Visual Effects Animator Salary
$33.5K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$22K - $33.5K
25% of jobs
$33.5K - $45K
0% of jobs
$45K - $56.5K
19% of jobs
The median wage is $61.5K / yr.
$56.5K - $68K
13% of jobs
$68K - $79.5K
5% of jobs
$79.5K - $91K
1% of jobs
$91K - $102.5K
0% of jobs
$102.5K - $114K
1% of jobs
$124.9K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$114K - $125.5K
12% of jobs
$125.5K - $137K
7% of jobs
$137K - $148.5K
18% of jobs
$22K
$65K
$146K
$81,974
/year
$39.41
/hour
Visual Effects Animator Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$81,974
Columbus
Ohio
$79,178
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How much does a Visual Effects Animator make?
As of Aug 7, 2026, the average annual pay for a Visual Effects Animator in the United States is $81,974 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $39.41 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,576/week or $6,831/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $146,000 and as low as $22,000, the majority of Visual Effects Animator salaries currently range between $45,500 (25th percentile) to $133,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $146,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Visual Effects Animator varies greatly (by as much as 87500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Visual Effects Animator in your area makes on average $79,178 per year, or $2,796 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $81,974. Ohio ranks number 41 out of 50 states nationwide for Visual Effects Animator salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Visual Effects Animator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Visual Effects Animator on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Visual Effects Animator Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Visual Effects Animator 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 $18,422 (22.5%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $19,714 (24.0%) above the $81,974 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Visual Effects Animator 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 Nome, AK, and Honolulu County, HI, , 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 Visual Effects Animator role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Nome, AK | $101,688 | $48.89 |
Cupertino, CA | $101,135 | $48.62 |
Mercer Island, WA | $100,396 | $48.27 |
Sitka, AK | $98,752 | $47.48 |
San Francisco, CA | $96,579 | $46.43 |
Novato, CA | $96,243 | $46.27 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $96,209 | $46.25 |
Livermore, CA | $96,154 | $46.23 |
Daly City, CA | $94,983 | $45.66 |
Honolulu County, HI | $94,964 | $45.66 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Visual Effects Animator Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Visual Effects Animator category.
For example Houdini Artist jobs pay as much as $164,276 (200.4%) more than the average Visual Effects Animator salary of $81,974. If you're qualified, finding work as a Houdini Artist may help you make more money than that of the average Visual Effects Animator position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Houdini Artist | $246,250 | $118.39 |
Game Art Director | $121,757 | $58.54 |
Entry Level 3D Artist | $82,070 | $39.46 |
After Effects | $59,788 | $28.74 |
Houdini | $33,452 | $16.08 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
