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Artist vs 3d artist

The differences between artists and 3d artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a 3d artist has an average salary of $74,721, which is higher than the $68,690 average annual salary of an artist.

The top three skills for an artist include maya, adobe photoshop and customer service. The most important skills for a 3d artist are animation, unity, and zbrush.

Artist vs 3d artist overview

Artist3D Artist
Yearly salary$68,690$74,721
Hourly rate$33.02$35.92
Growth rate6%5%
Number of jobs3,8703,978
Job satisfaction4-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age4040
Years of experience-2

What does an artist do?

An Artist specializes in creating various artworks or prose; the audience can vary from individuals or the general public. An artist's responsibility depends on the industry, company, or position where they are assigned. However, most of the time, Artists are expected to work under specific guidelines, deliver materials in a required format within an allotted time and perform revisions according to what is preferred by an editor or client. Furthermore, independent artists may work freelance and receive commissions for their craft.

What does a 3d artist do?

A 3D Artist uses complex software to develop graphics and animations for use in various media, such as video games, television shows, and multimedia presentations. They often work in teams, dividing project workloads in accordance to strengths.

Artist vs 3d artist salary

Artists and 3d artists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Artist3D Artist
Average salary$68,690$74,721
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $110,000Between $47,000 And $116,000
Highest paying CitySan Rafael, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNevada
Best paying companyMetaMeta
Best paying industryTechnologyUtilities

Differences between artist and 3d artist education

There are a few differences between an artist and a 3d artist in terms of educational background:

Artist3D Artist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common majorFine ArtsAnimation
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Artist vs 3d artist demographics

Here are the differences between artists' and 3d artists' demographics:

Artist3D Artist
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 45.2% Female, 54.8%Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between artist and 3d artist duties and responsibilities

Artist example responsibilities.

  • Manage studio workload and advise print direction to in-house and freelance cad artists.
  • Manage online product catalog using Dreamweaver.
  • Assist customers with product selection and process POS transactions.
  • Provide comparative analysis on traditional vs. Mac vs. PC production.
  • Animate in-game characters, user interface assets and particle effects.
  • Own & operate a specialize faux painting, mural and art business.
  • Show more

3d artist example responsibilities.

  • Create many MEL scripts to help automate routine daily tasks and improve overall productivity.
  • Write tools in Maxscript, MEL, javascript, python, and vbscript to automate repetitive processes.
  • Create high poly characters, props, and environments using organic and hard surface techniques in Zbrush and Maya.
  • Generate programs for CNC punch press.
  • Help team create nodes for nuke.
  • Contract as a 3D visualization designer & animator.
  • Show more

Artist vs 3d artist skills

Common artist skills
  • Maya, 13%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 8%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Graphic Design, 7%
  • Photography, 7%
  • VFX, 6%
Common 3d artist skills
  • Animation, 13%
  • Unity, 11%
  • ZBrush, 6%
  • Game Engine, 5%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 4%
  • Concept Art, 3%

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