Best cities for an animation artist
The best cities for animation artists are San Francisco, CA, Las Vegas, NV, and Los Angeles, CA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for animation artists vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for animation artists in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as an animation artist or considering a move, this list of the best cities for animation artists to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for animation artists. We also consider how easy it is to find work as an animation artist. While the absolute best city for animation artists is San Francisco, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for animation artists in 2024.
If you're looking for an animation artist job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for animation artists in 2026
1. San Francisco, CA
Total animation artist jobs: 24 Average annual salary: $114,696 Lowest 10 percent warn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location quotient: 274.04 2. Las Vegas, NV
Total animation artist jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $127,726 Lowest 10 percent warn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $212,000 Location quotient: 96.95 3. Los Angeles, CA
Total animation artist jobs: 54 Average annual salary: $101,782 Lowest 10 percent warn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location quotient: 719.10 4. Irvine, CA
Total animation artist jobs: 46 Average annual salary: $99,469 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location quotient: 1922.78 5. Reno, NV
Total animation artist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $137,132 Lowest 10 percent warn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $228,000 Location quotient: 0.00 6. North Las Vegas, NV
Total animation artist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $127,493 Lowest 10 percent warn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $212,000 Location quotient: 0.00 7. San Jose, CA
Total animation artist jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $114,075 Lowest 10 percent warn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location quotient: 64.47 8. Seattle, WA
Total animation artist jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $101,108 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location quotient: 54.08 9. Henderson, NV
Total animation artist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $126,399 Lowest 10 percent warn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $210,000 Location quotient: 0.00 10. Oakland, CA
Total animation artist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $114,482 Lowest 10 percent warn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location quotient: 0.00
Choose from 10+ customizable animation artist resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use animation artist resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your animation artist resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for animation artists
- San Francisco, CA
- Las Vegas, NV
- Los Angeles, CA
- Irvine, CA
- Reno, NV
- North Las Vegas, NV
- San Jose, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Henderson, NV
- Oakland, CA
- (24 animation artist jobs)
- (2 animation artist jobs)
- (54 animation artist jobs)
- (46 animation artist jobs)
- (0 animation artist jobs)
- (0 animation artist jobs)
- (4 animation artist jobs)
- (4 animation artist jobs)
- (0 animation artist jobs)
- (0 animation artist jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for an animation artist
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $114,696 | $69,000 | 870,887 | 24 |
| 2 | Las Vegas, NV | $127,726 | $76,000 | 632,912 | 2 |
| 3 | Los Angeles, CA | $101,782 | $61,000 | 3,976,322 | 54 |
| 4 | Irvine, CA | $99,469 | $60,000 | 266,122 | 46 |
| 5 | Reno, NV | $137,132 | $82,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 6 | North Las Vegas, NV | $127,493 | $76,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 7 | San Jose, CA | $114,075 | $68,000 | 1,025,350 | 4 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $101,108 | $60,000 | 704,352 | 4 |
| 9 | Henderson, NV | $126,399 | $75,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 10 | Oakland, CA | $114,482 | $69,000 | 420,005 | - |
| 11 | Fremont, CA | $114,210 | $69,000 | 233,136 | - |
| 12 | Stockton, CA | $113,494 | $68,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 13 | Sacramento, CA | $113,379 | $68,000 | 495,234 | - |
| 14 | Long Beach, CA | $100,499 | $60,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 15 | San Diego, CA | $96,531 | $58,000 | 1,406,630 | 6 |
| 16 | Fresno, CA | $111,524 | $67,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 17 | Anaheim, CA | $100,230 | $60,000 | 351,043 | - |
| 18 | Bakersfield, CA | $107,124 | $64,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 19 | Santa Ana, CA | $99,850 | $60,000 | 334,217 | - |
| 20 | Riverside, CA | $99,627 | $60,000 | 324,722 | - |
| 21 | Washington, DC | $105,013 | $61,000 | 681,170 | - |
| 22 | Albuquerque, NM | $78,676 | $47,000 | 559,277 | - |
| 23 | Detroit, MI | $73,707 | $43,000 | 672,795 | - |
| 24 | Chula Vista, CA | $96,202 | $58,000 | 267,172 | - |
| 25 | Fort Wayne, IN | $70,639 | $41,000 | 264,488 | - |
| 26 | Baltimore, MD | $91,442 | $53,000 | 614,664 | - |
| 27 | New York, NY | $80,304 | $47,000 | 8,537,673 | 29 |
| 28 | Wichita, KS | $69,676 | $41,000 | 389,902 | - |
| 29 | Portland, OR | $78,263 | $47,000 | 639,863 | - |
| 30 | Chicago, IL | $77,191 | $45,000 | 2,704,958 | - |
| 31 | Brookhaven, NY | $80,896 | $48,000 | 486,040 | - |
| 32 | Islip, NY | $80,764 | $48,000 | 335,543 | - |
| 33 | Indianapolis, IN | $67,689 | $39,000 | 855,164 | - |
| 34 | Memphis, TN | $64,136 | $37,000 | 652,717 | - |
| 35 | Oyster Bay, NY | $80,567 | $48,000 | 293,214 | - |
| 36 | Hempstead, NY | $80,509 | $48,000 | 759,757 | - |
| 37 | Glendale, AZ | $69,871 | $42,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 38 | Nashville, TN | $63,051 | $36,000 | 660,388 | - |
| 39 | Phoenix, AZ | $69,809 | $42,000 | 1,615,017 | - |
| 40 | Scottsdale, AZ | $69,679 | $42,000 | 246,645 | - |
| 41 | Lexington, KY | $64,913 | $37,000 | 318,449 | - |
| 42 | Durham, NC | $62,951 | $36,000 | 263,016 | 2 |
| 43 | Chandler, AZ | $69,436 | $42,000 | 247,477 | - |
| 44 | Mesa, AZ | $69,388 | $42,000 | 484,587 | - |
| 45 | Gilbert, AZ | $69,359 | $42,000 | 237,133 | - |
| 46 | Philadelphia, PA | $60,558 | $35,000 | 1,567,872 | 3 |
| 47 | San Antonio, TX | $60,939 | $35,000 | 1,492,510 | 5 |
| 48 | Virginia Beach, VA | $74,774 | $43,000 | 452,602 | - |
| 49 | Tucson, AZ | $68,249 | $41,000 | 530,706 | - |
| 50 | Louisville, KY | $63,687 | $37,000 | 597,337 | - |
Highest paying cities for animation artists
| Rank | City | Avg. animation artist salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Vegas, NV | $127,726 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $114,696 |
| 3 | Greenwich, CT | $109,646 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $101,108 |
| 5 | Columbia, MD | $91,110 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $80,304 |
| 7 | Farmington Hills, MI | $73,515 |
| 8 | Durham, NC | $62,951 |
| 9 | San Antonio, TX | $60,939 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $60,558 |
| 11 | Sunrise, FL | $57,511 |
| 12 | Minneapolis, MN | $51,424 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $50,341 |
Animation artist best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
Search for animation artist jobs
Updated January 8, 2025