How to hire a 3d animator

How to hire a 3d animator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step 3d animator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a 3d animator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new 3d animator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a 3d animator do?

Post a 3d animator job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your 3d animator job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a 3d animator for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

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   Hiring the perfect 3d animator also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of 3d animators.

   Type of 3D Animator	Description	Hourly rate
   3D Animator	Multimedia artists and animators create animation and visual effects for television, movies, video games, and other forms of media.	$24-51
   Graphic Designer, Marketing	A graphic designer of marketing specializes in developing creative imagery as part of a company's marketing efforts. Their responsibilities typically revolve around coordinating with the marketing team to share insights and strategies, conceptualizing designs in adherence to objectives and deadlines, and preparing presentations... Show more	$16-33
   Motion Graphics Designer	A motion graphic designer specializes in producing artworks used in television, film, and web. Their responsibilities often revolve around submitting within a deadline, attending creative meetings, collaborating with fellow designers, following directives from clients, producing trial designs, and editing them in adherence to senior designers or clients' recommendations... Show more	$21-41

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Animation
   • Storyboards
   • Visualization
   • Motion Capture
   • Motion Graphics
   • Game Engine
   • Graphic Design
   • Unity
   • Cinema
   • PC
   • Texture
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Adobe Creative Suite
   • Autodesk Maya

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage design collaboration and storyboard creations.
   • Attend pre-production meetings and film shootings to assist directors in vfx shoot execution.
   • Animate in-game characters and cinematic sequences for transmedia projects on iOS and PC.
   • Animate monster truck 3D characters in Maya for a children's programming Youtube channel.
   • Develop episodes from concept to completion (design, color, cleanup, FX, audio editing).
   • Create the game animations for the enemies in the game as well as all VFX that appear in game.

   More 3d animator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your 3d animator job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A 3d animator salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a 3d animator in Mississippi may be lower than in Nevada, and an entry-level 3d animator usually earns less than a senior-level 3d animator. Additionally, a 3d animator with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average 3d animator salary

   $73,596yearly

   $35.38 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level 3d animator salary

   $50,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average 3d animator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$102,772	$49
   2	New York	$89,007	$43
   3	Washington	$85,909	$41
   4	Illinois	$80,424	$39
   5	North Carolina	$75,006	$36
   6	New Jersey	$71,616	$34
   7	Colorado	$70,795	$34
   8	Texas	$61,227	$29
   9	Pennsylvania	$60,490	$29
   10	Florida	$57,639	$28
   11	Minnesota	$56,137	$27
   12	Georgia	$50,536	$24
   13	Ohio	$44,873	$22

   Average 3d animator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	NVIDIA	$132,505	$63.70
   2	Warner Bros.	$99,168	$47.68	2
   3	Big Fish Games	$94,601	$45.48
   4	Activision Blizzard	$93,973	$45.18	1
   5	Rooster Teeth	$91,287	$43.89
   6	WarnerMedia	$86,023	$41.36
   7	Grover Gaming	$84,515	$40.63
   8	Arthrex	$82,542	$39.68
   9	RS&H	$76,744	$36.90
   10	Robert Half	$75,568	$36.33
   11	Zimmerman Advertising	$68,377	$32.87
   12	WET	$67,130	$32.27
   13	Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center	$66,152	$31.80
   14	DDB	$64,066	$30.80
   15	CACI International	$61,809	$29.72
   16	Make School	$45,658	$21.95

4. Writing a 3d animator job description

   A good 3d animator job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a 3d animator job description:

   3d animator job description example

   Blizzard Entertainment is looking for a talented 3D animator to assist our Cinematics team in creating the next generation of Epic animated films. The cinematic animator will be skilled at animating characters at a level that lives up to the ever-increasing Blizzard Entertainment standard of quality. The ideal candidate has a passion for animation and film making, with experience animating a diverse array of characters and creatures in different styles, from cartoony to realistic and anywhere in-between. A solid grasp of body mechanics and character acting with a mastery of the 12 principles of animation are essential. You must enjoy working on a highly collaborative team of peers as passionate about making great movies games as we are.
   
   Blizzard Entertainment offers a fun, creative, and technically challenging environment with excellent compensation.
   *This is a Temp Position and will last 6 months - 12 months*
   
   Requirements
   A minimum of 3 years' experience in game development, television, or film industry using Maya or equivalent 3D program A demo reel demonstrating high quality hand-keyed animations through solid body mechanics and engaging performances. Passion for film, animation, and video games The ability to work closely with the Directors, Animation Supervisors and Leads developing, defining, and maintaining high-end cinematic animations. Self-motivation, good communication skills, and a great team-player attitude Assist in supporting and evolving the Cinematics team with constructive feedback both technically and artistically An animation test might be required (Acting or Action - ask for details)
   Pluses
   Artistic skills: story boarding, gesture drawing, 2D animation, composition Technical skills: rigging, scripting, and understanding of pipeline Physical skills: acting, martial arts, and choreography Filmmaking skills: cinematography, pre-visualization, editing, and story writing Understanding of FX, particles, cloth, and hair as they contribute to a character's performanc
   COVID-19 Hiring Update: We've transitioned to a work-from-home model and we're continuing to interview and hire during this time. This role is expected to begin as a remote position. We understand each person's circumstances may be unique and will work with you to explore possible interim options.
   
   Blizzard Entertainment is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right 3d animator for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your 3d animator job on Zippia to find and recruit 3d animator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit 3d animators, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new 3d animator

   Once you have selected a candidate for the 3d animator position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a 3d animator?