3D Animator Salary
Average 3D Animator Salary
$77,203 yearlyTo create our salary estimates, Zippia starts with data published in publicly available sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Foreign Labor Certification Data Center (FLC) Show More
How much does a 3D Animator make?
3d animators make $77,203 per year on average, or $37.12 per hour, in the United States. 3d animators on the lower end of that spectrum, the bottom 10% to be exact, make roughly $44,000 a year, while the top 10% makes $134,000.
Location impacts how much a 3d animator can expect to make. 3d animators make the most in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey.
Highest Paying States For 3D Animators
The darker areas on the map show where 3d animators earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
- State View
- County View
3D Animator average salary by State
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $121,218 | $58.28 | 74 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $114,478 | $55.04 | 27 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $106,896 | $51.39 | 44 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $108,571 | $52.20 | 43 |
| 5 | New York | $99,888 | $48.02 | 408 |
| 6 | Delaware | $113,039 | $54.35 | 17 |
| 7 | Utah | $89,460 | $43.01 | 74 |
| 8 | Washington | $94,743 | $45.55 | 179 |
| 9 | California | $94,786 | $45.57 | 923 |
| 10 | Nevada | $111,098 | $53.41 | 23 |
| 11 | Maryland | $97,288 | $46.77 | 120 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $85,742 | $41.22 | 116 |
| 13 | Idaho | $94,212 | $45.29 | 22 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $107,327 | $51.60 | 82 |
| 15 | Maine | $88,936 | $42.76 | 18 |
| 16 | Iowa | $82,226 | $39.53 | 53 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $83,182 | $39.99 | 140 |
| 18 | Oregon | $76,520 | $36.79 | 97 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $82,887 | $39.85 | 15 |
| 20 | Kansas | $82,025 | $39.44 | 34 |
| 21 | Indiana | $83,865 | $40.32 | 59 |
| 22 | Texas | $69,087 | $33.21 | 356 |
| 23 | Virginia | $73,412 | $35.29 | 150 |
| 24 | Colorado | $74,495 | $35.81 | 80 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $82,809 | $39.81 | 7 |
| 26 | Massachusetts | $69,476 | $33.40 | 173 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $63,632 | $30.59 | 12 |
| 28 | Florida | $69,360 | $33.35 | 210 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $66,779 | $32.11 | 155 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $76,830 | $36.94 | 36 |
| 31 | Illinois | $67,222 | $32.32 | 167 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $66,341 | $31.89 | 84 |
| 33 | Vermont | $65,762 | $31.62 | 10 |
| 34 | Michigan | $61,779 | $29.70 | 103 |
| 35 | Georgia | $54,959 | $26.42 | 172 |
| 36 | Arizona | $59,293 | $28.51 | 66 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $59,479 | $28.60 | 21 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $55,749 | $26.80 | 64 |
| 39 | Alaska | $61,596 | $29.61 | 8 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $45,403 | $21.83 | 14 |
| 41 | Alabama | $56,854 | $27.33 | 42 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $53,916 | $25.92 | 38 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $55,862 | $26.86 | 25 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $50,283 | $24.17 | 30 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $56,815 | $27.31 | 20 |
| 46 | Ohio | $50,266 | $24.17 | 116 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $51,677 | $24.84 | 38 |
| 48 | Missouri | $51,621 | $24.82 | 62 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $43,862 | $21.09 | 14 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $48,132 | $23.14 | 45 |
| 51 | Montana | $47,952 | $23.05 | 9 |
Highest Paying Cities For 3D Animators
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Englewood, NJ | $107,806 | $51.83 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $104,399 | $50.19 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $100,403 | $48.27 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $96,109 | $46.21 |
| 5 | Denver, CO | $74,275 | $35.71 |
| 6 | Austin, TX | $70,486 | $33.89 |
| 7 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $68,833 | $33.09 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | $67,545 | $32.47 |
| 9 | Minneapolis, MN | $66,408 | $31.93 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $54,642 | $26.27 |
3D Animator Salary Details
What is a 3D Animator's Salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $134,000 | $11,167 | $64 |
| 75th Percentile | $103,000 | $8,583 | $50 |
| Average | $77,203 | $6,434 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $57,000 | $4,750 | $27 |
| 10th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
Average Salary By Related Titles
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Designer, Marketing | $45,164 | $3,764 | $21.71 | 115,113 |
| Motion Graphics Designer | $59,628 | $4,969 | $28.67 | 44,960 |
| Web Graphic Designer | $51,056 | $4,255 | $24.55 | 51,462 |
| Interactive Designer | $99,638 | $8,303 | $47.90 | 48,136 |
| Freelance Designer | $52,886 | $4,407 | $25.43 | 45,914 |
| Graphic Designer/Production | $49,532 | $4,128 | $23.81 | 95,831 |
Here are the five companies hiring the most now:
Which Companies Pay 3D Animators The Most?
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NVIDIA | $159,997 | $76.92 | |
| 2 | PepsiCo | $117,366 | $56.43 | |
| 3 | Warner Bros. | $113,322 | $54.48 | 3 |
| 4 | CACI International | $94,530 | $45.45 | |
| 5 | Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center | $94,257 | $45.32 | |
| 6 | Electronic Arts | $93,624 | $45.01 | 12 |
| 7 | Robert Half | $93,234 | $44.82 | 1 |
| 8 | Integration Innovation | $92,655 | $44.55 | 9 |
| 9 | Arthrex | $92,473 | $44.46 | 1 |
| 10 | Activision Blizzard | $89,995 | $43.27 | 47 |
| 11 | Epic Games | $89,485 | $43.02 | |
| 12 | Big Fish Games | $84,968 | $40.85 | |
| 13 | Rooster Teeth | $84,868 | $40.80 | 4 |
| 14 | WarnerMedia | $84,739 | $40.74 | 7 |
| 15 | RS&H | $84,570 | $40.66 | 9 |
| 16 | Grover Gaming | $77,203 | $37.12 | |
| 17 | RUN Studios | $77,203 | $37.12 | |
| 18 | WET | $77,203 | $37.12 | |
| 19 | Zimmerman Advertising | $69,337 | $33.34 | |
| 20 | SUNY Oneonta | $68,333 | $32.85 | 1 |
How Much Do 3D Animators Make In Different Industries?
3d animator salaries can vary depending on the industry. In fact, our data shows that the technology, media, and retail industries tend to offer much higher salaries for 3d animators. For example, 3d animators make a whopping average salary of $94,619 while working in the technology industry. Meanwhile, other people in this field are making $90,739 in the media industry and $89,895 in the retail industry.
3d animators may want to avoid working in the education industry as it offers the lowest average salary of $72,119.
Highest Paying Industries For 3D Animators
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $94,619 | $45.49 |
| 2 | Media | $90,739 | $43.62 |
| 3 | Retail | $89,895 | $43.22 |
| 4 | Professional | $87,685 | $42.16 |
| 5 | Education | $72,119 | $34.67 |
High Paying 3D Animator Jobs
3D Animator Salary Trends
Average 3D Animator Salary Over Time
Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
3D Animator Salary By Year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $77,200 | $37.12 | +3.1% |
| 2021 | $74,800 | $35.96 | +3.7% |
| 2020 | $72,100 | $34.64 | +2.7% |
| 2019 | $70,100 | $33.69 | +7.4% |
| 2018 | $64,900 | $31.19 | +2.0% |
Recently Added 3D Animator Salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dk Global, Inc. | 3D Animator (3D Generalist) | Redlands, CA | 04/20/2022 | $90,000 |
| Gungho Online Entertainment America, Inc. | Senior 3D Animator | Redondo Beach, CA | 04/20/2022 | $80,000 |
| Gungho Online Entertainment America, Inc. | 3D Animator | Redondo Beach, CA | 04/18/2022 | $60,000 |
| Nvidia | Senior 3D Animator | Santa Clara, CA | 03/30/2022 | $133,200 |
| Nvidia | Creative 3D Animator/Generalist | Santa Clara, CA | 12/22/2021 | $126,000 |
| Robert Half | 3D Animator | Malvern, PA | 08/04/2021 | $57,831 |
| Robert Half | 3D Animator | Malvern, PA | 07/10/2021 | $57,831 |
| Robert Half | 3D Animator | Enfield, CT | 07/09/2021 | $66,074 |
| Robert Half | 3D Animator | Malvern, PA | 01/05/2021 | $57,831 |
| Randstad | 3D Animator | Austin, TX | 11/05/2020 | $45,000 |
3D Animator Salaries FAQs
What state pays 3D Animators the most?
Connecticut pays 3D Animators the most in the United States, with an average salary of $121,218 per year, or $58.28 per hour.
How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a 3D Animator?
You know if you are being paid fairly as a 3D Animator if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Rhode Island you should be paid close to $114,478 per year.
What type of 3D Animator gets paid the most?
Interactive Designer gets paid the most. Interactive Designer made a median salary of $99,638. The best-paid 10 percent make $122,000, while the lowest-paid 10 percent make $81,000.
Search For 3D Animator Jobs