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The differences between animation artists and animators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an animation artist and an animator. Additionally, an animation artist has an average salary of $80,929, which is higher than the $76,853 average annual salary of an animator.
The top three skills for an animation artist include animation, maya and character animation. The most important skills for an animator are animation, motion capture, and storyboards.
| Animation Artist | Animator | |
| Yearly salary | $80,929 | $76,853 |
| Hourly rate | $38.91 | $36.95 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 3,822 | 551 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Animation artists or animators are skilled professionals who create multiple images that form animation, which can be seen in movies, commercials, television programs, and video games. To produce those illusions of movements, animation artists must use several animation software such as Maya, AfterEffects, and Photoshop. They must collaborate with graphic designers and editors to create animations for the entire show. Animation artists must also create high-quality animations by producing expressive characters that can portray a wide range of emotions.
The animators are specialized artists who conceptualized ideas from their creative minds with technology applications. Animators cater to different specialties depending on their expertise. They used multiple techniques and tools to create a digital masterpiece. An animator is required to have an excellent time and project management skills to meet deadlines. They should also be detail-oriented and technology savvy to keep up with the latest trend in the digital market. Animators are required to have regular communication with the respective department for the updates or adjustments as needed.
Animation artists and animators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Animation Artist | Animator | |
| Average salary | $80,929 | $76,853 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $125,000 | Between $52,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Media | Media |
There are a few differences between an animation artist and an animator in terms of educational background:
| Animation Artist | Animator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Animation | Animation |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between animation artists' and animators' demographics:
| Animation Artist | Animator | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.4% Female, 23.6% | Male, 71.9% Female, 28.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 7.5% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |