Special Effects Artists and Animatorssalary
Official wage statistics for special effects artists and animators in United States, published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)), reference period May 2025. Approximately 19.97K people work in this occupation.
Wage distribution
| Percentile | Annual |
|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / lowest decile | $58,600 |
| 25th percentilelower quartile | $75,490 |
| Median (50th)typical worker | $102,030 |
| 75th percentileupper quartile | $139,130 |
| 90th percentiletop decile | $177,110 |
| Meanaverage, skews high | $112,870 |
Salary by state
Special Effects Artists and Animators wages vary widely by state. Official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, May 2025, sorted by median. Suppressed areas omitted.
| State | Median (annual) | P10–P90 / low–high | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAWashington | $133,480 | $65,270 – $209,400 | 1,130 |
| CACalifornia | $130,540 | $71,710 – $206,160 | 7,410 |
| NVNevada | $97,350 | $72,720 – $129,470 | 370 |
| NYNew York | $96,770 | $60,190 – $176,190 | 1,540 |
| COColorado | $91,290 | $57,350 – $124,990 | 210 |
| AZArizona | $89,650 | $59,870 – $100,230 | 190 |
| NCNorth Carolina | $88,350 | $53,790 – $120,150 | 370 |
| UTUtah | $88,210 | $29,990 – $152,720 | 320 |
| MIMichigan | $86,630 | $54,260 – $194,550 | 230 |
| FLFlorida | $85,870 | $71,140 – $114,920 | 1,530 |
| MDMaryland | $85,830 | $52,710 – $110,750 | 170 |
| TNTennessee | $83,080 | $60,320 – $170,300 | 90 |
| VAVirginia | $81,510 | $47,140 – $138,210 | 380 |
| GAGeorgia | $81,390 | $40,000 – $106,120 | 350 |
| ILIllinois | $81,180 | $60,760 – $136,710 | 630 |
| MAMassachusetts | $80,640 | $57,900 – $109,820 | — |
| RIRhode Island | $80,040 | $45,810 – $99,060 | — |
| TXTexas | $78,930 | $56,020 – $150,000 | — |
| INIndiana | $75,250 | $50,920 – $93,090 | 300 |
| PAPennsylvania | $71,760 | $49,680 – $103,940 | 300 |
| OHOhio | $67,000 | $45,310 – $166,260 | 200 |
| OKOklahoma | $66,980 | $50,820 – $77,860 | — |
| MOMissouri | $65,470 | $48,020 – $103,740 | 80 |
| MNMinnesota | $64,990 | $62,070 – $77,990 | 30 |
| WIWisconsin | $64,890 | $53,270 – $154,340 | 210 |
| KSKansas | $62,720 | $56,470 – $102,530 | — |
| WVWest Virginia | $60,940 | $50,860 – $77,740 | 40 |
| NMNew Mexico | $54,000 | $52,070 – $82,180 | 80 |
| KYKentucky | $50,970 | $44,700 – $89,930 | 40 |
| NENebraska | $50,830 | $43,340 – $80,520 | 90 |
| IAIowa | $47,530 | $39,300 – $104,000 | — |
Frequently asked
The median special effects artists and animators in United States earns $102,030 per year (reference period May 2025). Earnings typically range from $58,600 (10th percentile or low) to $177,110 (90th percentile or high). These are official statistics published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (SOC 2018 code 27-1014). FedSalary republishes official statistics only; no self-reported or crowdsourced figures. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 19,970 people employed in this occupation in United States (May 2025).
Approximately EUR 92,755 · GBP 80,339 per year (mid-market snapshot 2026-05-02). The authoritative native figure is $102,030. FX conversion is informational only.