exploration and exploitation. You excel at working with research teams to synthesize high-impact needs, design and implement technical solutions, and communicate deliverables and tradeoffs.

Apply