Art and Design Workers

How to become a Special Effects Artist or Animator

Official title: Special Effects Artists and Animators

Also called: 3D Animator (Three-Dimensional Animator), 3D Artist (Three-Dimensional Artist), Animator, Artist, Digital Artist, Graphic Artist, Motion Graphics Artist, Multimedia Producer

Create special effects or animations using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.

Main tasks

Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.
Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.
Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.
Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.
Apply story development, directing, cinematography, and editing to animation to create storyboards that show the flow of the animation and map out key scenes and characters.

How to become one

Special effects artists and animators typically need a bachelor's degree in computer graphics, art, or a related field to develop both a portfolio of work and the technical skills that many employers prefer.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Creative Arts & Design degrees, Offered by 32 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $102,030 a year The middle half earn $75,490 to $139,130.
About 51,900 people work in this job now, and about 51,800 are projected by 2035. (-0.3%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Special Effects Artist or Animator?

How much does a Special Effects Artist or Animator earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $102,030 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $75,490 to $139,130.

Is a Special Effects Artist or Animator a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 51,900 people now and 51,800 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Special Effects Artist or Animator?

Not always. 58% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Creative Arts & Design degrees.

Will AI change the work of a Special Effects Artist or Animator?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.