Game Animation Programmer

Game Animation Programmer Salary

$11K

$131K

$173K

$92,636

/year

$44.54

/hour

Game Animation Programmer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$92,636

Columbus

Ohio

$89,477

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    How much does a Game Animation Programmer make?

    As of Aug 4, 2026, the average annual pay for a Game Animation Programmer in the United States is $92,636 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $44.54 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,781/week or $7,719/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $173,000 and as low as $11,000, the majority of Game Animation Programmer salaries currently range between $24,000 (25th percentile) to $145,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $166,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Game Animation Programmer varies greatly (by as much as 121500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Game Animation Programmer in your area makes on average $89,477 per year, or $3,159 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $92,636. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Game Animation Programmer salaries.

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

    Find your next high paying job as a Game Animation Programmer on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Game Animation Programmer Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Game Animation Programmer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Berkeley, CA, , with Sitka, AK, and San Francisco, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. San Francisco, CA, beats the national average by $16,505 (17.8%), and Berkeley, CA, furthers that trend with another $20,791 (22.4%) above the $92,636 average.

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

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Berkeley, CA, and Oakland, 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 a Game Animation Programmer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Berkeley, CA

    $113,427

    $54.53

    Sitka, AK

    $111,597

    $53.65

    San Francisco, CA

    $109,141

    $52.47

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $108,722

    $52.27

    Livermore, CA

    $108,661

    $52.24

    San Jose, CA

    $108,568

    $52.20

    Daly City, CA

    $107,337

    $51.60

    Santa Cruz, CA

    $106,963

    $51.42

    Arlington, VA

    $106,574

    $51.24

    Oakland, CA

    $106,390

    $51.15

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

    Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Game Animation Programmer job category, we found that Research Programmer jobs have average salaries greater than Game Animation Programmer jobs.

    Significantly, Research Programmer jobs pay $20,164 (21.8%) more than the average Game Animation Programmer salary of $92,636. If you're qualified, finding work as a Research Programmer may help you make more money than that of the average Game Animation Programmer position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Research Programmer

    $112,800

    $54.23

    3D Graphics

    $76,634

    $36.84

    Java Developer Intern

    $47,621

    $22.89

    Computer Science Internship

    $45,979

    $22.11

    Tencent Intern

    $35,995

    $17.31

    About Our Data

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

    Infographic detailing Game Animation Programmer salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $92,636 per year or $44.54 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.