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The differences between concept artists and animators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a concept artist and an animator. Additionally, a concept artist has an average salary of $85,713, which is higher than the $76,853 average annual salary of an animator.
The top three skills for a concept artist include storyboards, maya and animation. The most important skills for an animator are animation, motion capture, and storyboards.
| Concept Artist | Animator | |
| Yearly salary | $85,713 | $76,853 |
| Hourly rate | $41.21 | $36.95 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 3,596 | 551 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The job of a concept artist is to make visual representations of creatures, characters, environments, vehicles, and other artistic assets. You should know about the design and how to create one that needs to blend well with any creative project. Your typical job includes drawing or painting these creative assets and providing references for any ideas you need to illustrate. The general qualifications needed to become a successful concept artist include illustration skills, design understanding, and knowledge of Photoshop.
The animators are specialized artists who conceptualized ideas from their creative minds with technology applications. Animators cater to different specialties depending on their expertise. They used multiple techniques and tools to create a digital masterpiece. An animator is required to have an excellent time and project management skills to meet deadlines. They should also be detail-oriented and technology savvy to keep up with the latest trend in the digital market. Animators are required to have regular communication with the respective department for the updates or adjustments as needed.
Concept artists and animators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Concept Artist | Animator | |
| Average salary | $85,713 | $76,853 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $130,000 | Between $52,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | Novato, CA | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Media |
There are a few differences between a concept artist and an animator in terms of educational background:
| Concept Artist | Animator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Animation |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between concept artists' and animators' demographics:
| Concept Artist | Animator | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7% | Male, 71.9% Female, 28.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 7.5% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |