Special Effects Artists and Animators Salary: $99,800 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 21,280 special effects artists and animators work nationally, and $99,800 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 43% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.8% annual decline.
Special Effects Artists and Animators: what the data shows
Common questions about special effects artists and animators careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a special effects artists and animators?
Special Effects Artists and Animators is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 27-1014.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 21,280 workers.
What does a special effects artists and animators do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Thinking Creatively, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Processing Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a special effects artists and animators make?
BLS national median annual wage: $99,800 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $132,383 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $76,062 |
| 25th percentile | $99,174 |
| Median (50th) | $131,848 |
| 75th percentile | $158,637 |
| 90th percentile | $183,711 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Learning, Judgment and Decision Making, and knowledge areas including Computers and Electronics, English Language, Design, Communications and Media. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is special effects artists and animators in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.8% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -8.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -16.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 21,280.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do special effects artists and animatorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 21,280 | 20.4% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 20,890 | 20.1% |
| Information | 11,750 | 11.3% |
| Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries | 6,160 | 5.9% |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries | 6,090 | 5.8% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5,420 | 5.2% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Special Effects Artists and Animators in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Graphic Designers | 214,260 | $61,300 |
| Art Directors | 50,370 | $111,040 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Special Effects Artists and Animators workforce.
Employment Over Time
21,280 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Special Effects Artists and Animators shrank from 40,300 in 2009 to 29,940 in 2025 (25.7%).
Historical employment for Special Effects Artists and Animators from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$99,800 Median pay (BLS national)
Special Effects Artists and Animators earn $99,800 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Salary distribution for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Employment Growth Projections
-1.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
27,284 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -8.9%
24,865 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -16.9%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Special Effects Artists and Animators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Special Effects Artists and Animators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Wage Trends by Industry
10.2% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 7,690 employees, $128,880 avg wage
- WA: 2,510 employees, N/A avg wage
- NY: 1,820 employees, $112,280 avg wage
- FL: 1,430 employees, $82,140 avg wage
- GA: 860 employees, $80,730 avg wage
- OR: 470 employees, $113,430 avg wage
- NV: 420 employees, $95,100 avg wage
- MD: 370 employees, $85,850 avg wage
- MI: 330 employees, $98,430 avg wage
- OH: 290 employees, $102,770 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 4,780 employees, $127,400 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 2,160 employees, $146,600 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 1,750 employees, $115,230 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 1,740 employees, $131,780 avg wage
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL: 800 employees, $77,170 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 670 employees, $81,950 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: 400 employees, $167,850 avg wage
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: 370 employees, $112,420 avg wage
- Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV: 320 employees, $92,580 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 240 employees, $87,680 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Special Effects Artists and Animators in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Special Effects Artists and Animators is about 21,280 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Special Effects Artists and Animators in 2023 were Engineering, Visual Arts, Fine Arts.
Common majors for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Special Effects Artists and Animators workers.
Education level distribution for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Skills
Special Effects Artists and Animators need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Learning.
Required skills for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Special Effects Artists and Animators include Computers and Electronics, English Language, Design, Communications and Media, Customer and Personal Service.
Knowledge areas required for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Special Effects Artists and Animators include Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension, Visualization, Oral Expression, Near Vision.
Required abilities for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Special Effects Artists and Animators.
Daily Activities
Special Effects Artists and Animators spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Thinking Creatively, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.
Most important work activities for Special Effects Artists and Animators.
About
Special Effects Artists and Animators
Special Effects Artists and Animators earn $99,800 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
27-1014 - Special Effects Artists and Animators
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Special Effects Artists and Animators reports an average salary of $132,383, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 21,280 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -1.8%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.