What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Animation Engineer?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Animation Engineer jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Nome, AK (24.0% above average), followed by Cupertino, CA and Mercer Island, WA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Nome, AK $180,317 $15,026 $3,467 $86.69 Cupertino, CA $179,336 $14,944 $3,448 $86.22 Mercer Island, WA $178,025 $14,835 $3,423 $85.59 Berkeley, CA $177,983 $14,831 $3,422 $85.57 Saint Helena, CA $177,834 $14,819 $3,419 $85.50 Sitka, AK $175,111 $14,592 $3,367 $84.19 San Francisco, CA $171,258 $14,271 $3,293 $82.34 Santa Clara, CA $170,715 $14,226 $3,282 $82.07 San Jose, CA $170,713 $14,226 $3,282 $82.07 Novato, CA $170,661 $14,221 $3,281 $82.05

Animation Engineer

Animation Engineer Salary

Q: How much does an Animation Engineer make?

The average annual pay for an animation engineer in the United States is $145,359 a year — that works out to approximately $69.88 an hour. The middle 80% of Animation Engineers earn between $104,000 (10th percentile) and $185,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Animation Engineer Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Animation Engineer in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Ios Architect at $15,610 (10.7%) above Animation Engineer. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Ios Architect $129,749 $10,812 $2,495 $62.38 Lead Ios Developer $129,736 $10,811 $2,494 $62.37 Philosopher $122,135 $10,177 $2,348 $58.72 Entry Level Swift Developer $100,265 $8,355 $1,928 $48.20 Entry Level Animation $47,901 $3,991 $921 $23.03

$81K

$143K

$204.5K

$145,359

/year

$69.88

/hour

Animation Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$145,359

Columbus

Ohio

$140,402

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How much does an Animation Engineer make?

As of May 28, 2026, the average annual pay for an Animation Engineer in the United States is $145,359 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $69.88 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,795/week or $12,113/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $204,500 and as low as $81,000, the majority of Animation Engineer salaries currently range between $116,000 (25th percentile) to $173,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $185,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Animation Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 57000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

An Animation Engineer in your area makes on average $140,402 per year, or $4,957 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $145,359. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Animation Engineer salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Animation Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as an Animation Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Animation Engineer Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Animation Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Cupertino, CA, and Mercer Island, WA, close behind in the second and third positions. Mercer Island, WA, beats the national average by $32,666 (22.5%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $34,958 (24.0%) above the $145,359 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Animation Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Nome, AK, and Novato, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for an Animation Engineer role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Nome, AK	$180,317	$15,026	$3,467	$86.69
Cupertino, CA	$179,336	$14,944	$3,448	$86.22
Mercer Island, WA	$178,025	$14,835	$3,423	$85.59
Berkeley, CA	$177,983	$14,831	$3,422	$85.57
Saint Helena, CA	$177,834	$14,819	$3,419	$85.50
Sitka, AK	$175,111	$14,592	$3,367	$84.19
San Francisco, CA	$171,258	$14,271	$3,293	$82.34
Santa Clara, CA	$170,715	$14,226	$3,282	$82.07
San Jose, CA	$170,713	$14,226	$3,282	$82.07
Novato, CA	$170,661	$14,221	$3,281	$82.05

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Animation Engineer Jobs in the U.S.

Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Animation Engineer job category, we found that Ios Architect jobs have average salaries similar than Animation Engineer jobs.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Ios Architect	$129,749	$10,812	$2,495	$62.38
Lead Ios Developer	$129,736	$10,811	$2,494	$62.37
Philosopher	$122,135	$10,177	$2,348	$58.72
Entry Level Swift Developer	$100,265	$8,355	$1,928	$48.20
Entry Level Animation	$47,901	$3,991	$921	$23.03

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Animation Engineer salary across the United States as of May 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $145,359 per year or $69.88 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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