How to hire an animation artist

How to hire an animation artist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step animation artist hiring guide:

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

What does an animation artist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an animation artist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An animation artist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, animation artists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of animation artists.

   Type of Animation Artist	Description	Hourly rate
   Animation Artist	Multimedia artists and animators create animation and visual effects for television, movies, video games, and other forms of media.	$25-60
   Graphic Designer Internship	In a graphic design internship, one of the primary responsibilities is to accomplish tasks while under the supervision of more experienced colleagues. An aspiring graphic designer may use this opportunity to observe and participate in designing for various industries, handle different clients, participate in creative meetings, and learn strategies from experts... Show more	$12-22
   Web Graphic Designer	A web graphic designer specializes in the aesthetics and functionality of a web platform, software, and other applications. They are primarily responsible for building a platform that adheres to the subject's purpose and the client's preferred theme while prioritizing an easy-to-use and navigate interface... Show more	$17-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Animation
   • Maya
   • Character Animation
   • Concept Art
   • Motion Graphics
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • VFX
   • Graphic Design
   • CG
   • Video Games
   • Music Videos
   • Motion Capture
   • Web Design
   • Storyboards

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Edit video, write copy for television, radio, and web-base commercials while managing the scheduling of all studio employees.
   • Start using CSS for layout.
   • Produce storyboards and illustrations for film and print projects.
   • Use of HTML for webmastering and occasionally design ad campaigns.
   • Streamline workflow from legacy files to new creation in various multimedia softwares.
   • Work on various TV commercials consisting of animating, compositing, video editing, and VFX.

   More animation artist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your animation artist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An animation artist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, animation artists' average salary in south carolina is 68% less than in nevada.
   • Seniority. Entry-level animation artists earn 58% less than senior-level animation artists.
   • Certifications. An animation artist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an animation artist's salary.

   Average animation artist salary

   $80,929yearly

   $38.91 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level animation artist salary

   $52,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average animation artist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Nevada	$127,726	$61
   2	California	$114,696	$55
   3	Connecticut	$109,646	$53
   4	Washington	$101,108	$49
   5	Maryland	$91,110	$44
   6	New York	$80,304	$39
   7	Michigan	$73,515	$35
   8	North Carolina	$62,951	$30
   9	Texas	$60,939	$29
   10	Pennsylvania	$60,558	$29
   11	Florida	$57,511	$28
   12	Minnesota	$51,424	$25
   13	Georgia	$50,341	$24

   Average animation artist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Microsoft	$145,212	$69.81
   2	The Walt Disney Company	$129,553	$62.29	15
   3	Pixar Animation Studios	$112,239	$53.96	1
   4	Blur Studio	$98,677	$47.44
   5	PlayStation	$98,394	$47.30	2
   6	DreamWorks Animation	$97,647	$46.95
   7	Blue Sky Studios	$94,197	$45.29
   8	Electronic Arts	$92,115	$44.29	4
   9	Insomniac Games	$92,003	$44.23
   10	Riot Games	$91,379	$43.93	6
   11	Technicolor	$91,118	$43.81
   12	Zynga	$89,936	$43.24
   13	Lionheart	$89,425	$42.99
   14	Activision Blizzard	$89,209	$42.89	14
   15	WhiteMoon Dreams	$88,157	$42.38
   16	Valve	$85,487	$41.10
   17	Puny Human	$85,466	$41.09
   18	Brilliant	$81,690	$39.27

4. Writing an animation artist job description

   A job description for an animation artist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an animation artist job description:

   Animation artist job description example

   Responsibilities:

   • Collaborate with designers in creating new and exciting gameplay animations, adapting iconic Champions from League of Legends to Teamfight Tactics
   • Bring arenas to life through interactive props and creatures
   • Work with technical artists to optimize animation assets and iterate on animation rigs
   • Give and receive feedback on internal and external animation work
   • Demonstrate a deep understanding of League of Legends and Auto Battlers to ensure cohesion between the products

   Required Qualifications:

   • 3+ years of industry experience (or equivalent experience)
   • Experience creating high-quality, stylized gameplay animations
   • Demonstrated mastery of the animation principles and associated techniques, particularly posing, body mechanics, and storytelling
   • Skills in 3D animation software, particularly Maya.
   • Knowledge of Auto Battler genre, ideally League of Legends, as it pertains to game design, isometric content, and visual clarity
   • Excellence in collaboration and communication

   Desired Qualifications:

   • Experience working and communicating with several designers
   • Strong communication skills both in and out of discipline
   • Development experience creating animations within modern game engines (Unreal, Unity, etc)
   • Familiarity with the League of Legends IP and skins universes
   • Tools experience: have worked in several tools, pipelines, and game engines.
   • Experience giving direction and delivering clear, constructive feedback to vendors

   As a part of the application process, you will be expected to provide a portfolio or demo reel of your work and may be asked to complete an art test.

   Our Perks:

   Riot has a focus on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy, in addition to other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.

   Riot Games fosters a player and workplace experience that values teamwork embodied by the Summoner's Code and Community Code . Our culture embraces differences as a strength, and our values are the guiding principles for how we approach work. We are committed to putting diversity and inclusion (D&I) at the center of everything we do, and promoting a fair and collaborative culture where Rioters treat one another with dignity and respect. We encourage you to read more about our value of thriving together and our ongoing work to build the most inclusive company in Gaming . It's our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance relating to an applicant's criminal history.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find animation artists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your animation artist job on Zippia to find and recruit animation artist 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

   Your first interview with animation artist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 animation artist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the animation artist 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new animation artist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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 an animation artist?