Compositor Education Requirements And Courses

Compositor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Usually, compositors don't need a college education. The most common degree for compositors is bachelor's degree with 76% graduates, with only 11% compositor graduates earning associate degree. Compositors who decided to graduate from college often finish Full Sail University or Savannah College of Art and Design. Some good skills to have in this position include vfx, visual effects and animation.

What education do you need to become a compositor?

What degree do you need to be a compositor?

The most common degree for compositors is bachelor's degree, with 76% of compositors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 11% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 76%

Associate, 11%

Master's, 7%

Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a compositor?

You should major in animation to become a compositor. 19% of compositors major in animation. Other common majors for a compositor include graphic design and photography.

Animation, 19%

Graphic Design, 13%

Photography, 11%

Design And Visual Communication, 11%

Other Majors, 46%

Best majors for compositors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Animation	18.7%
2	Graphic Design	13.1%
3	Photography	11.2%
4	Design And Visual Communication	10.6%
5	Fine Arts	9.8%

Show more common compositor majors

20 best online courses for compositors

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1. Introduction to Nuke VFX Compositing: The Essentials - NK101

4.7

(1,270)

A full Nuke visual effects training course for VFX Compositing in Nuke. Final project of a Junior Compositor shot!...

2. Nuke Compositing Masterclass: Keying - Part 1

4.6

(303)

Start your Professional Compositor Journey from here. Introducing Term 1 for Learning Art & Science of Nuke Compositing...

3. After Effects Essentials: Complete VFX and Motion GFX Guide

4.3

(2,012)

Your complete guide to create amazing Visual Effects and Motion Graphics using Adobe After Effects CC 2017...

4. After Effects CC Masters: VFX, Motion Graphics, Animation+

4.7

(13,287)

Learn Beginner to Advanced Adobe After Effects CC: Motion Graphics, Kinetic Typography, Visual Effects VFX, Animation+...

5. VFX Compositing with Nuke: The Complete 2D Edition

4.8

(303)

A comprehensive guide to 2D compositing for live-action films in post-production visual effects using Nuke...

6. The Complete Adobe After Effects Bootcamp: Basic to Advanced

4.7

(33,022)

Learn Adobe After Effects CC: Master Motion Graphics, VFX Visual Effects & VFX Compositing - 50+ Real World Project...

7. After Effects - Motion Graphics & Data Visualization

4.7

(7,863)

Using Adobe After Effects create beautiful VFX Visual Effects, data visualization & VFX Compositing...

8. Complete Graphics Design and Video Editing Masterclass

4.4

(1,078)

Combo Course of Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Adobe Photoshop CC for Learning Video Editing and Graphics Design...

9. Fundamentals of VFX

4.2

(363)

The Complete Guide to Creating High-End Visual Effects...

10. Learn Basics Of Adobe After Effects CC for Beginners

(417)

Learn basics of After Effects, Compositing ,Visual Effects (VFX), Motion Graphics and Animation...

11. Graphic Design Mastery- AI, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign

4.4

(4,233)

Graphic Design for beginners including Graphic Design Theories, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, AI & Creative Thinking...

12. Adobe After Effects CC - Motion Graphics Design & VFX

4.6

(3,066)

Learn the techniques to start your career as a Motion Graphic artist...

13. Master Graphic Design & Software with Practical Projects

4.5

(737)

Conquer Popular Graphic Design Projects: Logo, Package, Magazine, Book Cover Design, Branding, Digital Graphics & More!...

14. Blender for VFX - Learn to add realistic CGI into footage

4.3

(260)

Learn to use Blender in a professional workflow to create photorealistic CGI renders for your own visual effects shots!...

15. Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design

4.7

(55,714)

The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design,Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design...

16. 47 Graphic Design Projects for Photoshop Beginners

4.8

(324)

Photoshop graphic design for beginners! Includes 47 Photoshop projects for your graphic design portfolio...

17. Graphic Design Theory - Color & Contrast

4.7

(489)

Use Color And Contrast Masterfully In Your Design Projects...

18. Maya For FX Artists - Projects Based Course

4.3

(555)

Learn Maya from scratch by creating variety of short projects : NO previous knowledge required...

19. Adobe Photoshop Graphic Design

4.1

(385)

Design 4 Beautiful eye catching Graphic Design Projects from Scratch with Adobe Photoshop Graphic Design Basics...

20. Graphic Design Masterclass: Learn Graphic Design in Projects

4.5

(2,609)

Graphic design principles, typography, & color mastery using Illustrator, In Design, and Photoshop. For beginners & more!...

Average compositor salary by education level

Compositors with a High School Diploma degree earn more than those without, at $47,520 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, compositors earn a median annual income of $46,925 compared to $46,438 for compositors with an Associate degree.

Compositor education level	Compositor salary
High School Diploma or Less	$47,520
Bachelor's Degree	$46,925
Some College/ Associate Degree	$46,438