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The differences between computer animators and animation directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a computer animator and an animation director. Additionally, a computer animator has an average salary of $81,438, which is higher than the $71,266 average annual salary of an animation director.
The top three skills for a computer animator include animation, adobe photoshop and motion graphics. The most important skills for an animation director are animation, maya, and motion capture.
| Computer Animator | Animation Director | |
| Yearly salary | $81,438 | $71,266 |
| Hourly rate | $39.15 | $34.26 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 13,790 | 4,968 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Computer animators and animation directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Computer Animator | Animation Director | |
| Average salary | $81,438 | $71,266 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $111,000 | Between $43,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a computer animator and an animation director in terms of educational background:
| Computer Animator | Animation Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Animation |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between computer animators' and animation directors' demographics:
| Computer Animator | Animation Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.5% Female, 13.5% | Male, 75.1% Female, 24.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |